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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece creator 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 story's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

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

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

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {