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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate past. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms 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 the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {