🔗 Share this article

The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {