🔗 Share this article

The saying 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

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

Myths often do not capture the full truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved version of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth 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 the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {