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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved version of events, the very narrative the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {