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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the very story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real 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 justice, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {