Warning: This piece contains reveals for One Piece issue #1164.
The adage 'History is written by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.
In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.
Myths often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures.
One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.
The Individual Before the Legend
Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.
At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.
The Truth About The Infamous Captain
Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.
In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt 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 family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.
This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.
Is He Living Today?
But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.
The Hero's Hidden Rebellion
Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?
The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.
History's Untrustworthy Narrators
Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {
