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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy 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 Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment 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 positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {