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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring 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 individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu approved 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 overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {