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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends often do not convey the full reality, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently do not capture the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of events, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing 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 Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {