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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit 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 individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. 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 very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing idea 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 Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {