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The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," 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 reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. 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 villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {