Garp has seen and experienced it all but still refuses to revolt against the World Government.

Luffy’s and Ace’s grandfather, Monkey D. Garp is an enigma in One Piece because of his duality. The eccentric old man who usually puts on the facade of a carefree attitude deeply cares about his family and friends. His motivations and allegiance also remain a mystery, leading to many fans believing the eyebrow-raising headcannon of ‘Garp is a coward.’

Vice Admiral Garp is among the most famous Marines. He is indirectly responsible for the Great Age of Pirates because Garp allowed Roger to pass on the mission of finding the One Piece treasure before his execution. Moreover, the male members in his line of descendants have all gone on to become notorious pirates, which is comical in a sense.
Monkey D. Garp
Introduced in Chapter 92, Garp became a favorite with his iconic dog mask and caring attitude towards Koby and Helmeppo. He was considered to be a ‘good guy’ in the eyes of pirate-loving fans until some of his actions, or rather ‘inaction’, became questionable.

Also Read: Mystery Behind Monkey D. Garp’s Power in ‘One Piece’ Live Action- How Did Monkey D. Luffy’s Grandfather Get So Powerful?

Garp Is A Coward? Fan Take On The Marine Vice Admiral Leads To Interesting Theories

Garp has shown extreme showcases of courage and valor, especially in his prime. He fought and defeated Rocks D. Xebec alongside Gold Roger, and manhandled Shiki the Golden Lion with Sengoku, Fans aren’t calling him a coward for his battles per se but rather pointing fingers at him for not being able to bring a change by resisting the World Government, despite knowing their tyranny.
Garp in his prime
In his assessment of Chapter 1096, YouTuber That One Piece Talk termed Garp to be a coward rather than a fraud. The Marine Vice Admiral witnessed the oppression of the Buccaneers but instead fought on the side of the Celestial Dragons. He was also a spectator to the massive genocide that took place following the death of Gol D. Roger, when the World Government wanted to ensure that Roger’s legacy wasn’t passed on to his child, who happened to be Fire Fist Ace.

Gol D. Roger entrusted Ace to the care of Monkey D. Garp following his death in One Piece. The Marine promised to keep the child safe along with Roger’s wife Portgas D. Rouge, who spent 22 months in a black basement. However, he wasn’t true to his promise because Ace was killed by Akainu and Rouge died shortly after giving birth.

Not only did Garp not avenge the death of Ace by killing Akainu but also he put no resistance to the World Government which has been on the hunt for destroying the members of his family. Luffy’s grandfather beams with pride when the Straw Hat commits any atrocity but he doesn’t protect him from harm. In the Impel Down arc, he was just a bystander in Luffy’s mission to free Ace.

Also Read: Netflix Showrunner Reveals How Garp’s Warning to Luffy Will be a Huge Factor in One Piece Season 2

Monkey D. Garp’s Complex Personality Is Due To His Position In One Piece

Garp cries after Ace’s death
Monkey D. Garp refused to be an Admiral since the position required him to be at the beck and call of the Celestial Dragons. Choosing to remain a Vice Admiral, the muscular old man enjoyed his autonomy. However, he is more bound to the Marine moral code and ethics than the manga depicts.

Pirates are the liberators of the world from the reader’s point of view but from the viewpoint of the Vice Admiral, pirates are a plague on the society. Garp has shown a strong Marine code since the beginning. He even trained Ace and Luffy to become fellow white-collars but Shanks poisoned the Straw Hat’s mind while Portgas D. Ace had pirate blood coursing through his veins.

Garp’s goal to shape his grandsons into Marines gives an insight into his mind. He understands the power of the World Government, having lost Roger and Rouge while his son was in hiding, so he wanted Luffy and Ace to conform to the established order. There is also the silent Garp-Dragon dynamic, with the father and son having had no proper interactions in One Piece thus far, highlighting that the two may have severed connections due to their different ideologies on peace.

It can be concluded that Garp is just a tired war veteran in One Piece, who knows how the system operates, biding time to overthrow the World Government alongside other ‘Will of D’ holders. However, his sense of justice and marine oath fail him in his actions.