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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {