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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true 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 guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {