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The adage 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, 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 full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads 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 far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure 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 doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, 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 flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {