🔗 Share this article

The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

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

Legends often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {