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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces 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 exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {