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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, 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 later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. 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, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know 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 family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {