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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {