🔗 Share this article

The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles 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 audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely truthful. The manga may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {