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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals 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 unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled 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 clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {