Monkey D. Garp is counted among legendary One Piece characters, alongside the likes of Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, Kaido, and several others. After witnessing the peak of his powers recently in the Egghead arc, we certainly didn’t expect to see Garp on the brink of death in One Piece. Now, a lot of fans are wondering — is Garp 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 his current status. So, keep reading to find out whether Monkey D. Garp is alive or dead in One Piece.
Spoiler Warning:
This article includes spoilers for the character of Garp and his current status in the One Piece universe. Read the manga (up to chapter 1126) 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 lives of 800 marines and a battleship, which their leader, Marshall D. Teach, aka Blackbeard, demanded.
That was a brave move from Koby, as he put his life on the line for his fellow 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.
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, a former Marine Admiral in One Piece, became a member of the Blackbeard Pirates. The only one left is his beloved pupil, and as Garp considered Koby to be the future of the Marines, he rightfully 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 everyone on the island 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” used the invisible powers of his Suke Suke no Mi devil fruit (Clear Clear devil fruit) and tried to deal a sneaky blow to Koby.
However, as an experienced veteran marine, Garp senses the incoming 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 in a vulnerable position.
Is Garp Dead or Alive in One Piece? Answered
After receiving a lethal blow from Shiryu, Garp immediately knocked the former marine to the ground, even in this 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 that moment, fans began to suspect that Garp’s time was running out and his death was imminent.
While everyone thought Garp was dead already, he devised a brilliant plan to make sure his fellow Marines could escape from hell, i.e., Hachinosu Island. He gathered all of his strength to stand up for the last time and created 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 was a success as Koby unleashed the “Honesty Impact” attack to destroy the island’s hand. Koby and all the Marines escaped safely in their ships. But sadly, 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, Garp then got caught by the Blackbeard Pirates. Even though the situation looks adverse, it is still a huge win in his books for Garp and a serious blow to the pirate crew.
We see Garp lying 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 a life-or-death situation. Moreover, one side of his face was starting to get frozen by Aokiji’s Time Capsule power.
While this moment makes it look like Aokiji killed Garp and that he took his last breath 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 end, but all hope is not lost yet.
Garp’s current status remained a mystery for a long time. However, in chapter 1126, Oda sensei lifted the veil and confirmed that Monkey D. Garp is still alive in the series. Kuzan remarked that he thought he had killed his mentor with his final attack, but Garp survived the life-threatening blow and continues to live. Therefore, Monkey D. Garp is shown all chained up and imprisoned by the Blackbeard Pirates in One Piece.
What Does the Future Hold for Garp?
Although Garp’s death would likely have served as a major character development for Koby, that didn’t happen in the story. The Blackbeard Pirates are one of the most devious pirates, and their leader, Marshall D. Teach, is a mastermind.
With the legendary “Hero of the Marines” at the palm of his hand, he will think of using him as 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 entirely possible that he would trade Garp with the World Government to turn the pirate island into a recognized nation led by pirates.
On the flip side, fans have started to theorize that Garp being caught 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 the Blackbeard Pirates and help overthrow them in the future. There are mere speculations for now, and we are sure Oda sensei has his plans for what happens to Garp next in the final arcs of One Piece.
Does Luffy Know If Garp Is Dead?
It’s been a long time since Garp and Luffy met in the story, as Luffy didn’t encounter his grandfather in his adventures after the Enies Lobby Incident. Luffy hasn’t discovered the events of Hachinosu Island yet, so he still doesn’t know his grandfather is dead or alive.
Moreover, Blackbeard could also hold Garp as a hostage and use him as an ultimate trump card against the Straw Hat Pirates in the final war of One Piece. Blackbeard isn’t planning to waste such a huge opportunity, as he is currently devising a strategy with his crew to take complete advantage of Garp.
We have to wait for some time to see Luffy’s reaction to Garp being abducted by the Blackbeard Pirates. Blackbeard was the primary reason for Ace’s death in One Piece, and Luffy won’t repeat it with his grandfather this time.
To wrap things up, the current status of Monkey D. Garp is that he is still alive, and we will update this post 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, and yet he survived all these attacks thrown at him.
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).
