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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {