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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized 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 overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {