With the one-month hiatus finally nearing its end, One Piece is about to bless its readers with a new issue of the manga. The official release of chapter 1087 is scheduled for July 17, 2023, but the first spoilers are already circulating, allowing fans to take a peek at the latest installment of the record-breaking series.
According to reliable leaker Redon, One Piece 1087 will be set on Fullalead Island. The chapter will feature the continuation of the unexpected battle between Monkey D. Garp "The Hero" and former Marine Admiral Kuzan "Aokiji".
Now allegedly a full-fledged member of the Blackbeard Pirates, Kuzan and Garp are on opposing teams as the aged legendary Marine arrived on Fullalead to rescue his disciple Koby.
Redon's first leaks are very brief, basically a short recap of the chapter's main contents. More accurate information is expected in the next few hours, including the usual full spoiler summary as well as the raw scans. However, even this initial sneak peek is enough to say that One Piece 1087 will be compelling.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1087.
Looking forward to the full chapter, One Piece 1087's leaks have already revealed intriguing insights
The battle between Garp and Kuzan intensifies
The issue, which will be titled Battleship bag, most likely referring to the insane training that Kuzan underwent under Garp's tutelage many years ago, is a continuation of the events narrated in chapter 1081.
Garp's operation to rescue Koby started with a bang, as the legendary "Hero" straight up destroyed a portion of Hachinosu with his devastating Galaxy Impact, a tremendous punch enhanced with Advanced Conqueror's Haki as well as Armament Haki.
With Shiryu and some other members of the Blackbeard Pirates watching ominously, Garp's team, which included some officers of the Navy's secret unit SWORD, came under attack from none other than Kuzan.
The former Admiral Aokiji, who left the Navy after fighting against Admiral Akainu for the office of Fleet Admiral, has in fact become one of the Ten Titanic Captains of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Kuzan suddenly used his Devil Fruit powers to freeze Hibari, an officer of SWORD, and claimed that he couldn't allow Koby to escape while Blackbeard was away, as that would have made him look bad. Kuzan then started fighting Garp, who was his instructor during his days as a young Marine.
After having expressed admiration for Garp's straightforward ways, Kuzan asked the old Marine if he could seriously kill his former favorite disciple to save his new one.
Kuzan then used his Logia-class Ice-Ice Fruit to freeze Garp from afar, creating a giant sphere of ice around him. However, the former Admiral's attack, called Ice Ball, was ineffective, as Garp broke out from the freezing.
The legendary Marine reminded Kuzan that he taught him to live in the present, and added that only weaklings lose their way. Immediately after, Garp used a high-speed movement to blitz his former disciple and perform a ravaging attack called Blue Hole. After grabbing Kuzan by the face, he slammed him through the ground.
The impact of Garp's physical strength, which was enhanced with Armament Haki and further empowered with Conqueror's Haki, burrowed a deep hole into the ground, in which the former Admiral was sent.
However, as expected, it takes more than that to defeat Kuzan, a man who could hold his own against the deadly Akainu, forcing him to a ten-day-long battle before falling down beaten.
One Piece 1087 shows Garp and Kuzan's past as master and disciple
The flashback of Kuzan training with Garp back in the day must be amazing. Fans have been waiting for years to see what one of the three original Admirals was capable of back in his day as a rookie, and One Piece author Eiichiro Oda finally satisfied them. With Garp "The Fist" being Kuzan's coach, it's no surprise that the training was on this level.
Garp is the same person who crushed eight mountains to test his strength in preparation for the battle against Don Chinjao. Needless to say, despite being a mighty pirate who, enhancing himself with the Color of Armament, packed enough power to split an ice continent with a headbutt, Chinjao ended up brutally beaten by Garp.
The "Hero" defeated him with a single blow, flattening his drill-shaped head.
Garp's training methods are absolutely effective, as his teachings helped Koby and Helmeppo to become skilled Marine officers despite starting as absolute weaklings. Granted, the scale of the training he had Kuzan undergo was on a whole different level, as it involved using warships like boxing punching bags.
Likely, the emotional connection between Garp and Kuzan is going to be delved into. Garp has been Kuzan's mentor, with the latter idolizing him for his behavior, and even coming to owe him a lot, for having helped him in circumstances that are yet to be revealed.
Shiryu joins the fight
Things don't look good for Garp with another powerful foe added to Kuzan. Shiryu, who was apparently only watching the battle between the legendary "Hero" and the former Admiral, stepped into the fight, with his intervention leading to appalling developments as he stabbed Garp while the latter was defending Koby. So far, the circumstances of the event are uncertain.
To fully understand everything, it will be necessary to wait for One Piece 1087's full summary or, even better, the raw scans of the chapter. Redon's initial leaks didn't mention if Shiryu used his Clear-Clear Fruit to become invisible and strike Garp while the latter was focused on protecting Koby from Kuzan, or if the vicious swordsman was about to kill Koby and Garp intercepted the strike with his body.
Garp appears to have survived the strike, but his situation is getting complicated for him. He was having the upper hand against Kuzan, but fighting the former Admiral and another powerful individual such as Shiryu in a 1v2 battle may be difficult even for the legendary "Marine Hero", who is now an old man, far from his prime.
SWORD officers, including Koby, don't seem powerful enough to be of assistance in such a high-level confrontation. If anything, they could only be of further inconvenience for Garp, who has already had to protect them, which cost him a wound from Shiryu.
Furthermore, other members of the Blackbeard Pirates, i.e., Vasco Shot, Avalo Pizarro, and San Juan Wolf, are also present on the battlefield.
What will happen to Garp after One Piece 1087?
After being stabbed by Shiryu, Garp resumed fighting against Kuzan. The two punched each other in the face, with their Haki resulting in a big explosion. This issue highlights both Kuzan's outstanding Haki, enough to stand up against a fighter of Garp's caliber, and the old Marine's endurance, which allows him to clash against a former Admiral despite having been wounded by Shiryu, a swordsman who is well above the Commander-level.
After the huge explosion, Garp is left on the ground, but he is seemingly fine, as he tells Koby not to worry, declaring that “justice will prevail”. Still, after reading the spoilers, many One Piece fans have started speculating that Garp's fate is sealed, with the legendary "Hero" having to sacrifice himself to save his disciple Koby and the young generation of Marines.
Admittedly, such a scenario is not a complete stretch.
Garp dying on Fullalead would trigger both Koby's growth, possibly awakening his dormant Conqueror's Haki, and give Luffy an additional reason to fight Marshall D.
Still, it would be unfortunate if Garp didn't survive the battle, as this outcome would deprive fans of the long-awaited reunion of the Monkey D. family.
With their major roles in the One Piece world as well as their various personalities and affiliations, it would be amazing to see Garp, Dragon, and Luffy finally meeting together.
Exuberant and absent-minded, the "Hero" acts in a very similar manner to his grandson, but they are on different sides as a Marine and a pirate. Still, Garp enjoys Luffy's exploits as a pirate, even after he committed acts against the World Government.
Garp and Dragon have the same disdain towards the Celestial Dragons. This highlights the former's free spirit, as a Marine is expected to serve the alleged "founders of the world", while Garp refuted the promotion to Admiral precisely to avoid working for them.
In any case, the situation is by no means easy, but a legend of One Piece's Old Era is never to be underestimated, and this is all the more true for Monkey D. Garp, a fighter who, in his prime days, was almost as strong as Gol D. Roger.
As someone who managed to corner and nearly kill the King of Pirates, even as an old man, Garp may be able to settle things on Fullalead without having to sacrifice his life.