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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {