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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret 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 Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {