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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {