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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {