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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 fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {