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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, 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 interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {