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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, 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 reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {