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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

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

Myths frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact story Imu approved 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 sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {