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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. 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 still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his family became his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {