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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most influential characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

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

The series's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances 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 the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {