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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {