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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

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

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact story Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {