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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman 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, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a new age 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 speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence 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 maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. 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 annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated 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 D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {