🔗 Share this article

The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. 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 truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {