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The saying 'History is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

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

Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {