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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship 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

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve 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 there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

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

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {