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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his family became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {