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The adage 'History is written by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

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

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, 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 glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous 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 the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {