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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the full reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be 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, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {