My unhinged thoughts on Luffy and Garp's relationship post-Marineford

Y'all have a very lovely comment on one of my fics to blame for this rant on Luffy and Garp's relationship and where they stand after Marineford:

Luffy and Garp as they relate to each other is so interesting because I think despite his absences, Luffy acquired a lot of his ideas about what family is and isn't from Garp. And, maybe, learned to separate what a person is to him from who that person is, too. In a way I think that's why he imprinted so hard on Shanks--he's the first person Luffy met whose role in his life matches who he is as a person and it's why he builds himself a family by acquiring people whose goals match his own so that there IS no conflict. Fast forward to Luffy as a teenager, we see that when Luffy is confronted by a person who has a conflict with his own ideals and goals, it doesn't present an inherent issue for him--that's the primary way he relates to people anyway (for ex: Coby).

Garp is also the one who modeled for Luffy that presence/time spent doesn't correllate to the strength of a relationship, that just because Garp wasn't there all the time doesn't mean they don't have a bond. And yes this gave Luffy all the abandonment issues but it's clear that Luffy has accepted it by the time canon comes around. At some point he clearly decided to view it as "Gramps gave me what he needed and made sure I had a family to grow up with and that's plenty, of course he loves us," and not "Gramps abandoned me and never loved me."

On top of all of that, whatever else Garp did or did not think about him, Ace, and Sabo, and their dreams, Luffy grew up knowing that Garp valued them and their lives above the letter of the law and his job. Luffy never cared who Ace's dad was, but he grew up knowing that Garp also knew and always thought he deserved to have a chance to live, and always loved Ace even if he never approved of the kids' desire to be a pirate. He knows that Garp values family over the law.

And then there's Garp. Garp who Sengoku describes as "a family man more than a marine." Garp who refused (multiple!) promotions to the Admirality because he didn't want to serve the Celestial Dragons, Garp who Roger trusted with his very own kid. His parenting techniques might be...questionable (read: If this was a real man he would have CPS called on him so fast but we're going with the intended reading of him from the manga) but it's clear he loves the kids. We also know the man has a flexible view of the law, he's a Marine because he believes it's where he can do the most good/help the most people. He views the rules as things he can bend if not break (a quality that clearly gets stronger as the generations pass lmao). He doesn't seem to respect authority, but he DOES seem to respect the need for the perception of it, or at least the role the Marines need to play in the eyes of the public. He believes people need heroes to believe in, and he believes the Marines should fill that role, and that's what he spent his life trying to embody.

And then Marineford.

Garp is caught between these two things: his family, and the institution he devoted his life to. And it sucks, obviously. He goes to visit Ace in Impel Down and he tells him a few things, but Garp says 1) No one can stop the war (not even him), 2) he's proud of Luffy for everything he did at Enies Lobby and Sabaody, (which also tells Ace that he's not condemned in his eyes for being a pirate--the condemnation of his life is coming from the institution Garp works for, not from Garp as a judgement of the man he became).

Ace responds by saying Whitebeard is the only father he has (ouch--Garp is the only father figure Ace grew up with), which is the last exchange we have until this:

Garp believes in the need for the execution and the war in general--the problem for him is that this is his family. This is the baby he took responsibility for, a kid he's loved for years. So Garp doesn't do anything in the war, doesn't object or condem. All he does is take a seat next to Ace, keeps him company. And to be fair to Garp? It doesn't seem like Ace expects anything more. And it seems like he appreciates it.

So he's got one kid on the execution stand, and he's resolved to let him die for the sake of what he thinks is the greater good. And his other kid, the one chasing the same fate that's getting Ace killed now, is trying to save his life. And he just...watches it unfold, because he's trapped by his own convictions--another thing he passed down to both of the boys, so how can he betray what he told them and not hold steady to his own beliefs?

I think for Luffy, he probably didn't have much time to process Garp's presence at Marineford or his role in Ace's execution at the time. In fact the only time they really interract directly is this moment from a chapter literally titled "The Execution Platform":

The title obviously refers to the literal execution platform Ace is on that Luffy has been trying to reach the entire arc but metaphorically? It's also about this. Luffy, being confronted with a grandfather who is for some reason putting his job over his brother's life, and Garp, making a last ditch effort to stand by his own conviction.

There's no way Luffy can understand this decision in the moment--he already made the same one on Amazon Lily, where he was faced with the option to either go and meet his crew on Sabaody (keep following his dream) or go after Ace. He chose Ace, because Luffy always chooses people over his own goals. I think he would understand Garp more if he had been present for Garp and Ace's conversations on the scaffold, but he wasn't.

There's an argument to be made here that Garp is giving Luffy the opportunity to save his brother by stepping in himself and letting Luffy punch him. It would be more plausible except for the fact that Garp calls Luffy "Straw Hat" here instead of "Luffy." He drops the familiarity, and he sets himself in Luffy's way, even when Luffy begs him. I don't think Garp knew he was going to let Luffy knock him away until the very last second. Not until Luffy committed to punching him.

He gives Luffy this one last piece of advice, this one last chance to be his grandfather, where he says "this is the path you have chosen, and it will be difficult, but you're on it now and you have to commit.":

And he remembers Ace saying he wants to live, and lets Luffy hit him to get to his brother.

This is the last we see of their relationship. Luffy doesn't mention him again except to tell Chin Jao off in Dressrosa. Presumably he processed how his relationship with his grandfather has changed in the aftermath, but what he thinks about it? Mostly a mystery. All the things he got from Garp are still true, and I think he still probably manages to compartmentalize most of it as a person vs. dreams/conviction thing. Luffy wouldn't judge Garp for his decisions, and he wouldn't hold resentments either. Whatever he feels or doesn't feel toward Garp, it's definitely overshadowed by Ace's loss.

For Garp's part, the man retired immediately after the war. Luffy literally says "If I don't do everything I can to save Ace, I wouldn't be able to live with myself" a few chapters before the execution stand, and Garp didn't live with himself, at least not without changing his circumstances. He gave up his commission to run escorts for royalty and train people. We do know he's still proud of Luffy, like he told Ace in Impel Down, and he laughs when Luffy's New World exploits are brought up. Garp's the one with regrets, not Luffy, and I think if they ever speak again (who knows, with Garp being...y'know), it'll be about those regrets.

What else do you talk about with estranged family?

I know there’s symbolism in Sabo making Luffy’s vivre card for him and taking a piece of it so he can always find luffy no matter where he is so that Sabo doesn’t have to endure the same loss he went through with Ace. That juxtaposed by Ace giving Luffy his vivre card versus Sabo having Luffy’s. If something happened to Sabo there would be no way for Luffy to know and ever find him again without Sabo coming to him first(I’m right now only caught up to the wano arc so I only know that something terrible went down with sabo during reverie(like is he dead or did he just get caught?? I don’t know so NO SPOILERS please I beg you))

But the only thing I could think about during and everything leading up to the sabaody return was that someone on the crew really should make a vivre card for luffy. Since he’s their heart and captain. Like if they ever got lost or god forbid separated like they did at saboady they would have a guiding compass bringing them back together again. And for that to be through luffy their captain who originally brought them together in the first place. He’s the heart of the straw hats.

Like it would have been a nice heartfelt moment for the crew. I just think it would have been cute and so wholesome for Nami to be like we’re never ever going through that shit again. We were lucky we had Rayleigh’s vivre card last time but in the new world we need something else. Then handing everyone luffys vivre card that she made in secret the first moment she saw luffy again without telling him jackshit. Just plugging some of his hair and running off before he has a chance to ask her wtf is going on. Then Sanji points out the obvious that this would not work for Zoro it’s a fkn miracle they ever saw him again after getting separated the way they did. Cue everyone making fun of Zoro and his terrible sense of direction. And Nami is like ofc I thought of that what do you take me for an amateur?? Then gives everyone Zoros vivre card too.

Reverie chap. 3 spoilers

HELLO....

What I think went down at the reverie aka the WG and revolutionary army showdown

-Im/Imu told the five elder stars to kill Vivi as the light selected to be eliminated from the world

-elder stars sent CP0 to assassinate her as the quickest/most effective method

-CP0 send Lucci/Kaku to kill Vivi at the same time of the attempt to free Kuma

-Cobra sacrifices himself for Vivi/ Sabo saves Vivi from assassination and failed to also save Cobra

-also in the scuffle Kuma was freed

-Revos, Kuma and now Vivi escape together from the reverie on Sabos orders (possibly w an assist from Rebecca/Leo/Neptunian Army)

-CP0 reports it all back to elder stars

-Military “encourages” Morgans to run the story of Sabo killing Cobra (possibly as retaliation by making Luffy/Buggy new emperors)

I WANT YOU ALL TO LOOK AT PHOTOS OF THIS BOY

Thank you for your time :)

edit: I should probably make it more clear that these come from Omori Reverie

From: Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

Updated Superarc Designation!

[ TRAILS INTO REVERIE SPOILERS ]

Drawn for CrowRean Week Day 6: Cheap Imitation

history repeats itself

i fcking love u fyodor dostoevsky

So……

Finally we are actually getting some info and not skipping to someone else!

I gotta say… I did not see that coming but I’m loving it!!! Some good old war tactics and not just charging in head first (coughLuffycough). Love it. It shows exactly how long this has been building up for! So far we have only speculated how good of a strategist Dragon was based on few little cues but to actually see the extent… I’m glad I was right! No offense to Luffy: it’s fun to see him punch people, but this is more my piece of cake. Also… KARMA IS COMING BACK BITCHES!!!

Anything that can make Dragon make that face is a big no-no in my books… This is going to be fun: I can’t wait to see them all fight seriously!!! Also… is that Shanks? Or his evil twin maybe?

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!! Finally! Someone said it! People really need to take Dragon’s words here and tattoo them on their foreheads. We need more of him in the real world… I’m real glad we are getting some answers to the key questions we (o at least I) had on the revolution. Again, we always speculated and there were debates around but to have it put black on white is great!

This opens a whole fucking gate on how different the revolution is from what Luffy is doing, for example. They are an army: they fight a war that is bigger than all of them and it needs sacrifices, it’s not all happy-go-lucky. Yes, they know there are bad and good kings. Yes, they are saddened if something happens to the good ones. BUT! They know the general public doesn’t and won’t understand that. They know that things are too complicated to be just black and white but that sometimes that’s all people can see. And they are not above getting their hands dirty if it’s what is needed. They all have a heavy weight on their consciences but they will gladly carry it if it means that the generations after them won’t have to. Sabo’s cold statement here and Dragon’s sarcastic comment just a second later make that very clear. Their hands are covered in blood already. And I adore that Oda is going with this more realistic version of a war and has not just decided to put together a bunch of idealists that are destined to fail. I love how it all works as a sort of balance to Luffy and the Strawhats. The revolutionaries are older, more seasoned realists and the Strawhats, while not exactly idealists either, are more dreamers and optimists. I know I’m generalizing but I think it gets the point across well enough. And I’m in love with all of this. Good job Oda!

Yeah, I can see why that might look quite incriminating… I wasn’t so happy about the revolutionaries all just believing Sabo did it so easily if it was just a headline but I understand now that we know there was an actual picture. Like: boy, I raised you since you were a child, you are my most trusted and my second in command but wtf are you doing with a dead body in your living room?!?!?

Happy to see them holding their grounds on a one on one. Sure, there were handicaps and all but still! That’s no small feat! It took like a fuckton of samurais plus a dragon to do that before and Morley is just here swinging that trident around!

This is gonna be bad. This is going to be very, very bad. God, I hope we are sticking to this storyline and not cutting to someone else. I NEED ANSWERS ODA! NOW!

And now that I said it, next week we are going to see fucking everyone but this. You’re all welcome.

Love the Strawhats to pieces but I am realky enjoying these last chapters without them. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?

This was for the It's a Garden- Twilight Mirage fanzine that came out a couple years ago! I really enjoyed doing a character montage here and working in little details from everyone's falling asleep/waking up interviews. I cry every time I listen to that bit!!

Also Love to draw jelly juice, so many color possibilities and so shiny!! There's also some process and close ups here to look at!

I will hide reverie spoilers under #Reverie spoilers so please blacklist that tag to avoid them.

"But deep down I had already given up, and braced for the inevitable"

I finished Reverie and Alt Rean's fate hurt me.

"We can play together, just like before!"

Trails into Reverie Chibis

ok and Vacation Lechter...

SPOILER ~Unmasked C is under the cut~ SPOILER

I really enjoyed these babies in Reverie and I look forward to seeing them again someday soon~

OK again, last warning.

unmasked C is on the way with his goofy hand pose thing...

I understood it when he had the mask on but not when it's off.

but yes here is the goofball.

I hope you enjoy

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