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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {