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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to convey the full truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, 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 grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {