While some fans have mixed feelings about Luffy’s grandfather, Monkey D. Garp, and his abilities in One Piece, plenty have backed him too. Counted among legendary One Piece characters such as Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, Kaido, and others, Garp leaves a lasting impression. But after witnessing the peak of his powers recently, we certainly didn’t expect to see Garp on the brink of death in the One Piece manga. So, everyone’s wondering — is Garp really dead in One Piece? Well, let’s find out the answer!
The latest One Piece episodes left many questions unanswered about Garp’s death or whatever his current status is. So, keep reading to find out whether Monkey D. Garp is alive or dead in the One Piece universe.
Spoiler Warning:
This article includes spoilers for the character of Garp and his current status in the One Piece universe. Read the manga or watch the anime (up to episode 1115) before you proceed further.
Garp vs Blackbeard Pirates on Hachinosu Island
Before learning Garp’s current status in One Piece, you should know about the events leading up to this tragedy. It all started when Koby offered himself to the Blackbeard Pirates instead of the life of 800 marines and a battleship, which their leader Marshall D. Teach (better known as Blackbeard) demanded.
That was indeed a brave move from Koby, as he put his life on the line for the Marines. As a result, he was taken hostage on Hachinosu Island, where the Blackbeard Pirates currently reside.
When this news reached Monkey D. Garp, he didn’t let it slide as Koby is his protégé and decided to infiltrate the island to rescue him. But there are many other reasons why Garp went to rescue Koby. Garp’s son Monkey D. Dragon became the leader of the Revolutionary Army, his grandsons Luffy and Ace became pirates, and last but not least, his first apprentice Aokiji (or Kuzan, a former Marine Admiral in One Piece) became a member of the Blackbeard Pirates.
While these can be considered tragic moments in his life, Garp considered Koby to be the future of the Marines, and rightfully, he went to rescue him as his mentor.
Garp Faces a Sudden Attack and Gets Injured
As mentioned above, Monkey D. Garp made his way to Hachinosu Island with SWORD members for the infiltration and rescue mission. Garp had the time of his life, beating up everyone in his way into a pulp and showcasing his godly powers. Even in his old age, he did not break a sweat and had fun fighting against some of the Titanic captains of the Blackbeard Pirates.
After all this fighting, Garp’s plan was successful as he and the SWORD members rescued Koby. He then ordered everyone to back up and retreat to their marine ship to escape. Hachinosu Island is considered a paradise for pirates and is inhabited by various members of the Blackbeard Pirates. It’s pointless to fight after rescuing Koby, right? Because that’s the objective of their mission. But during their escape, things suddenly took a tragic turn.
During their escape, Koby gets tricked by pirates pretending to seek help, and that’s when “Shiryu of the rain” uses the invisible powers of his Suke Suke no Mi devil fruit (Clear Clear devil fruit) to deal a sneaky blow to Koby.
However, Garp is an experienced veteran marine, and he was able to predict the attack. So he threw himself in front of Koby, saving his life while getting stabbed by Shiryu in the gut. That was a deadly strike from Shiryu, which left Garp with a fatal injury and vulnerable.
Is Garp Dead or Alive in One Piece? Answered
After receiving a lethal blow from Shiryu, Garp managed to smack Shiryu to the ground, even in that disadvantageous situation. And right when we thought things were over, and Garp could escape the island, his apprentice Kuzan showed up to fight his mentor. They both exchange crucial blows, making Garp lose control and drop to the ground at the end. At that moment, fans began to suspect that Garp’s time was running out and his death was imminent.
In One Piece manga chapter 1088, while everyone thought Garp was dead already, he devised a brilliant plan to make sure his fellow Marines could escape from the hell that is Hachinosu Island. He gathered up all of his powers to stand up and give an opening for them to destroy the impending gigantic hand made by Alvaro Pizzaro’s island-island powers.
Even though Garp suffered severe injuries during this battle, he still dealt a strike to Kuzan, and as fast as lightning, he created an opening with his mighty “Galaxy Divide” attack on the Island’s head. His plan ended up being successful, and all the Marines were able to escape in their ships. But sadly, it looks like Garp sacrificed himself in the process by staying on the island after that attack.
Putting his own life on the line, Garp made the future of the Marines his sole priority and saved them even when he was in an unfavorable situation. In doing so, he got caught off-guard by the Blackbeard Pirates and had to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Even though the situation looks adverse, it is still a huge win in his books and a serious blow to the pirates.
In the last panel of One Piece chapter 1088, we see Garp lying down on the ground surrounded by the Titanic captains of the Blackbeard Pirates. He was seen laughing like all the Members of the D did when faced with the life or death situation. Moreover, one side of his face was seen starting to get frozen by Aokiji’s Time Capsule power.
While this manga panel certainly makes it look like Aokiji killed Garp and that he died on Hachinosu Island, we (and many fans) still believe Garp’s role in the One Piece story hasn’t been concluded yet. Sure, the death of the mentor at the hands of his student would serve as a poetic and just end, but all hope is not lost yet.
The last panel mentioned that the next day’s newspaper talked about “the disappearance on Pirate Island of the legendary hero, Vice Admiral Garp.” Now, it doesn’t confirm anything, which makes Garp’s current status unknown.
So yeah, Garp’s current status remains a mystery – Dead or Alive? It hasn’t been confirmed by One Piece author Eiichiro Oda just yet. But we could learn the answer in the future chapters of the One Piece manga.
What the Future Holds for Monkey D Garp?
Although Garp’s death would likely serve as a major character development for Koby, I highly doubt that will be the case. Koby has unlocked his Haki (read about types of Haki). The Blackbeard Pirates are one of the most cunning pirates, and the leader, Marshall D. Teach, is a cunning individual.
With the legendary “Hero of the Marines” at the palm of his hand, he will think of using him as some sort of leverage to achieve his goals. It was also mentioned earlier that he wanted to turn Hachinosu Island into the Blackbeard Kingdom (a World Government-allied nation).
So, it’s possible that he would want to trade Garp with the World Government to turn the pirate island into a recognized nation.
Moreover, Blackbeard could hold Garp as a hostage and use it as a trump card against the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece. What we are trying to say is that Blackbeard wouldn’t have wasted such a huge opportunity and would have come up with a plan to take advantage of it.
On the flip side, fans have started to theorize that Garp being killed by Aokiji in front of Blackbeard will earn him loyalty from the leader. In doing so, Aokiji, who is believed to be a part of the SWORD organization by fans, could use that loyalty to continue spying on Blackbeard Pirates and overthrow them in the future. There are speculations though, and we are sure Oda sensei has plans of his own for what happens next in the Egghead arc in One Piece.
To wrap things up, the current status of Monkey D Garp remains unknown, but we will be updating this article as soon as we get more information. Until then, share your favorite Garp moments with us in the comments below.
Monkey D. Grap went to Hachinosu Island to save Kobi from the Blackbeard Pirates. During their escape, Garp, while trying to save Kobi, was first stabbed in the gut by Shiryu, which resulted in a fatal wound. Next, we went head-to-head with his student Aokiji (or Kuzan), and it is currently unknown whether that resulted in Garp’s death. So, we have to wait to learn about Garp’s killer in One Piece.
Garp will always be among the good guys as he is one of the morally righteous people in the Marines.
Of course, Garp’s student Koby will be his successor and surpass him in the future (at least that’s what the fans want).