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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

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

Myths often do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {