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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, 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 fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as completely truthful. The manga may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {