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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be 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 daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep 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 existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact story Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {