🔗 Share this article

The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {