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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends often fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring 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 pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {