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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often fail to convey the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {