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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of flags and crews.

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

Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {