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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {