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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

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

Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking 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 told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {