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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most influential figures in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion 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 understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as completely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {