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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not capture the full truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

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

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {