One Piece's latest chapters introduce Garp, Luffy's grandpa as the manga's version of Whitebeard. This could be a tragic move.
In the latest One Piece arc, a new character is introduced as Whitebeard. This could have tragic consequences. Whitebeard is one of few exceptions in a long-running series from Eiichiro ODA that has avoided showing death. Oda seems to have relaxed the rule a bit now that the manga has entered its Final Saga. This could mean another major death like Newgate.
Stephen Paul's Chapter #1087 continues the story of Garp's battle at Blackbeard’s Fullalead Island base. Garp is Garp's enemy, but he went to this island anyways in order for Koby, whom he has trained and considers family, to be saved. Garp can deal with the majority of pirates, but Shiryu, one of Blackbeard’s Titanic captains, manages to stab him in the stomach after a dirty trick. Garp survives the blow but it does not bode well for his ability to escape Fullalead. In Chapter #1088, the situation gets worse when the Navy is forced to flee and leaves Garp in the care of the Blackbeard Pirates. This all draws parallels between Garp's story and Whitebeard's.
One Piece is Setting Up Garp as the New Whitebeard
Whitebeard, the leader of the Whitebeard Pirates, died in the Marineford War. He joined the war to save Ace, a crew member he considered his son. He didn't care about the Marines he encountered, but he did get severely injured after a dirty trick. Blackbeard killed him after he suffered many severe injuries. He then took his Devil Fruit ability. The parallels between Whitebeard’s last stand at Marineford, and Garp’s fight at Fullalead can be seen.
Garp will not survive Fullalead if Oda follows this parallel through to its natural conclusion. It would also mean that another important figure from the Pirates' past would be dead, further establishing Blackbeard as the new age of Pirates. Oda teased in that the final Saga of One Piece would see characters die. This would be a major change from how Death has been treated up to this point. It would be another loss for Luffy just as Ace's demise at Marineford, and it would probably lead him and his Revolutionary Father Dragon to fight Blackbeard directly in order to avenge Garp.
Garp's Death Would Majorly Affect One Piece's Final Saga
If Garp does die similarly to Whitebeard, it will be a devastating moment, but ultimately it will also be a thematically satisfying one. Oda has used these sorts of parallels between characters and events to great effect in the past, and Garp mirroring Whitebeard's fate would be no exception. However, if One Piece does make Garp the new Whitebeard, it will likely cause major ramifications in the story and accelerate the pace of the Final War.
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