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Considered the magnum opus of anime and manga, One-Piece is still going strong and arguably better than ever before. Created by Eiichiro Oda, first serialized in July 1997, they have compiled its chapters in 102 tankōbon volumes as of April 2022.
The world of One Piece is filled with ruffians and miscreants. Oda’s work doesn’t shy away from showing the harsh realities of the pirate world. The way One Piece goes about introducing and referencing its most interesting and important characters is by giving them the least amount of screen time.
One such infamous persona is Monkey D. Dragon. We know not much to this day about Dragon. He is currently revealed to be the most wanted man in One Piece, the “Supreme Commander” of the Revolutionary Army. He is currently the greatest threat posed to the World Government.
This article will be a comprehensive guide to Monkey D. Dragon, including a few theories and some speculation. Warning! Due to not much being known about Dragon, theories might contain spoilers for later arcs.
Monkey D. Dragon
“There are things that humans cannot stop. A human’s will, dream, and the change of an era. As long as humans long for freedom, he surely cannot stop these things”.
Appearing firstly in Logue Town, Dragon is known more popularly as the father of our protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and the son of Vice-Admiral Garp, Dragon’s origins are shrouded in secrecy and mystery. He is the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army, whose sole purpose is to dethrone the power-hungry nobles and change the world order by overthrowing the world government.
Born in East Blue, inside the Goa Kingdom, Dragon is currently 55 years old. We can say not much else other than his will and determination are maybe his strongest abilities; he gathered allies and powerful forces against the World Government quickly to fight their reign of tyranny.
He is currently the most wanted man in One Piece, even more than the four emperors. This goes to show his political influence and strength.
Appearance
Dragon is 8.5ft (2.59 m) tall and usually wears a dark green mantle with a garb underneath which is orange in the manga and white in the anime. He is tanned and can often be seen supporting a sinister grin with a bright red tattoo (cross pattern, potentially tribal) across the left side of his face. He styles his hair in a spiky fashion, seemingly unkempt, and has little to no eyebrows but keeps a small goatee.
During the execution of Gol D Roger, 20 years before this series, Dragon is present at the site. His appearance is the same, but the face tattoo is not present, and he is not supporting his signature grin.
Personality
“There can be no happiness in a world where the undesirables are thrown away.”
The personality of Dragon is unknown, but from what Oda showed us, we can make some relatively educated estimates.
Just
Dragon is seen frequently in a stern demeanor, As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon feels strongly towards justice and equality while standing firmly against the unjust tyranny of the World Nobles and the World Government.
The actions of the Goa Kingdom nobles disgusted him, stating that the incident is a small version of the bigger problem at hand. The incident caused a young, innocent noble child “Sabo” to denounce them.
Logical and Goal-Oriented
Dragon is one of the most logical and capable individuals in One Piece. With his strong decision-making skills and thoughtful execution of commands, he has stayed hidden from the world government while chipping away at their hold over the world. He took several nations under his banner and inducted its volunteers into the Army in a few years.
When the entire team celebrated a victory, Dragon quickly reminded them of their realistic goal, saying “the actual battle lies ahead.” He firmly believes in attaining knowledge and staying updated on the world’s affairs. Dragon prepared a classroom for children of the revolutionary army and provided martial arts classes, so they would grow up to be capable individuals.
Secretive
When you’re as high up the ladder as the “Supreme Commander” of the revolutionary army, keep a few secrets close to the chest. Dragon keeps secrets from even his closest allies. No one knew of Dragon’s origins until Garp let it slip and when the Army found out about Luffy being the son of Dragon, he said, “Now the army might see their leader as a human.”
Empathy and Freedom
We can see his empathy frequently, primarily for those affected by the oppression of the World Government. He rescued many of the population of Gray Terminal during the tragedy brought by the nobles and gave them a role in the Army to fight for freedom.
He even helped Sabo when he was injured as a child and was visibly furious towards the nobles of Goa, he then took Sabo to the headquarters of the Army and gave him a place to stay, learn and grow.
We can also see his love for his kin; Ivankov(A trusted Revolutionary) once mentioned that Dragon always looked towards the East when he went out for air. He snubbed Ivankov for inquiring about his past over this matter. This homing instinct was because of his hometown being in the East and his son, Luffy. He even helped Luffy escape from Logue Town by preventing Smoker from capturing him.
Abilities and Fighting Styles
Dragon is the most infamous and wanted man in the One Piece universe. The Fans hypothesize him to be one of the strongest; his bounty is even greater than those of the Emperors, which shows how big of a threat he poses to the World Government.
Perhaps this bounty is due to his political influence, rather than his strength. I believe his fighting capability is comparable to those of the Emperors and Navy Admirals:
- When he first appeared in Logue Town, the Navy, and even the Logia user, Smoker didn’t even bother stopping him or trying to capture him.
- After witnessing the Vital Force of Luffy in Impel down, Ivankov stated that such a potent force is evidence of him being the son of Dragon. It showcased the strength, will, and Haki of the Supreme King.
- You do not become the Supreme Commander of an Army, If you’re not strong, that much should be obvious.
Devils Fruit
Oda has announced no information on Dragon possessing any Devil’s Fruit ability, but from the few encounters we know of, we can get a strong understanding of the power he contains.
In Logue Town, to help Luffy escape the grasp of Smoker and his execution, we see Dragon appear and a strong gust of wind blows everyone away. While this would be pure speculation, in chapter 587 of one piece we see at the Gray Terminal, another controlled gust of wind blows to help all the survivors of the incident.
Once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern. From this, we can speculate that Monkey D. Dragon most likely possesses the ability to control and manipulate the weather or wind elements, which would be one of the strongest Devil’s fruit abilities we have seen.
Weapon Theory
An interesting theory related to Dragon that is popular among the fan base is that he might have the ancient weapon Uranus, which helps him in controlling the weather elements. Fans relate it to the Tattoo on Dragon’s face, the word Uranus is Greek for, which relates to the sky. The Tattoo is like the pattern on the giant snake on sky Island.
The snake is referred to as the Ruler of the Sky by the people of Shandra and Sky Island. We should also note that this tribal tattoo is similar to the ones of the people of Shandra, who were protecting the pone glyph on Sky Island. This theory relies heavily on speculation but makes sense considering all the signs which are present in Manga and anime.
The Most Infamous Man: Dragon
History
Oda has revealed very little about the most wanted man in one piece, but from the little that we know, we can estimate some things. He was born 53 years before the start of the show and was born to Monkey D. Garp in the Goa Kingdom. When Dragon was 36 years old, 17 years before the start of the show, he, along with an unknown woman bore a son named “Monkey D. Luffy.”
Dragon was present at Gol D. Rogers’s execution, but he did not support the face tattoo or the goatee. He started the Revolutionary Army after Roger’s death at an unknown time, which quickly picked up steam. He started using his ideals to urge countries to leave the banner of the World Government, and many did.
In the Reverie held 8 years ago from the current one, the nobles discussed him as a growing problem for the World Government and currently is an influential force against it.
Twelve years before the current story, Dragon went to the Goa Kingdom where he witnessed the tragedy of the Gray Terminal and helped many people who ended up joining his cause. During all this, he witnessed “Sabo” (Luffy’s sworn brother) hating the actions of the nobles. When Sabo set out to sea, his boat was shot by a celestial dragon. Dragon saved Sabo and took him under his wing.
He also has a connection with Zoro’s master, who helped them resupply their stocks in Shimotsuki village before heading to Baltigo.
The Beginning
Dragon appears firstly at Logue Town, where he stops Smoker and saves Luffy when he was trying to set sail. We later see him remark to the wind “We will meet again” after looking at Luffy’s new bounty due to what occurred at Enies Lobby.
After The war
When Whitebeard died, all hell broke loose, and the sea was anyone’s game. The strong started conquering, and during all this commotion in the world, Dragon told Ivankov to get the revolutionary leaders ready as the balance of the world was also shifting. He also told Ivankov about Kuma and seemed grateful for helping Luffy out during the war.
Dragon dispatched the Army to save the slaves at Tequila Wolf and recruited Nico Robin during the Two-Year time skip where she worked for the Army.
The Battle at Baltigo
The revolutionary Army stopped the arms trafficking in Dressrosa, where Luffy defeated Doflamingo, Sabo confronted the Navy Admiral Fujitora and Burgess of the Black Beard pirates.
Burgess followed the ship to Baltigo, where a fight between the Revolutionary Army and Black Beard pirates occurred. We later found out that Dragon and the rest had left Baltigo, and the place was destroyed by the time Cipher Pol and the Navy reached.
Current Situation
Dragon is currently investigating an occurrence about Sabo, and he moved the base of the Army to Momoiro Island.
Meaningful Relationships
The Revolutionary Army
Dragon has strong leadership qualities, and everyone who has joined him has done so because of the ideas he presents and the promise of a better tomorrow, which is worth fighting for. His relationship with them is professional. The Army was shocked and happy to find Dragon having Luffy as a son, realizing that he is also human, but no one deserted him and most continue to fight for him.
Ivankov
One of the trusted allies, Army leaders, and close friends, Ivankov has been with Dragon ever since the beginning, so much so that he helped Luffy in the Whitebeard War after learning he was Dragon’s son, but Dragon does not disclose any of his secrets to even the closest of allies.
Bartholomew Kuma
One of the ranking members of the Army from the very beginning, Kuma, is a loyal and trusted ally, but after undergoing experiments from Vegapunk, he is not himself and Dragon is informed of and aware of the situation.
Sabo
The chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, is Sabo’s mentor and commander. He saved the young boy in Goa after a world noble shot Sabo’s ship down. It shocked him to learn that the boy was born a noble, but hated their ways. Dragon and Sabo work very well together and tell Dragon a lot of stories about Luffy, as mentioned in the Dressrosa Arc.
Luffy
“What reason is there to stop a man from sailing?”
Dragon is the Father of Luffy and even though they haven’t officially met, after Enies lobby we saw Luffy didn’t even know that he had a father. Dragon’s father, Garp later disclosed this information. Even though he is stern, Dragon has a soft spot for his son, he helped Luffy at Logue town where many fans estimate he was there to recruit Luffy into the Army but later on, upon hearing his declaration to be a pirate respected his decision. Oda has subtly hinted at his desire to meet Luffy many times, but the reunion might still be a long way off.
The World Government
Dragon started the Revolutionary Army because of his distaste towards the World Nobles (Celestial Dragons) and the tyranny of the World Government. He firmly stands against their ways and is firm on his ideas, which led him to start this crusade.
He takes matters of the World Government seriously and is declared the most wanted man in the world. As soon as the Black Beard Pirates discovered the location of the Army, The Government immediately sent out Cipher Pol and the Navy to capture them.
Fan Theories
Due to the limited knowledge, we have on Dragon, many fans have taken it upon themselves to hypothesize and understand this character through speculation and investigation. Some theories have weight to them, but some are completely out there. Here I will discuss two of those.
Luffy is Dragon’s son, but Dragon is not Garp’s Child.
This theory provides an interesting take on the dynamics of the monkey family. it states that Dragon married Garp’s daughter since we know with credibility from the old age Luffy drawings made by Oda and young Garp’s pictures to see the resemblance.
According to the theory, the real father of Dragon is Rocks D. Xbec who is also someone hidden in a veil of mystery, and even though we only have a few images and a silhouette for comparison, the resemblance is present.
While this theory is speculation, not once have we seen Garp call Dragon his son. This might just be him normally distancing himself from Dragon by not referring to him directly as his son, or maybe there’s something to be found between the lines. Either way, it’s an intriguing dynamic for the infamous family.
Crocodile is Luffy’s Mother
Now I know what you’re thinking, yes this theory is waaay out there, and I do not for a second believe it to be true but couldn’t help mentioning it because of its absurdity and surprising popularity. It refers to the crocodile’s secret, which Ivankov keeps because he is a member of the Army.
Crocodile was once a member of the Army, but after giving birth to Luffy, changed his gender through Ivankov and became what he is now. First up, Dragon’s life is hidden even from Ivankov which disproves the theory but, to add to it, crocodile tried to kill Luffy, and he never even tried telling him about his past.
FAQs
Question: What is Dragon’s Power?
Answer: Check under the abilities and fighting styles section of the article. I have discussed theories and currently available knowledge over there.
Question: How tall is Dragon?
Answer: He is 8.5ft (2.59 m) tall.
Question: What is Dragon’s Bounty?
Answer: While currently unknown, He is known as the most wanted man in the world. We can estimate the range of his bounty by understanding those of the emperors. The current bounty for the “strongest being in the world Kaido” is 4,600,000,000 Berries and Dragon is higher than that, so we can estimate it to be along with that of Gol D. Roger’s, which was 5,564,800,00 Berries.
Monkey D Dragon Guide: Conclusion
While there is a lot we don’t know about the most infamous man in One Piece, we can still speculate and understand what Oda has provided, and this gives way for fun theories and interesting moments for the fan base to come together.
We will know more when Oda reveals it to us, but for now, Dragon is the most expensive man in the One Piece universe who has taken the lead in dismantling the order of the World Government by taking down the world nobles through the help of his Revolutionary Army. He will surely have a prominent role to play in the life of Luffy, as we’ll find out more in the coming chapters of One Piece.