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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends often do not convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy 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 predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Now, 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 is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {