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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs 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, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {