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The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {