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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

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

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted 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 present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {