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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not convey the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with 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 Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {