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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring 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 globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {