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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {