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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {