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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

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

Myths often fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of events, the exact story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {