🔗 Share this article

The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {