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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

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

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {