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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often do not convey the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

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

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the reality 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 sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't 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 tool to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {