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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

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

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

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {