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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales often do not capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

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

Myths often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of events, the very story 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 sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {