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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {