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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. 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 transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory 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 ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {