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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales often do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex history. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {