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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

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

Myths frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {