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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not convey the complete reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous 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 everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably 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.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {