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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign approved to conceal 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 topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {