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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends often do not capture the full truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {