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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Legends often fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {