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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full truth, including the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as completely truthful. The manga may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {