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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the truth 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 overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {