🔗 Share this article

The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

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

Legends often fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real 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 motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {