Chapter 1080 of One Piece shows Garp’s power, raising the question of what could have happened if he’d helped save Ace during the Paramount War.
Years after the unfortunate loss, Ace’s death remains one of the most heartbreaking and devastating deaths in One Piece. After all, fans bore witness to Luffy’s desperation to save him, fighting even his grandfather to get to his brother. However, despite the rubber man’s efforts, Ace met his demise at the hands of Admiral Sakazuki. Even though Garp stood with the Marines at the time, he almost dirtied his hands with Akainu’s blood. Developments in Chapter 1080 prove that he wasn’t just bluffing then, and if he had stood with the pirates’ side, Ace could still be wreaking havoc in New World today.
While the Straw Hat Pirates are causing a lot of ruckus in Wano Country, a lot of events have happened in the outside world. The former pirate allies of the World Government — the Seven Warlords — are now being hunted. When the Marines target Boa Hancock, Koby is one of the officers sent in. Interestingly, Blackbeard also joins the fray. The fight becomes very complicated, ending with Rayleigh and Shakky defending Boa and Blackbeard kidnapping Koby.
Garp Lets Nothing Stop Him From Saving Koby
Even before the events in Chapter 1080 occur, Garp had already come to fetch some notable Marine officers, including Koby’s trusted friend Helmeppo. He bypasses the higher-ups’ instructions and heads straight toward Blackbeard’s territory. Finally, fans of the series get to see the fruits of Garp’s selfish actions. The first characters to attack the island filled with criminals are three other members of SWORD, the same group Koby belongs to. They not only hold down a good number of Koby’s pursuers but also set the stage for Vice Admiral Garp and his group’s arrival. The moment they’re done with the preparation, they give Tashigi the signal to jump right in.
Garp seems to have learned from his previous encounter with the Straw Hat Pirates and unleashes a large-scale attack to send a Marine battleship flying. He, of course, is pleased with this feat. However, his rescue operation has just begun. Garp doesn’t even wait for the ship to land before engaging with the enemies. He jumps down and lectures Koby’s pursuers, making sure to let them know that messing with Koby is their worst decision, as the young Marine is both his protégé and the supposed future of the Marines. As such, he unleashes the same attack he used to send the battleship flying on the town square, effectively obliterating the entire landscape.
Garp Helping the Whitebeard Pirates Would Have Overturned the Paramount War
The Paramount War may be a couple of years old at this point, but it’s still considered one of the most epic battles in One Piece. Not only does it showcase the skills of a long list of notable characters, but the stakes are also very high. While the war has multiple factions clashing and employing various battle strategies, it all boils down to two sides. On one side are those trying to save Ace, and on the other are those trying to execute him. Interestingly, the still-young Luffy is the one leading the attack force trying to save the captive pirate. Meanwhile, Garp stands as the final obstacle to freeing him.
While that may technically be the case, he doesn’t even try to stop Luffy. Luffy may have used Gear Three on him, but that shouldn’t have been enough to make him falter. That being said, his contribution during the war — both for the Marines and the pirates — is close to nil, and the rest is history. However, if Garp had followed his emotions and decided to help free his adopted grandson, the results of the war may have been very different.
In fact, Garp didn’t even have to demolish the Marines. The Whitebeard Pirates and Luffy’s allies did a great job supporting him, and Luffy managing to reach the stand and remove Ace’s Seastone cuffs is proof of that. The only problem at that point was escaping the heart of the Marines’ formation. That’s where Garp’s participation could have been crucial. The events in Chapter 1080 prove that Garp has more than what it takes to have paved the way for Luffy and Ace to escape at that point. Even if Akainu did attempt to stop him, Garp is more than capable of defending his grandsons. Perhaps the only one who could actually match him at that point is Sengoku. However, given that he wouldn’t be trying to defeat or kill any of his colleagues, he certainly could have bought enough time for the brothers to escape or for reinforcements to arrive.
Why Did Garp Save Koby But Not Ace?
Garp may be a happy-go-lucky individual, but he holds his ideals firmly, and this is something Luffy inherited. Right from the beginning, Garp’s allegiance is to the Marines, so much so that he originally — and perhaps still — wants Luffy and Ace to become outstanding Marine officers. Even though he holds Ace dear to his heart, his ideals stop him from outright saving his adopted grandson from peril. Koby’s kidnapping, however, is a whole different case altogether.
As Garp adamantly declares, Koby is both his protégé and the future of the Marines. That means that Koby is inheriting not only Garp’s fighting abilities but also his ideals. It can even be argued that Koby is the embodiment of Garp’s dream and goal for both Luffy and Ace. Unlike the time with Ace’s capture, saving Koby therefore doesn’t go against the Vice Admiral’s ideals. He thus has no qualms about saving the young Marine, especially since he has already gained both his acknowledgment and approval.
Src: cbr.com
