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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era 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 discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the very narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {