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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the full truth, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family became his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {