Many One Piece Fans Are Wondering Why Garp Gave Dragon A Key To Escape Jail But Not Ace
The God Valley Arc has done more than just expand the lore of One Piece — it’s reopening old wounds and reigniting some of the fandom’s most emotional debates. The latest chapter has introduced a controversial moment involving Monkey D. Garp, his son Monkey D. Dragon, and, by extension, the memory of Portgas D. Ace. After Garp is shown secretly giving Dragon a key to escape from prison during the God Valley flashback, fans can’t help but compare that moment to Marineford, where Garp did not (or could not) do the same for Ace. The result? A wave of frustration, confusion, and intense theory-crafting across the community.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story. The arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For many, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world, something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers say they don’t want to go back to the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media platforms are full of fans expressing that this arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years — with its dark tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy revelations. While Luffy and his crew are the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something entirely different: a look at the legends and events that shaped everything we know. One fan summed it up best on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” The sentiment highlights a unique moment in the fandom, where the past has become more captivating than the present adventure.
Garp’s Key Decision Sparks Heated Debate
The latest controversy centers on a single, loaded image: Garp slipping Dragon a key in prison, helping him break free from the World Government’s grasp. It’s a powerful gesture that reinforces Garp’s love for his son and his growing disillusionment with the system he serves. But for many fans, that same panel immediately calls back to Marineford — and to Ace.
Comment sections and forum threads are full of variations of the same question: “If Garp could secretly help Dragon escape, why didn’t he do something similar for Ace?”
Some fans see it as emotional inconsistency; others go as far as calling it a “double standard” that makes Garp look like he cared more about his biological son than the grandson he claimed to love as well.
A Tale of Two Sons: Dragon and Ace
Part of what makes this debate so intense is how different the two situations are — and how similar they feel emotionally:
- Dragon’s escape at God Valley is framed as a pivotal turning point. Garp intervenes from the shadows, knowing Dragon is already questioning the Marines and the World Government. Giving him the key doesn’t just save his life — it effectively sets Dragon on the path to becoming the world’s most wanted revolutionary.
- Ace at Marineford, on the other hand, is surrounded by admirals, warlords, and the entire Navy. Garp is seated on the execution platform, openly torn between his duty as a Marine and his love for Ace. He shakes, he cries, but in the end, he doesn’t move until it’s too late — held back by duty, Sengoku, and his own internal conflict.
For many fans, seeing Garp actively help Dragon in the past makes his inaction at Marineford hurt even more. It reframes that tragedy, not just as a failure of the Marines, but as a deeply personal failure of Garp as a grandfather.
Plot Hole or Painful Character Writing?
Opinions are sharply divided on whether this is a writing flaw or a deliberate emotional choice:
- Some argue that Oda is creating an unintentional “Garp problem”, making it harder to sympathize with him when we know he has broken the rules before to save family.
- Others believe this is intentional character complexity. Garp in God Valley is younger, more rebellious, and less broken by the system. By Marineford, he’s older, weighed down by decades of guilt, duty, and compromise. To these readers, the contrast isn’t a plot hole — it’s tragedy.
There’s also the practical side: Dragon’s jailbreak appears to be a more contained, secretive act, while Ace’s execution is a globally broadcast spectacle, tightly controlled and backed by the full might of the Marines. Some fans argue that Garp simply had more room to act in one situation than the other — even if his heart wanted the same thing both times.
What This Means for Garp’s Legacy
What’s undeniable is that this new detail forces a re-evaluation of Garp as a character. Once seen mostly as the goofy, overpowered “Hero of the Marines” and loving grandpa, he’s now increasingly viewed as a tragic figure whose choices left deep scars on the people he loved most.
For some, the key scene strengthens his legacy — proving he did, at least once, fight against the system for family. For others, it makes his failure with Ace unforgivable. Either way, the discourse around Garp has shifted from simple admiration to something much more complicated, and that’s exactly why the fandom can’t stop talking about him.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
The enthusiasm surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he continues to surprise fans by revealing layers of history that connect generations of pirates, marines, and rulers. The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded readers of One Piece’s golden era — a blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few series can match.
Whether fans see Garp’s actions as a heartbreaking flaw, a narrative misstep, or a deliberate tragedy, one thing is clear: the God Valley saga isn’t just filling in the past — it’s reshaping how we see the entire series. And as long as moments like the “key to Dragon’s cell” keep surfacing, the debates in the fandom are not ending anytime soon.
