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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {