Updated on June 6, 2:03 p.m. (GMT+8): Improved relevancy.
Vice admiral Monkey D. Garp is one of the most beloved marines in One Piece.
Warning: Major spoilers if you haven’t watched or read One Piece.
Known as Luffy’s grandfather, this anime character has a funny and carefree personality. Despite not acquiring any powers through Devil Fruits, Garp’s abilities should not be underestimated.
Garp’s exploits in his youth earned him the title of “Hero of the Marines,” although he never really liked it. He had to team up with the legendary pirate, Gol D. Roger, to defeat Rocks D. Xebec, and the navy’s cooperation with pirates was probably not something he was proud of.
With all of his glorious achievements and unbelievable strength, many fans wonder why Garp continues to retain his position as a vice admiral.
Garp refuses to become admiral of the Marines
In One Piece, the navy is believed to be the embodiment of the good side. Their main mission is to protect the Celestial Dragons, a group that holds the highest authority in the World Government.
The dark side of the Celestial Dragons has been exposed in several scenes in the series. The most memorable one was when they threatened and punished the slaves at Fish-Man Island.
The group has committed various crimes that go against the evolution, civilization, and morality of people.
The inspector General of the Marines, Sengoku, revealed that the admiral is just one of the Heavenly Dragons’ henchmen, directly commissioned by them.
Should Garp be promoted to admiral, he still has to obey the command of the Five Elders, the leaders of the Heavenly Dragons.
He soon became aware of this, and, as a result, repeatedly turned down promotion offers.
Garp does not accept turning a blind eye to the despicable actions of the Celestial Dragons, let alone serving them.
Even though he was repeatedly offered a promotion to admiral or even admiral of the sea, he always refused and would not change his mind.
He has always believed that being a criminal does not mean being a bad person. To prove this, he adopted Ace, the son of the pirate Gol D. Roger. Garp agreed with Roger’s point that the father’s crimes should not be inherited by the son.
Additionally, he also left both Ace and Luffy in the care of Curly Dadan, a mountain bandit.
READ MORE: Why did Aokiji resign as admiral and leave the Marines in One Piece?
