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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu 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 corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? 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 Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {