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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

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

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {