🔗 Share this article

The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

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

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {