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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {