🔗 Share this article

The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek 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 was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real 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 ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. 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 God Valley events.

Is He 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 present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {