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Starting from Luffy, the protagonist of the One Piece series, all members of the Monkey D. family are particularly powerful and notorious individuals. Luffy's grandfather, Garp, is considered the greatest Marine of all time, while Luffy's father, Dragon, is the leader of the infamous Revolutionary Army.
According to a widespread theory, before founding the Revolutionary Army, Dragon was a Marine, but, after discovering all the rotten behind the World Government, decided to leave the Navy.
One Piece 1097 now confirms that Dragon was indeed a Marine in the past. With the chapter's official release being planned for November 6, 2023, the first spoilers provided by reliable leaker @Pewpiece, deliver a variety of information, including this major revelation about Luffy's father.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1097.
The first spoilers of One Piece chapter 1097 reveal the truth about Monkey D. Dragon's past
The mysterious leader of the Revolutionary Army
As the founder and leader of the Revolutionary Army, the only military force that actively seeks to overthrow the despotic World Government, Monkey D. Dragon is a pivotal figure. He has a reputation for being "The World's Worst Criminal."
Dragon's fighting abilities are yet to be revealed, but, considering that he is the strongest member of the Revolutionary Army and that he shares the same blood as Garp and Luffy, there's little doubt that his might is substantial.
In fact, when Luffy was revealed to be a Conqueror's Haki user, Emporio Ivankov, a prominent member of the Revolutionary Army, said that it was to be expected, given the former's blood tie with Dragon. Needless to say, this implies that Dragon has the same natural-born power.
To this day, very little is known about Dragon's early life. Born in the Goa Kingdom 55 years before One Piece's current narration, he is the confirmed son of "Marine Hero" Monkey D. Garp, the only Navy officer able to fight on par with Gol D. Roger.
About 24 years ago, a 31-year-old Dragon was in Rogue Town. Alongside other individuals who will become big shots in the years ahead, i.e., "Red Hair" Shanks, "Hawk Eyes" Dracule Mihawk, and more, Dragon witnessed Roger's execution.
As per the spoilers of One Piece chapter 1097, it was revealed that Dragon was once a Marine but left the organization after learning that, despite its claims, it did not really follow justice. It is important to note that the leaks don't clarify how many years ago Dragon was in the Navy.
It's already well known that shortly after the time of the Ohara Incident, which took place 22 years before the current narration, Dragon was already a rebel. So, it's possible that he left the Navy after seeing that terrible event, or, possibly, partaking in it.
Did Dragon leave the Marines after the Ohara Incident?
Although each of them has sought freedom through a different path, all three members of the Monkey D. family, regardless of their differences, are exuberant and free-spirited individuals, who became extremely big names in the One Piece world.
Garp has always tried to live between his pride in being part of the Navy and his desire to act according to his own personal moral code. This dualism caused him much suffering, as it soon became difficult to balance his duties as a Marine with his family of outlaws.
This was clearly seen during the Paramount War. With the Navy willing to execute his adoptive grandson Ace, Garp was torn about which side to take, and cried bitterly, asking Ace why he could not have just been a Marine.
In fact, Garp tried to get Luffy and Ace to join the Navy, but they chose different paths. Based on what the spoilers of One Piece 1097 disclosed, however, Garp allegedly had more influence over Dragon.
While Garp, who tries to do things in his own way, continues to be a Marine and takes pride in it, Dragon eventually leaves the organization. Both father and son share the same disdain towards the wicked Celestial Dragons, but only Dragon actively seeks to overthrow them.
Just like Garp, Dragon is a very sympathetic person, who cares for his subordinates and for the oppressed people. At one point, Dragon saved Sabo, who eventually became his right-hand man and the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command.
The Revolutionary Army was formed between Roger's death (24 years ago) and Luffy's birth (19 years ago). Dragon is now 55 years old, which means that he started the organization when he was over 31 years old but less than 36 years old.
The One Piece Vivre Card Databook explained that at a certain point in his life, Dragon realized how corrupt the world was and started thinking that it was his duty to change it for the better, which led him to create the Revolutionary Army.
This happened about 19 to 24 years before One Piece's current narration. Thus, it's highly possible that the event that changed Dragon's outlook on life, prompting him to leave the Navy, was the Ohara Incident, which took place 22 years ago.
On that issue, the Five Elders, who had discovered that the Ohara scholars were researching Poneglyphs, ordered a Buster Call on the island. Almost all citizens of Ohara, including many blameless people, were killed, with the only survivors being Nico Robin and, as recently revealed, Jaguar D. Saul.
Of the five Vice Admirals sent to carry out the Buster Call on Ohara, only two, the future Admirals Kuzan "Aokiji" and Sakazuki "Akainu", were shown. To this day, the other three remain unknown.
Akainu and Dragon are the same age (55 years old). Taking into account that Dragon left the Navy around the time of the Ohara Incident, it's definitely possible that the former was one of the Vice Admirals who partook in the Buster Call.
Considering Dragon's natural-born potential, during his time as a Marine, it wouldn't have been strange for him to be one of the organization's most talented young officers right alongside Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji. He had everything to easily reach the formal rank of Vice Admiral.
However, disgusted by the Ohara Incident, Dragon resigned from the Marines and rebelled against the World Government. Dragon possibly agreed to participate in the Buster Call as he was not fully aware of the scope of it, meaning that he thought that they were not going to involve innocent civilians.
Still, it's a confirmed fact that Dragon was friends with Clover, one of the Ohara scholars, and while knowing of the latter's reputation, he refused to believe the propaganda according to which Clover was plotting to destroy the world.
A few months after Clover's death and the genocide of the entire population of Ohara, Dragon visited the ruined island to pay respects to the massacre's victims. There, he met Dr Vegapunk and told him that he wanted to create an army capable of stopping the World Government from doing anything like that again.
So, it's highly feasible that Dragon left the Navy because he was aware of what they were going to do in Ohara. Knowing that he alone wouldn't be able to stop similar events in the future, he decided to abandon his natural stance against war.
Aiming to oppose the World Government directly on the battlefield, he founded his own organization, the Freedom Fighters. Sometime later, Dragon decided to create the Revolutionary Army.
Dragon, Ivankov, Kuma, and Ginny's shared past in One Piece 1097
As per the spoilers of One Piece chapter 1097, a little more than 20 years ago, Dragon's Freedom Fighters attacked the Sorbet Kingdom to overthrow its tyrant king, who was mistreating the population.
Fascinated by Dragon, and happy to meet his former friend Ivankov again, who was also a member of the Freedom Fighters, a young Bartholomew Kuma decided to join the group. In all likelihood, Ginny joined the Freedom Fighters alongside Kuma.
In fact, according to the recent One Piece leaks, about 14 years before One Piece's present narration, both Kuma and Ginny were prominent officers of Dragon's Revolutionary Army, together with Ivankov.
The spoilers also reveal that, around that time, Dragon received news of Ginny being kidnapped by someone. The chapter doesn't reveal who abducted Ginny, but it is naturally assumed that Sakazuki "Akainu" was responsible.
Considering Akainu's merciless approach, as well as the fact that Ginny was never shown or even mentioned in the present time, it's possible that the former killed her, which led to the irreconcilable hatred between him and Dragon.
Keep up with One Piece manga, anime, and live-action as 2023 progresses.
