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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

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

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal 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 aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked 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 manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an explanation later, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {