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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. 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 fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true 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 guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may offer an reason in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {