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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

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

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe 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 Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {