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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often do not capture the full truth, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently do not convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted 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 defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure 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 plan to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {