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The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs 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 the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {