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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {