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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the full truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose 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 youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the truth 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 corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {