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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {