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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

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

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from 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 yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {