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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends often fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

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

Myths often fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the island where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {