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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

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

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing idea 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 only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {