GARP VS. ROCKS
The earliest feat we know of Garp is his fight against Rocks D. Xebec and his crew. Granted, he was assisted by Gol D. Roger himself, but that doesn’t take away from his brute strength. Beating a man, who was able to hold Kaido, Big Mom, Whitebeard, and Shiki in check, into submission and possibly death itself, is no small feat.
After this God Valley event, Garp was hailed as “THE HERO” of the Marines. We also know that Garp and Roger “nearly killed each other” on several occasions. It’s one more notch in the loop of combat exploits for Garp.
HIS POSITION WITHIN THE MARINES
Garp is said to be more than strong enough to be Admiral, but he kept turning down the promotion. At first we thought it was only because of the freedom he had as a vice-admiral. But we now know he despises the Celestial Dragons and turned down a promotion to avoid serving directly under them. This part of Garp’s character resonates with that of his grandson, Monkey D. Luffy and son-in-law, Dragon.
In Water 7, after the events of Enies Lobby, Garp visits Luffy and the Straw Hats and they bicker a bit. But when Garp receives the stern order to capture the Straw Hats, he “tries” to do so. We’re certain that if Garp, even at that age, had gone all out trying to capture Luffy, he could have done it. It’s understated, but it’s one of the first times we see Garp show compassion towards his family.
Whether it’s the Crocodile problem, CP-9, the punch against Charloss, or Impel Down, Garp always sits munching on rice crackers and donuts and laughing at Luffy’s statements to the world. . Remember this point, because it is one of the key points of what we are going to tell you about in a moment.
GARP AND ACE
22 years before the start of the story, the man known as the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger surrenders to the Marines and, days before his execution, meets his rival, Garp. Roger announces to Garp that he has a son who is not yet born and asks him to protect him, whom he says he trusts as much as his own teammates. Garp, who also believes what Roger told him, “A child does not have to bear the burden of his father’s sins” or something like that, goes to protect Ace from the Marines trying to extinguish the bloodline. of Roger.
In our opinion, this scene is really significant. People asked why Roger didn’t give Ace to Rayleigh, Gaban or his teammates. This is because seeing Rayleigh or Gaban on the islands only brings suspicion to those islands. In no time, the island would be surrounded by Marines looking for Ace, but having Garp, a guy on their side, on an island, wouldn’t draw any suspicion on the Marines’ side.
Garp entrusts Ace to Dadan and sometime later Luffy as well, occasionally visiting them and hoping to turn them into future Marines. But everyone has their own will to become a pirate and disobey him. But Garp does not disown them. He continues to cherish them (often with a punch as he knows how to do so well). Parents generally don’t force their children to become who they are professionally. The fact that Garp wants Ace and Luffy to become Marines shows us how much he loves and respects his job.
GARP’S INNER TURMOIL
So he has this job that he loves and respects and now on the opposite end is his grandson, Ace, who he basically raised. Remember we said he always laughs at Luffy’s exploits? There wasn’t a shadow of a smile when he sat next to Ace during his execution. Garp, on the contrary, cries. He cries not only because he is sad to see his grandson in such a situation, but also because he cannot do anything about it. Her life as a Marine has tied her hands. Garp couldn’t choose between his family and his duty. In the end, duty wins out. He knocks down Marco who was taking Kizaru’s attacks, gunshots and cannonballs, in one hit. Garp’s participation is the boost the Marines need. Just as Garp decides to follow his Marine duties, he sees Luffy running towards him. At that moment, his inner turmoil returns. He was preventing his grandson from saving his other grandson. In this moment of dismay, Luffy punches him on the railing and passes.
Then came the unfortunate death of Ace. If anyone was affected by this as much as Luffy and Whitebeard, it was Garp. The only thing is that Whitebeard gave Akainu a beating, while Garp didn’t or couldn’t. He tried, in one of the greatest moments, but Sengoku knocked him down and brought him back to his senses. Garp said, “That’s it, Sengoku, keep holding me like that.” Otherwise, I swear to you that I will assassinate Sakazuki! “. Not beat. Not even kill. Murder… That was the rage that was boiling inside Garp at that moment. And we can say that he could have done it.
Even when he sees Shanks, his first thought isn’t, “Le Roux… What’s a Yonko doing here?” “. It’s “Le Roux… The man who pushed Luffy to become a pirate.” To me, given the situation, it sounds like Garp saying Ace’s death is mostly because he’s a pirate and cursing his inability to make him a Marine. He is furious that Shanks made Luffy a pirate and that Luffy may one day meet the same fate as Ace. When Blackbeard eats Whitebeard’s fruit, Garp and Sengoku are the only people who show up to fight them. So despite these events, Garp still tries to stay focused on the present.
After Marineford, his interaction with Dadan hurts. Dadan, a woman who was so afraid to speak in front of Garp, who was so intimidated by Garp, hit him on the head with a club. Garp doesn’t answer a word. He knows he deserves it and more. He knows that every word Dadan said was absolutely true. He knows he was wrong not to defend Ace and he hates himself for it.
If Marineford was a character development arc for Luffy, so was Garp. This character fluctuation is what makes Garp unique. Garp is a family man whose hands are tied by his obligations to the Marines. His inability to save Ace is something he still blames himself for today. The world famous hero could not make the right choice. Garp, the Marine, won. But Garp, the man, lost.
But the only reason we think Garp is still employed as a Marine is because of his past accomplishments. God Valley, Roger, Chinjao and more. Otherwise, for being the stepfather of the most wanted man in the world, and for being the grandfather of the most dangerous recruit in the world, Garp would have been fired.
After what happened at Marineford, what will happen to the hero?
THE FUTURE OF GARP IS THE FUTURE OF MARINES
Garp is now training young beginner pirates. In our view, this is very important. Because we think there’s a chance the Marines will implode in the future. A civil war within the Marines could be underway. Between Akainu’s will for Justice and the disagreements that we have already experienced, especially with Aokiji. And Garp’s faction will be the group that will lead the Marines, end of story. A faction that doesn’t consider all pirates trash and can actually maintain order and peace in the world. We’ve seen Smoker and Fujitora disagree with the system before, with Fujitora outright saying so and going after Akainu in Dressrosa. Garp is instrumental in training Marines, not only physically, but also in training their minds to be good Marines.
We cannot guarantee Garp’s survival until the end of the story, he is old. And it is related to the main character. We know that old guys related to the main character usually die. He may die, he may not die, we don’t know. But we are sure of one thing.
In the future, there will be a time when Garp will have to make a choice. A path he must choose. He will have to choose between a path that will lead him to fulfill his duty as a Marine and another path that will lead him to protect his grandson. His blood family. This time, Garp chooses family over work and decides to protect Luffy. Maybe that’s how he will die.
But we are sure that the development of the character of the Hero of the Marines, Monkey D. Garp is not finished yet.