🔗 Share this article

The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not capture the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded 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 both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry 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, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous 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, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {