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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really die? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {