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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {