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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered 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 couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation later, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {