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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the idea that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {