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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this world's complex past. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, 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 transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact story Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {