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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {