🔗 Share this article

The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the very story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero'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 Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {