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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends often fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about 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 corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {