GARP’S INNER TURMOIL
So he has this job that he loves and respects and now on the polar opposite side lies his grandson, Ace who he essentially raised. Remember how I said, he always laughed at Luffy’s exploits ? There was not a hint of a smile when he was seated by Ace during his execution. Garp instead cries. Cries not only in sorrow of seeing his grandson in such a situation, but cries because of his inability to do anything about it. His life as a Marine tied his hands up. Garp was unable to choose between family and duty. In the end, duty took over. He knocks down Marco who was tanking Kizaru’s attacks and gun shots and cannon balls, in one hit. Garp’s participation was the boost of morale the Marines needed. Just when Garp decides to follow his duties as a Marine, he sees Luffy running towards him. At that moment his inner turmoil returned. He was standing in the way of his grandson rescuing his other grandson. In this moment of turmoil Luffy punches him down the ramp, and gets past.
Then came the unfortunate passing of Ace. If anyone was affected by that as much as Luffy and Whitebeard, it was Garp. The only thing was Whitebeard knocked the shit of out Akainu, while Garp didn’t or couldn’t. He tried to, in one of the hypest build ups, but Sengoku floors him and knocks some sense into him. Garp says ,” That’s right Sengoku, keep holding me like that. Cause if you don’t, I swear I’m going to MURDER Sakazuki !”. Not beat. Not even kill. Murder.. That’s how much rage was boiling inside Garp at that moment. And it is safe to say, he could’ve done that.
Even when he sees Shanks, his first thought isn’t ,” Red Hair… What’s a Yonko doing here ?”. It’s ,” Red Hair.. The man who put Luffy in the path of becoming a pirate.” This to me, given the situation, seems like Garp essentially calling Ace’s death majorly due to him being a pirate and cursing his inability to make him a Marine. He is pissed that Shanks made Luffy a pirate and Luffy might one day face the same fate as Ace. When Blackbeard eats Whitebeard’s Fruit, Garp And Sengoku are essentially the only people to come forward to fight them. So despite these events, Garp is still trying to remain focused on the present.
Post Marineford his interaction with Dadan, broke my heart. Dadan, a lady who was so scared to speak up in front of Garp, who was so intimidated by Garp, hit him on the head with a club. Garp doesn’t speak a word back to her. He knows he deserves it and more. He knows every word Dadan was speaking was absolutely true. He knows he was wrong for not standing up for Ace and he hates himself for it.
As much as Marineford was an arc of character development for Luffy, it was also the same for Garp. This fluctuation of character is what makes Garp one of a kind. Garp is a family man whose hands were tied up by his obligations to the Marines. His inability to save Ace is something he is kicking himself for even today. The world-famous Hero, was unable to make the right choice. Garp, the Marine won. But Garp, the man, lost.
But the only reason I think Garp is still employed as a Marine in the first place, is because of his past accomplishments. God Valley, Roger, Chinjao and more. Otherwise for being the father of the most wanted man in the world, and for being the grandfather of the most dangerous rookie in the world, Garp would’ve been fired.
After what happened in Marineford, what lies next for the Hero ?
GARP’s FUTURE IS THE FUTURE OF THE MARINES
Garp now trains young upstart pirates. This to me is very significant. Because I think there is a chance that the Marines will implode in the future. A civil war within the Marines might be in store. A faction headed by Akainu, who think of all pirates as scum and are pretty much extremists, and the faction(SWORD?) who would side with Garp, like Fujitora, Aokiji, Smoker, Drake and Coby. And Garp’s faction will be the group which will head the Marines, end of story. A faction who do not see all pirates as scum and can actually maintain order and peace in the world. We’ve already seen Smoker and Fujitora in disagreement with the system, with Fujitora outright telling and lashing out at Akainu in Dressrosa. Garp is instrumental in not only training the Marines physically, but training their minds to be Marines on the good side.
I can’t guarantee Garp’s survival to see the end of story, the guy is old. And he is related to the Main Character. We know old guys related to the Main Character usually die. He may die, he may not die I don’t know. But I’m sure if one thing.
In the future, there is going to be a time again, where Garp needs to make a choice. A path he needs to choose. He would need to choose between a path that would lead him to fulfil his duty as a Marine and another path that would lead him to protect his Grandson. His blood family. This time, Garp chooses family over job and decides to protect Luffy. Maybe that’s how he dies, I don’t know.
But I’m sure the character development of the Hero Of The Marines, The Fist, Monkey D. Garp is not over yet.
*by letsgomina
