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The adage 'History is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the truth 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 topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {