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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often do not convey the full truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {