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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything 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 recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may offer an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {