Chapters 1087 and 1088 of One Piece brought the conflict on Hachinosu to an emphatic conclusion, with the revelation of Captain Koby's incredible strength and potential become one of the strongest fighters in the Marines. In addition, the battle between SWORD and the Blackbeard Pirates also saw a major figure in One Piece left in an extremely unfavorable situation, where his fate hangs preacriously in the balance. After successfully launching a mission to free Koby and the remaining Marines who were captured by the Blackbeard Pirates, Monkey D. Garp was grievously wounded by Shiryu of the Rain, who snuck up on him with his Suke Suke no Mi powers. Although Garp still managed to hold his own against the likes of his student, the former Admiral Aokiji — now going by his actual name Kuzan — his injuries proved too much to handle.
While his fate is still unclear, it might be safe to say that he has been taken hostage by the Blackbeard Pirates, either to be executed, handed over to Cross Guild in exchange for a bounty, or used as a bargaining chip to make Hachinosu a legitimate nation under Blackbeard's rule. At the same time, Luffy is embroiled in a major conflict on Egghead Island, with CP0, the Blackbeard Pirates, and a ship carrying both Admiral Kizaru and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn approaching his location. This is not the first time Luffy has seen a close family member has been abducted by the Blackbeard Pirates, with the tragic events of Marineford still lingering in his memory. With this in mind, how likely is it that Luffy will drop his quest for the One Piece temporarily to go save his grandfather?
Luffy And Garp's Relationship
With his father Monkey D. Dragon out of the picture for his entire life, Garp is essentially the closest thing Luffy ever had to an actual paternal figure. Having been raised by his grandfather until he was sent to live with the Dadan Family, Luffy and Garp seem to share a very close bond, and the Vice Admiral had extremely high hopes for his grandson, expecting him to become a great Marine.
As such, Garp tended to berate and punish Luffy in an almost comical way whenever he visited him between assignments, and he was also responsible for training Luffy in his childhood. Even with his growing notoriety as a pirate, Garp seems to care for his grandson deeply and appears amused and proud when news of his outrageous achievements spread all over the world. He is especially impressed with how strong Luffy has become, even though he decided to eschew the righteous path of a Marine to sail the seas as a pirate.
In turn, after bearing the brunt of Garp's punches as a child, Luffy has grown to fear his grandfather, although he does show a great deal of respect for him as well. The two share a number of similarities, ranging from their boisterous nature, to their egoistic and borderline inconsiderate behavior at times towards their comrades. Despite this, the two do have a shared sense of justice, even if the paths they have taken diverge considerably.
The Hero Of The Marines At Death's Door
The outcome of the conflict on Hachinosu saw Koby and the Marines imprisoned by the Blackbeard Pirates escape Pirate Island, leaving a wounded Garp behind. Koby displayed his immense strength and mastery of Haki, emulating Garp's own power, when destroying the gargantuan hand of Avalo Pizarro, the user of the Shima Shima no Mi, to save the ship carrying the Marines rescued by SWORD. Unfortunately, this victory came at the cost of losing one of the Marines' strongest combatants in Garp, as he was last seen at the mercy of the Blackbeard Pirates, who were led by his old student Kuzan.
At this juncture in the story, the prospect of Garp dying is quite low, especially since his true power has not been shown to its fullest extent. Moreover, the chance of an off-screen death for a character as prominent as Garp would be a travesty to say the least, and it would rob fans of the spectacle of seeing the Hero of the Marines go out all guns blazing — a death truly becoming of such a legendary figure in the world of One Piece. In spite of how grim his current situation may be, there is a higher chance of Garp being taken hostage, setting the stage for another major conflict that could shake the world to its very foundations.
Preventing A Repeat Of Marineford
Marineford was the last time one of Luffy's family members was captured and condemned to death, and the outcome of this conflict saw major characters die in the form of as Ace and Whitebeard, as well as monumental changes in the world order, signaling the start of a new era. In effect, Garp's abduction could set up an inversion of this scenario, where the Marines, and perhaps even the Revolutionary Army — led by Garp's son Monkey D. Dragon — would flock to rescue Garp from the clutches of either the Blackbeard Pirates or Cross Guild, in case he is handed over to them in exchange for his bounty.
Another public execution like Ace's might be on the cards here, and it is anybody's guess whether Luffy will rush to his grandfather's aid. The loss of his brother Ace was one of Luffy's biggest failures, and the Fire Fist's death at the hands of Akainu shook the captain of the Straw Hats to his very core. If circumstances were to set up a similar event for Garp, there is virtually no chance that Luffy would not drop everything and run to save his grandfather, to avoid losing another person he cares about so deeply in near identical fashion. His current level of strength with Gear 5 would also place him in a much better position than he was at Marineford, although he might not be at his most powerful just yet.
Additionally, this would also be an ideal stage for Luffy to reveal his new power to the world and show himself to be the second coming of Joy Boy. The only thing standing in his way might be the incoming battle on Egghead Island, which escalatin to greater heights with every passing chapter. As the action shifts once again to the island of the future, One Piece fans will be eager to know how the Straw Hats will emerge from the incoming battle, and whether they will run to save Garp or continue on towards Elbaf, where Shanks awaits.
One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.