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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full truth, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled 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 little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {