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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his family became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {