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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to convey the full truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, 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, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck 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 manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {