Monkey D. Dragon is one of the most important characters in One Piece. Being introduced very early during the Loguetown arc, Dragon went on to be established as the leader of the Revolutionary Army. It was thanks to Garp that fans found out the Dragon was actually such an important person in the One Piece world and, more importantly, Luffy's very own father.
Over the years, Dragon has only done bits in One Piece and his character will only come into true focus in the last saga of the story. However, in the Egghead Island arc, fans got to explore a bit more of his past, thanks to Dr. Vegapunk. In his flashback, fans got to see what Dragon was like during the time when Ohara was destroyed and, as such, it also gave fans a look at the creation of the Revolutionary Army.
The Freedom Fighters
During Dr. Vegapunk's flashback, it was revealed to the fans that the Revolutionary Army was not the organization that Dragon headed from the get-go. In fact, before Dragon headed the Revolutionary Army, he was the leader of a different organization and he named this group the Freedom Fighters. It is very evident that, at this point, the Freedom Fighters were not massive and not even a threat recognized by the World Government. Yet, Dragon was its leader and he did what he could to liberate countries and towns from the yoke of the World Government. When Ohara was destroyed 22 years ago, Dragon visited the land, just as Vegapunk did. The two met there and Dragon commented on how he was shocked to learn that his friend had joined the World Government.
Vegapunk then went on to reveal that his brilliant mind would be a waste without having the necessary funds to put it to use. Since Dragon's Freedom Fighters were poor, the only way forward for Vegapunk was in the Navy. However, Vegapunk then went on to mention that they both have the same goal, which means that despite being very young back then, Dragon already established the goal of overthrowing the World Nobles and creating a world where people could live free of oppression.
The Founders Of The Revolutionary Army
Although he had lofty ambitions, at that time, Dragon did not possess enough power or influence to be noticed as a great criminal. Soon, the Great Pirate Era began and so did Dragon's rise to infamy, slowly. It was then revealed Dragon had established an organization known as the Revolutionary Army. This Revolutionary Army is what he currently heads as well and it was recently revealed that he established it with two important characters by his side. One of them was Bartholomew Kuma, the King of Sorbet Kingdom. Dragon most likely met Kuma when he was very young and could've saved him from the abuse that he suffered at the hands of the Celestial Dragons.
It isn't a surprise to see Kuma collaborating with Dragon as a member of the Revolutionary Army. Kuma does indeed have a bad reputation in the world of One Piece as a tyrant, however, there is more to that. Kuma either did what he had to do to infiltrate the World Government as a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, or, perhaps, the information about him was simply manipulated. Regardless, Kuma was one of the founding members of the Revolutionary Army, as was Emporio Ivankov. Fans already know Ivankov as the Queen of the Kamabakka Kingdom. How Ivankov came to join Dragon and for what reasons remains to be seen, however, given his kind-hearted nature, Ivankov is not a surprise addition to this group. Both Ivankov and Kuma look like they infiltrated different strongholds of the World Government. While Kuma went to the sacred land of Mariejoa, Ivankov went to Impel Down.
How Strong Is The Revolutionary Army
When the Revolutionary Army was established by its founders, it was certainly not as strong or as big as it is today. It took them quite a long time to fight against the oppression of the World Government and build a name for themselves. This is evident from the fact that during the Reverie that Vivi first attended as a child, the threat of Dragon was brought up for the very first time. Even then, it was mentioned that Dragon was not yet noticed by the entire world, however, in the coming years, he would become a massive problem to the World Government and potentially, even the worst criminal in the world.
Dragon went on to accomplish just that and attain that title. He is the World's Worst Criminal and just as he wanted that title by fighting the oppression of the World Government, he also gained several powerful allies. Right now, the Revolutionary Army is a massive power on the seas that is comparable to the likes of the Worst Generation, the Yonko, or even the Marines themselves. 22 years ago, Dragon mentioned that he wanted to build an organization capable of fighting back against the World Government by itself. By the looks of it, he has finally accomplished that task.