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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt 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 lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {