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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

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

Myths frequently do not convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality 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 decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {