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The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths often do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth 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 light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {