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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the very story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {