🔗 Share this article

The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of events, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal 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 the ruler 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 eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {