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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {