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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex history. Oden was no silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil 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, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {