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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the very story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {