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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {