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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {