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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Myths often do not convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea 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 ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {