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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {