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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs 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 surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth 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 overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {