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The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign 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 aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying 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 manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked 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. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {