🔗 Share this article

The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

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

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. 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 yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. 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 wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {