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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

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

Myths frequently fail to capture the full truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {