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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {