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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {