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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not convey the full truth, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. 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 more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {