The Series' God Valley Recollection Demonstrates Why Legends Aren't to Be Trusted Blindly

The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

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

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story Imu approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {