Summary
Throughout theOne Piecestory, very few characters have had an introduction quite on the same level as Monkey D. Dragon. He was first shown to fans during the Loguetown arc, where he also gave a brief showing of his powers, which still haven’t been explained to this day, saving Luffy and defeating an entire regiment of Marines in the process. Since then, his appearances have remained sparing.
However, fans have always known about his importance in the overall story as the leader of the Revolutionary Army, which has branded him ‘the world’s worst criminal’. The Final War ofOne Pieceis fast approaching and it will be the most pivotal event in history, andMonkey D. Dragon is destinedto play one of the most important roles in it, so let’s go over why he’s so crucial to this event and what his presence means for the series.
Story Arc
Loguetown
When Dragon was first mentioned within the story, he was regarded by the World Government, and pretty much everyone else in the world by extension, as the ‘world’s worst criminal’. For many fans, this means thatDragon has the highest bountythat we have ever seen, perhaps even greater than that of the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and pretty much anyone else in the series.
Even before everyone knew the full scope of Dragon’s influence, they were certain that he was going to be one of the series' most important characters, and with the Final War starting soon, his presence is already being felt. As of Chapter 1149, Dragon has finally made his move after years of staying on the sidelines by attacking Marijoa directly, bringing the battle to the footsteps of the Celestial Dragons. Though his endgame is still vague when it comes to how he wants to achieve it, many think that he plans to be the vanguard against the World Government.
This means that he and his Revolutionary Army will be at the forefront of the Final War, taking on the main forces of the World Government directly. However, the question of how they plan to do this is a tricky one to answer, sinceSabo is the only character within their rankswhose strength has been shown, but it wasn’t on the level of their strongest enemies, despite being formidable. Although Morley took on Admiral Ryokugyu, the remaining members weren’t nearly as strong as top tiers like Akainu, Kizaru, Fujitora, or the Gods' Knights.
This is where Dragon himself comes in. Although his powers are one of the series' biggest mysteries, contextual clues about this character hint at him likely being one of the strongest inOne Piece. As a member of the legendary Monkey D. family, Dragon is set to have everything going in his favor as far as strength is concerned, since he is the son of the greatest Marine and the father of the most important pirate.
Someday, I promise you, they will all watch as I change the world!
Moreover, some fans have pointed out a neat correlation that can be made about this family. Garp is one ofOne Piece’sstrongest characters but is far out of his prime and Luffy, despite being the reincarnation of Joyboy and Nika, has not yet reached his prime. Judging by their ages, it seems that Dragon is the only one from this family who is actively in his prime at the current moment, so his strength will easily be among the top tiers of the entire series, with many even thinking that he may evensurpass characters like Shanks or Roger.
Seeing as how both his father and son have Conqueror’s Haki, it’s almost impossible for Dragon to not have it as well since the unifying trait among users of this power is great ambition. Dragon’s ambition is perhaps the greatest of them all, since he wants to overthrow the World Government and change the status quo from how it has been for the past 800 years. This pretty much ensures him as a user of Conqueror’s Haki and, paired with his potential God Fruit, shows that Oda is preparing to make him one of the central characters of the story.
Dragon’s Role And Opponents In The Final War
What Will He Do And Who Will He Fight?
In the Final War, it’s confirmed that, after Imu themselves, the greatest threat for theheroes to deal with are the Gorosei, who are the strongest characters in the entire hierarchy of the World Government. Because of this, many fans believe that Dragon will fight one of them, owing to his importance and how Oda is clearly building him up to be one of the central characters of the Final War. Though his strength has never been seen, it’s implied to be among the greatest.
Dragon’s role within the Revolutionary Army is that of the central tactician who has stayed away from direct combat to control the army’s movements. Due to this, many fans speculate that he will fight against St. Marcus Mars of the Gorosei, though the evidence isn’t very substantial. Both characters act as strategists in their respective organizations and are calmer and more measured in their responses than their contemporaries, which causes some fans to pit them against one another in the Final War.
There can be no happiness in a world where the undesirables are thrown away.
Conversely, others think that Garling would be the perfect match-up for Dragon in the Final War. If his Haki and Devil Fruit powers are at the level fans think they are, he will definitely be a match for either of these Elders, and the question right now becomes of who will be the better thematic connection. All the contextual clues within the story clearly point at Dragon’s strength being among the top tiers of the series, so he needs an opponent on that level as well.
A very popular and rather old fan theory has stated that Dragon and Akainu know each other from the former’s time in the Marines. Because of this, some think that these two could fight at the end as well, which would also make sense due to their roles in their respective organizations, with Dragon being the leader of the Revolutionary Army and Akainu having the highest rank within the Marines as the Fleet Admiral. For now, however, only time will tell what the story has in store for Monkey D. Dragon.
