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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {