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The saying 'History is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of events, the very story Imu approved to conceal 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 the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely accurate. The series may offer an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {