Alert: This piece contains reveals for One Piece chapter #1164.
The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and crews.
In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.
Legends often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures.
The series's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.
The Individual Before the Myth
The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.
At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.
The Reality About The Infamous Captain
Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.
In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.
This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.
Is He Living Today?
But was Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.
Garp's Hidden Rebellion
A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?
The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.
History's Untrustworthy Storytellers
Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {
