Koby

Koby, the Hero, holds the rank of a Marine Captain and trained under Vice Admiral Garp's guidance alongside Helmeppo. Currently, he serves as a member of the Marine special forces unit known as SWORD. In the past, Koby found himself trapped as a caretaker on a pirate ship belonging to the Alvida Pirates. However, fate smiled upon him when he was rescued by Luffy, becoming the first friend Luffy made on his journey. Later on, after becoming a full-fledged Marine, Koby reunited with Luffy during the Post-Enies Lobby Arc.

 

Over time, he gained fame and recognition for his heroic actions during the Rocky Port Incident. Unfortunately, Koby's path crossed with the Blackbeard Pirates, resulting in a failed attempt to arrest Boa Hancock and subsequent imprisonment. Fortunately, with the help of Perona, his fellow SWORD colleagues, and his mentor Garp, he managed to escape the clutches of the Blackbeard Pirates. As a symbol of his heroic deeds, Koby's status as a hero earned him a 5-star bounty from the Cross Guild, amounting to 500,000,000 Beli. He also stands as an ally of Luffy during the Romance Dawn Arc. Koby, together with Helmeppo, played central roles in the Diary of Koby-Meppo Cover Page Serial and appeared as supporting antagonists during the Post-Enies Lobby Arc. Additionally, he briefly took on an antagonistic role in the Marineford Arc. During his time on Hachinosu, Koby faced the menacing Teach, who had plans to use the lives of Marines as leverage to turn the island into a World Government-affiliated nation. Koby firmly resisted the idea, standing his ground as a member of SWORD. Despite the perilous situation, he eventually escaped the island, thanks to Perona's help, and coordinated the rescue of other prisoners. When Garp and SWORD came to his aid, Koby was both relieved and surprised. However, his joy was short-lived as Kuzan's actions put his friend Hibari in danger. Koby pleaded with Kuzan to release Hibari but found himself caught in the middle of Garp's and Shiryu's confrontation. In a daring effort to save Garp, Koby displayed remarkable strength and managed to foil Pizarro's plans. Despite his courage, Koby was torn between selflessness and wanting his crew to save themselves. Ultimately, he had to face the difficult choice of leaving with his crew or continuing to put himself at risk. Through it all, Koby's journey showcases his growth, bravery, and dedication as he navigates the challenging world of pirates and Marines.

 

Trivia

• A fan once asked why Koby looked so different from his first appearance. According to Oda, Koby just went through a growth spurt and tightened his muscles with discipline (due to Garp's training).
• In the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th fan polls of most popular characters, Koby was ranked 18th, 54th, 54th, 37th, 58th, and 42th respectively. He was not part of the 2nd fan poll.
• The Shonen Jump magazine version of Chapter 956 erroneously listed Koby as a Rear Admiral. The Volume 95 version corrected that Koby's rank was still Captain.
• In the spin-off manga One Piece: Kobiyama Who Looks Like Koby - Two Piece in a Pod, the titular character, Kobiyama, is a boy who resembles Koby before Garp's training.
• Koby's favorite foods are Rika's onigiri and buttered potatoes, and his least favorite food is black coffee.
• Koby's animal resemblance is a dolphin.
• Koby's hobby is sea fishing.

Monkey D. Garp at Hachinosu

Garp is a prominent figure in the world of "One Piece," known for his association with legendary pirates and his service as a Marine. Alongside Kong, Sengoku, Shiki, Silvers Rayleigh, Tsuru, and Whitebeard, he played a significant role during Gol D. Roger's era, when the "Pirate King" was still alive. Garp gained immense fame and respect within the Marines, particularly for his actions during the God Valley Incident, which earned him the title of "Hero of the Marines." Despite being offered the rank of Admiral several times, he declined the promotion on each occasion. Notably, Garp also served as the mentor of Kuzan, who later became Admiral Kizaru.

 

Garp was first introduced during the Diary of Koby-Meppo Cover Page Serial, where he took charge of training Koby and Helmeppo. After the war and the death of Ace, he became a Marine Instructor to train new recruits while retaining his rank of Vice Admiral. However, his retirement seems to be known only to a select few and not to the public. Due to his actions, Garp could be considered the primary antagonist during the Post-Enies Lobby Arc and a supporting antagonist in the Marineford Arc. He embarked on a mission to rescue Koby at Hachinosu during the Egghead Arc, where he got severely injured and declared "missing in action." Weeks later, when Koby was reported abducted by the Blackbeard Pirates, Garp sailed to G-14 and then to Hachinosu to rescue him. He was determined to save Koby, even if it meant confronting an Emperor. Garp was joined by members of SWORD and Tashigi for his mission. With a show of his impressive Haoshoku Haki, Garp launched a powerful attack, Galaxy Impact, against the island to make a statement about Koby's importance to the future of the Marines. He faced Kuzan in a confrontation but was frozen by his former protégé. Despite the dangerous situation, Garp displayed his strength and determination in battling the Blackbeard Pirates. During the conflict, Garp's ship and the people on board were at risk. He entrusted Koby, Helmeppo, and Grus with dealing with the threat posed by Avalo Pizarro's giant stone hand while he faced Pizarro head-on, inflicting significant damage. Even as the situation worsened, Garp maintained his resolve and encouraged everyone via the Den Den Mushi, reminding them of their role as the future of the Marines. Despite facing overwhelming odds and getting pierced by Kuzan's ice, Garp faced the enemy with a smile, showcasing his unyielding spirit and dedication to the cause.

 

Trivia

• He and Sengoku are also the only known Marines to possess Haoshoku Haki.
• He is also the first Marine to showcase it and its advanced form.
• Garp's wife has not been named, but the supplement Grand Line Times left a "?" in place of her in their family tree.
•  Initially, Garp smoked cigars, but in later appearances, he stopped doing it.
• In the anime, Garp said he has eaten 842 donuts without sleeping or taking a break because he was trying to beat a world record.
• Aside from Luffy himself, Garp is the only Romance Dawn V.2 character to actually appear in the storyline.
• Garp's laughter style is that he adds either "Bwa" or "Wa" before the haha part. This is somewhat unique as most characters only stick with one laughter style (the only other character sharing this distinction being Dracule Mihawk).
• Garp appears to have a dog animal-theme, as shown by his mask and his ship.
• In the 4th, 5th and 7th fan polls of most popular characters, Garp was ranked the 50th, 74th and 44th, respectively.
• Garp shares some similarities with Smoker:
• Both of them are Marine Vice Admirals (Smoker started out as a Captain but was promoted).
• Both of them have white hair (Garp had black hair at first, but it whitened with old age).
• Both of them are from the East Blue.
• Both cornered many times a certain pirate they were chasing (Roger for Garp and Luffy for Smoker).
• Both of them are often accompanied by a swordsman (Bogard for Garp and Tashigi for Smoker).
• Both of them have a scar on their face next to one eye (Smoker initially did not have any scars at first but gained one after the timeskip).
• In One Piece Magazine Vol.5, Oda drew a "what-if" illustration of Ace, Luffy, and Sabo as Marines. Garp was seen wielding a pair of katana swords.
• Garp's favorite foods are senbei and curry.
•