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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really 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 piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {