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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek 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 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 world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the very story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {