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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's complex history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest storylines 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 reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, 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, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. 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 reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {