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The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign authorized 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 principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {