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The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation later, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {