In One Piece, chapter 1166 reveals a shocking detail about Garp freeing Dragon after he was captured by the Navy. This development suggests that Garp’s worldview about the Navy was deeply shaken after the God Valley incident, while also raising big questions about why he wanted Luffy and Ace to join the Navy.
At first, many believed Garp just wanted his grandsons to avoid the dangerous pirate life and live respectable lives as Navy soldiers. However, after this revelation, it seems he wanted them to join the Navy to reform the organization and make it a better place.
Is Garp’s reason for wanting Luffy and Ace in the Navy justified?
Since Garp’s introduction, fans have questioned his loyalty to the Navy and his indirect support of the World Government’s authoritarian rule. Some even accused him of being a hypocrite who talks about justice but actually aids the Celestial Dragons.
Based on chapter 1166, it appears Garp places deep trust in Ace and Luffy’s strong moral principles. He believes that despite their unconventional paths, they have the potential to positively influence the Navy and inspire real change from within. This fits with Luffy and Ace’s personalities, as they naturally draw others to join their journey.
So, while Garp pushing Luffy and Ace to join the Navy might seem confusing at first, his true goal is clearly to inspire genuine reform. He still holds onto the belief that the Navy should be an organization that makes the One Piece world a better place, not one that carries out threatening missions for the World Government.
Garp’s hope to reform the Navy lives on
Although Garp’s hope to reform the Navy through Ace and Luffy may have faded since both became pirates, his hope remains alive. The character carrying Garp’s dream of changing the Navy is his disciple Koby. Koby’s sense of justice and understanding is exactly what Garp always wanted the Navy to embody.
This is why Garp even risked his life to save Koby during the Hachinosu incident. He understood that the change he couldn’t bring to the Navy, and the change his son couldn’t achieve, might one day be fulfilled by Koby. Through Koby’s growth and actions as a Navy soldier, Garp sees the possibility of the Navy becoming the organization he has always hoped for.
With Koby surviving the Hachinosu incident and remaining part of the Navy, he still has the chance to reform the organization and bring about the transformation that will reshape its image.