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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate past. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of events, the very story Imu approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {