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The saying 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

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

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

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

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? 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 last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {