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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential characters.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {