🔗 Share this article

The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, 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 extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {