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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

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

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish 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 family became his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series 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 notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {