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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with 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 daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {