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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative Imu approved to bury 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 the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {