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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends often fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece 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 stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {