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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {