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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {