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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the full reality, including the most influential characters.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu 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 fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and 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 tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {