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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. 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 scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {