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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

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

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {