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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {