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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives 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 spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {