Vincent Regan’s Garp played a key role in the first season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece, but due to the character’s limited presence at this stage in the source material, his screen time was understandably reduced in season 2. Garp makes two significant contributions during the adaptation’s sophomore run – one in the present timeline and one via a flashback.
In the present, Garp is responsible for setting Captain Smoker and Tashigi on the tail of Baroque Works, detailing how much the marines know about the shadowy organization and proving One Piece season 2’s villains are several rungs above Arlong on the ladder of power.
Garp’s second big moment in One Piece season 2 arrives through a flashback to Gol D. Roger’s execution day. It becomes clear that these two titans of the sea spent many years as rivals on opposite sides, but developed a begrudging respect along the way. While earning Roger’s seal of approval speaks to the vice admiral’s strength and influence within the One Piece world, their conversation also acts as the live-action series sending Garp a big middle finger over events yet to come.
One Piece Season 2 Really Twists The Knife Over Garp Letting Ace Die
The main purpose of One Piece season 2’s flashback between Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp is the revelation that Roger, knowing his execution was imminent, placed his secret son into Garp’s care. This directly sets up the arrival of Portgas D. Ace in One Piece season 3, with Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Maridueña already cast in the role.
While undoubtedly surprising, the request made perfect sense. Even as an infant, the “son of the Pirate King” would have been hunted endlessly by the World Government. As a high-ranking marine with an intact moral compass, Garp was the best person to ensure Roger’s son had an opportunity to grow up without being punished for the sins of his father. Roger recognized Garp as a man who wouldn’t stand by and let such an unjust thing happen, so when the marine pointed out that he was about to lead Roger to the gallows, the pirate responded by stating with the utmost admiration, “True, but I trust you won’t do the same to my son.”
Sadly, Roger was mistaken. While Garp protects Ace as a child, finding the boy a place to live peacefully and keeping his true parentage hidden, Ace does indeed find himself kneeling at the gallows, and Garp does indeed stand there to watch it happen.
The line “but I trust you won’t do the same to my son” acts as a huge middle finger to Garp, foreshadowing the very thing Garp will do in the years to come. It’s a line that suggests Roger’s trust in Garp was somewhat misplaced, and that the Pirate King will one day look down from the heavens and see Garp standing over Ace as the marines prepare to cut off his head, exactly as he did with the boy’s father.
It’s a cruel reminder that, ultimately, Garp chooses his duty as a marine over the promise he made to a friend.
The Reason Garp Doesn’t Prevent Ace’s Execution
Roger’s fear was that Ace would be persecuted – executed solely for being the Pirate King’s offspring. Garp is successful insofar as preventing that outcome specifically, but Ace grows up with ambitions of becoming a pirate regardless. As a teenager and young adult, Ace willingly chooses to form his own pirate crew, then elects to become a commander of the formidable Whitebeard pirates.
Garp would argue that Ace is a grown man who chose his own path, despite knowing the risks. The pact with Roger was fulfilled, but try as he might, Garp can’t shield Ace from the lure of piracy. It’s the same attitude Garp shows toward Luffy. Plenty of powerful marines have chased after Luffy in One Piece, and Garp has done nothing to stop them because he knows this is the path his grandson has chosen, and to protect him would almost be a sign of disrespect.
It’s also important to acknowledge that Garp’s chief motivation throughout One Piece is justice. A child being punished over the identity of his father isn’t justice. A pirate being caught and executed by the marines, unfortunately for Ace, is justice. For Garp, it’s as black-and-white as that.
The importance of individual freedom is a core theme of One Piece, and for Garp to interfere in Ace’s pirate journey by exploiting his influence within the marines would be to interfere with Ace’s freedom. Still, that doesn’t make it any easier watching Garp do very little as the child he swore to protect is given a public execution.
- Release Date
-
August 31, 2023
- Network
-
Netflix
- Showrunner
-
Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz
- Directors
-
Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka
- Writers
-
Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand
-
Iñaki Godoy
Monkey D. Luffy
-
