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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {