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The adage 'History is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {