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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex history. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; 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 meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

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

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {