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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures in this world's complex past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {