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The adage 'History is written by the victors' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

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

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

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, 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 glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {