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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {