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The adage 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident 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 decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler 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 discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {