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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {