One Piece: Are Garp and Shanks Related to Luffy?

Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate who dreams of finding the infamous One Piece treasure and becoming the King of Pirates. The first season focuses on his quest to find a ship and a crew before embarking on a journey to the Grand Line. He starts with finding the map to the Grand Line and meets Zoro and Nami on this quest. Despite their unwillingness to become his crew, they become his friends, and eventually, they add Usopp and Sanji to the group.

Luffy’s journey is full of perils, and he meets many formidable enemies. However, he is determined to follow his dream, and out of all the people and things that have influenced his life, the most important are Garp and Shanks. How are they related to Luffy, and what impact did they have on his journey? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD

Is Garp Related to Luffy?

Vice Admiral Garp is a Marine dedicated to capturing pirates and bringing them to justice. In this first season, he serves as the primary antagonist, chasing after the Straw Hat Pirates right from the start. Everyone knows best to stay away as far from Garp as possible, but it comes as a shock to Luffy’s crew that he is Garp’s grandson.

Luffy’s backstory reveals that he was raised by Garp, his grandfather. Garp wanted to turn Luffy into a Marine so that he could follow in his footsteps and carry forward the legacy created by Garp. Luffy, however, was only interested in becoming a pirate, which frustrated Garp. Years ago, Garp had made history by catching the King of Pirates, Gol D. Roger. He thought this would serve as a lesson to anyone considering being a pirate. However, Roger turned the tide by revealing that his treasure, known as One Piece, is somewhere in the Grand Line.

The knowledge of a treasure and the desire to get their hands on it pushes more people to become pirates and ushers in the Golden Age of Piracy. This makes Garp even more adamant about capturing pirates and throwing them in prison. He earns a reputation for himself by becoming a formidable figure and wants the same for his grandson. When Luffy defies him and leaves to become a pirate, Garp chases him, hoping to catch him and change his mind. However, when they eventually meet and fight, Garp reveals that he was testing Luffy to see if he is ready for the dangers of a pirate’s life.

Is Shanks Related to Luffy?

Red-Haired Shanks is the pirate who inspired Luffy to pursue a career in piracy. However, he is not related to the protagonist of ‘One Piece.’ When a young Luffy meets Shanks, he sees someone he can admire and aspire to be. Shanks sees Luffy as a lovable kid. He cares for and is protective of the kid, which is why he refuses to let Luffy join his crew. A young Luffy keeps asking Shanks to let him join him in the next adventure, but his requests are brushed aside.

While Shanks doesn’t let Luffy join him, this doesn’t mean he thinks any less of the boy. In fact, he roots for Luffy when he discovers that the young man has embarked on his journey to become the King of Pirates and is doing rather well. He always keeps tabs on Luffy, which shows that Shanks cares about him a lot, even when they are not each other’s family and are not related by blood.

Luffy, too, reveres Shanks, and when he realizes that the latter would never let him join his crew, he declares to find his own crew and become the best pirate in the world. Shanks is impressed with Luffy’s determination, and as an act of encouragement, he gives Luffy his straw hat. This is his way of giving Luffy his blessing and keeping the connection alive between them as Luffy goes out into the world to chase his dream. The straw hat becomes Luffy’s prized possession, and he takes care of it more than anything else. This shows that Luffy and Shanks share a close bond, full of love and mutual respect.