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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really 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, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {