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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {