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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {