One Piece's God Valley Recollection Reveals Why Myths Shouldn't Be Believed Blindly

The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales often do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

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

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe 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 recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation later, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {