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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

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

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from 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 version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. 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 World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided 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 gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {