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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

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

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {