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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of seeing 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 humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {