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The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not convey the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {