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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {