Why Garp stayed silent in One Piece: The pain behind Ace's death

Portgas D. Ace's death in One Piece is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series. Despite the chaotic Marineford War, where many forces challenged the World Government to stop this execution from taking place, there was one character who suffered in silence.

Monkey D. Garp is the legendary Marine Hero and grandfather to both Ace and Luffy. Because he was a Marine, fans had hopes that maybe at the most crucial moment, he might jump in to save Ace. Fans knew how much he cared for the boy and could see the pain in his eyes.

One Piece established early on that Garp is a legendary figure. Even without a Devil Fruit, his Haki alone made him formidable. Even during his prime, he was considered to be one of the strongest. However, more than his strength, it's his steadfast dedication to justice and the Marine institution that defines his character.

When Ace was scheduled for execution, Garp's loyalties were tested like never before. If he were to swoop in to save Ace, maybe it would have changed the trajectory of the story. But for Garp, everything he believed in and stood for would be reduced to nothing.

Garp's silence wasn't a choice made out of loyalty alone. Instead, he watched Ace walk straight into the center of the battlefield, the son of Roger, standing proudly as a pirate. The silence at Marineford was Garp's way of wrestling with the impossible. If he saved Ace, he would no longer be a Marine.

He would be betraying the comrades who fought and died beside him. If he didn't save Ace, he would lose a child he had sworn to protect. The moment Akainu's magma fist pierced Ace's chest, that internal conflict turned into lifelong regret.

After the war, Garp didn't walk away unscathed. Though the world saw a hero upholding justice, internally, he saw himself as a failure. When he returned to Windmill Village, Dadan, the mountain bandit who helped raise Ace and Luffy, punched him repeatedly in anger and grief.

Garp took every blow. He knew that his choices would have consequences, and a part of him will never forgive himself.

Understanding the core of Garp's character in One Piece

Eiichiro Oda has carefully built Garp as one of the most layered characters in One Piece. He's a man who believes in justice, yet has raised some of the world's most infamous rebels.

He detests the Celestial Dragons and their corruption, yet works for the very institution that protects them. His love for family is immense, yet he lets them walk paths he personally condemns.

Garp wanted Ace to live a different life. He gave him that chance. But he also respected Ace enough to let him walk his chosen path, even if that path led to death. Saving him would have meant rejecting Ace's agency. It would have meant denying the person he had become.

Final thoughts

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In the simplest terms, Garp couldn't save Ace in One Piece because doing so would have meant turning his back on everything he stood for. But more importantly, he believed that Ace had made his choice. Ace chose to be a pirate. Ace chose to fight alongside Whitebeard.

Even on the execution stand, Ace stood tall as a pirate and a proud son of Gol D. Roger. And while Garp still wears the Marine uniform, a part of him was buried on that battlefield with Ace.

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