🔗 Share this article

The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {