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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {