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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much 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 secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {