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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

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

Myths often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {