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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

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

Myths frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {