The Marines in One Piece are a mixed bag of love and hate but when it comes to Garp, we cannot help but respect the guy. He is silly and goofy, but when it comes to duty, he isn’t the one to shy away from making tough decisions.
From Marco to Chinjao, Garp has knocked out several enemies, landing him the title of Iron Fist. He is strong, powerful, and, most importantly, an iconic character. No wonder fans love him, but it’s turning into hero worship, and that needs to stop.
Why, you ask? Well, this has to do with the aura and hype regarding his abilities in the series. There are glazers, but there’s one thing we all need to know. He is overpowered, yes, but even he is no match for Akainu, and here’s why.
Is Garp in his prime, or are fans simply glazing?
Of all the Marines in the series, Monkey D. Garp has to be everyone’s favorite for several reasons. He is introduced as a serious and tough guy, but we witness different sides to him. This holds for his duty-bound nature, coupled with compassion and care for his subordinates.
His taking Helmeppo and Koby under his wing is one such case. But it also extends to his protectiveness toward Ace no matter what fans say. Some hated him for not saving the character, but they ignored the complexities behind it. This also ties in well with his strength and power in the series.
In every sense, he chooses his battles wisely. This is precisely why he did not interject during Ace’s execution. He very well has the potential to go all out, but as a marine, he is bound to rules and duty. His strength and power lie in his resolve as well as his actions.
In Hachinosu, he unleashed the Galaxy Impact to save Koby from the Blackbeard Pirates. It was an impactful moment that outlined his strength and mastery of Haki but also intimidated his foes enough to make them flee. The ability is explosive and intimidating on all fronts but that is not all.
Against Aokiji, he used Armament Haki but was left defeated by the end of it all. It is a reminder to most fans on r/onepiecepowerscaling who hail him as someone in their prime. He may be strong but the current Garp isn’t toe to toe with Akainu for several reasons.
Akainu’s ultimate strength in One Piece
One Piece fans know very well that Garp could potentially end Akainu during the Marineford Arc, but he didn’t. In his current state, he does not stand a chance against the Fleet Admiral. This also applies to the admiral’s lethal devil fruit ability, Magu Magu no Mi.
Yes, Garp is more experienced in combat, battle, and strategy, but Akainu is no less. It isn’t merely his devil fruit power but Haki that puts him on par with the Hero of the Marines. Plus, fan speculations point to a possible showdown between him and Luffy shortly.
In terms of strength, skill, agility, and Haki, Akainu has an edge over Garp. Let’s be real, age picks up on most people, and that was the case with the latter. Even as a powerful and prime marine, he was defeated by Aokiji. This only means that Garp is no match for Akainu, especially in his present state.
Both are powerful marines, after all, and both have different views on justice. But when it comes to a showdown, there’s only one winner. And in this case, it has to be Akainu.
One Piece is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
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