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The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full truth, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth 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 Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous 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 only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory 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 Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {