Garp used to rival the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, but can he stand against the Yonko?
Garp is the legendary naval Hero in the world of One Piece who has made a tremendous name for himself. When it comes to the World Government, he is their strongest known asset to ever exist, which says a lot about the powers that he has up his sleeve. Garp was introduced to the fans very early in the story but it was only after the events of Enies Lobby that it was revealed that he is Luffy’s grandfather and the father of Monkey D. Dragon.
Just like those two characters, he holds tremendous importance in One Piece and it goes without saying that he is extremely skilled in combat as well. Fans saw a display of his powers in One Piece 1080, where he launched an ambush on the Blackbeard Pirates in the New World and left all the fans in a state of shock due to the level of strength that he possesses. The question remains, however, how strong is he when compared to the Yonko?
Garp’s Strength In His Prime
When it comes to Garp’s prime, it goes without saying that he was on the same level as the likes of the Yonko and potentially even stronger. After all, Garp was the biggest naval rival of the legendary Pirate King, Roger. Roger himself claimed that Garp was strong enough to contend with him in battle. Along with Sengoku, he was the only one worthy of earning the respect of the Pirate King. The two had fought each other so much that Roger tested Garp as much as his crewmates, which shows the level of respect that they had for each other.
Together, they also joined hands and fought against Rocks, the most dangerous known pirate in the history of the One Piece world. Garp being able to fight such a high-level battle means that he was level in terms of power with Roger and there must be no doubt that Garp’s strength surpassed that of the current Yonko back then, if not being equal to them. It is surprising to know that Garp does not possess the powers of any Devil Fruit. His compatriot, Sengoku, is a user of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Buddha. Meanwhile, Garp has no such abilities and he also does not rely on any weapon in combat. Garp exclusively makes use of his fists while fighting which makes him a brawler. His biggest strength is, undoubtedly, his Haki.
Garp’s Haki
Garp is exceptionally powerful and all of that is down to his Haki. He is known to be a master of this ability and while fans have not seen him make extensive use of the Color of Observation, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to know that he can use it at an advanced level. At the very least, fans can assume that Garp can use Observation Haki at a very high level. Potentially, he could be able to see the future, just like Luffy, and, if that is the case, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to the fans at all. When it comes to the Color of Armament, Garp has mastered this power to the highest degree. His Color of Armament is so powerful that during Marineford, he could damage Marco in his phoenix form, which is something that even Sakazuki failed to do despite him possessing the offensive power of the highest order.
Garp’s Haki is truly monstrous and his Color of Arms is at the highest level possible. Undoubtedly, his greatest weapon in combat is the Color of the Supreme King. Garp possesses the power of Conqueror’s Haki despite being a Marine. While there is no indication that Marines cannot possess this power, none of them have displayed it so far other than Sengoku being mentioned to be a wielder of it in the Vivre Cards. Garp, on the other hand, might not be the leader of the Navy, however, he is a free-spirited character who has rejected several promotions over time. Garp values his freedom quite a lot and that could tie into why he possesses the power of the Color of the Supreme King.
He was seen making use of Conqueror’s Haki Infusion in One Piece Chapter 1080, where he blasted a big part of Fullalead Island with an attack known as Galaxy Impact. Despite being old, Garp wields this power very well and has shown no sign of being slowed down with aging.
Garp Vs. The Yonko
It is safe to say that Garp is more than capable of fighting on an equal footing against the Yonko. Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, was a threat equal to the other Yonko even during his old age. During the Marineford arc, Whitebeard proved to be a monster that the Navy and the Shichibukai had to combine their forces to fight. This was at a point where Whitebeard could not even make use of the Color of the Supreme King. While he did make use of Armament Haki and Observation Haki, both of his powers were severely weakened. Meanwhile, the Color of the Supreme King was not accessible to him at all. It can be said that Whitebeard was severely weakened during this Paramount War and even then he lived up to the reputation of a Yonko.
On the other hand, Garp is just as old as Whitebeard, however, he has not shown any health issues so far. While age definitely has affected his stamina and he is certainly not as powerful as he was in his prime, it must be remembered that he was once compared to Roger, who was surely stronger than the current Four Emperors. As such, even if Garp has weakened slightly due to age, he is still at a level where he can compete against the Yonko and potentially even defeat them. Garp possesses Haki that very few characters in the One Piece world can match.
Another indication that Garp is in a league of his own is the fact that Rayleigh openly admitted that he was inferior to Blackbeard and that fighting him would result in him losing. Garp, on the other hand, charged at the Pirate Island knowing that he would beat all the pirates there, despite Blackbeard being its ruler. While Blackbeard certainly is not there, the fact that Garp thought he could save Koby and take him out says a lot about the level of strength that he possesses. Even though he is old, Garp is a legend and, as such, at a level where he can match and potentially even beat the likes of Blackbeard in a life-and-death battle.
Src: gamerant.com
