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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably 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.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely accurate. The series may offer an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {