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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not convey the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's 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 reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {