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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much 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 past. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted 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, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact story Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {