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The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {