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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth 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 version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {