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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {