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The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family became his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {