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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this story's intricate history. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently do not convey the full truth, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {