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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat 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 Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, 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 ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu 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.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {