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The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley 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 became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {