Monkey D. Dragon

Monkey D. Dragon (モンキー・D・ドラゴン, Monkī D. Doragon), also commonly known as both of his monikers "Dragon the Revolutionary" (革命家ドラゴン, Kakumeika Doragon) and The "World's Most-Dangerous Criminal" (世界最悪の犯罪者, Sekai Saiaku no Hanzaisha), is a fictional character and ally from the One Piece series. He is the Father of Monkey D. Luffy and the son of Monkey D. Garp.

He is the infamous leader of the Revolutionary Army who has been attempting to overthrow the World Government. He is the World Government's greatest enemy, and is the most dangerous and most wanted man in the world.

"Ride the winds of change, Luffy. That day you and I meet will come soon enough, I'm sure."
 * —Monkey D. Dragon.

Appearance & Biography

 * Voice Actor: Bryan Massey (English), Hidekatsu Shibata (Japanese), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (German), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (French), Not Known (Latin American Spanish)

Appearance
Dragon has spiky black hair with a widow's peak and a tattoo on the left side of his face, which is colored dark red in the anime, and bright red in the manga.

He also appears to have no eyebrows and he has a bit of stubble on his chin. He is most often seen sporting a grin. Only on rare occasions, such as at Roger's execution, has Dragon not been seen smiling.

The Young Past Days
Twenty two years before the start of the series, at Gol D. Roger's execution, Dragon did not have his tattoo or his stubble on his face.

Pre-Timeskip
He is usually dressed in a long green cloak (colored black in the manga), underneath which he wears the garb of a revolutionary, colored white in the anime, and orange in the manga.

Post-Timeskip
After the timeskip, Dragon's hair has grown slightly longer - reaching down his back past his shoulders.


 * Hair Color: Black
 * Skin Color: Brownish Tan
 * Eye Color: Black
 * Age: Not Known
 * Birthday: October 5th
 * Height: Not Known
 * Weight: Not Known

Personality
Dragon's personality is mostly unknown due to the many mysteries that are surrounding him, save for an apparent love for freedom and a belief in fate, traits of a "D". Despite this, he is completely serious about his crusade, warning his subordinates that the conflict against the World Government will be protracted and arduous.

Unlike the members of his family, Dragon has a stern demeanor. However, he is often seen with a confident grin on his face.

Dragon bears strong concern for common people and dedicatedly fights against the World Government's oppression towards them, as shown when he rescued the denizens of the Gray Terminal and offered them a position in the Revolutionary Army.

Like his brother and nephew, Dragon is a strong devoter of freedom and liberalism, having formed the Revolutionary Army for the main purpose of overthrowing the World Government and their tyrannical oppression of the innocent. He is also a righteous, trustworthy, and compassionate man, as he sympathized with Sabo's plight and was silently enraged at Jalmack for trying to kill Sabo for his unreasonable arrogance.

He speaks as though he is a mystic and apparently does not like to speak of, or be asked about, his past. He also has a habit of always looking towards the East Blue when the wind changes. His revolutionary comrade Emporio Ivankov speculates that this is because he has family in the East Blue.

Friends/Allies

 * Revolutionary Army
 * Emporio Ivankov
 * Bartholomew Kuma
 * Sabo
 * Nico Robin

Family

 * Monkey D. Garp (Father)
 * Monkey D. Rex (Younger Brother)
 * Monkey D. Luffy (Father)
 * Portgaz D. Ace (Adoptive Nephew; Deceased)

Enemies

 * World Government
 * Navy
 * Nobles
 * Blackbeard Pirates

Abilities and Powers
As the leader of the Revolutionaries, he has full control of the organization. There have been some hints that Dragon is extremely powerful, since the World Government has dubbed him as the "World's Most Wanted Man". After Luffy tells Emporio Ivankov that Ace is his brother, the okama queen greatly fears the possibility of the World Government warring against Dragon along with Whitebeard.

Dragon is already a powerful threat in his own right, as well as having powerful subordinates such as Sabo, Ivankov, Bartholomew Kuma, and Inazuma who are in comparison, lower in rank. This only speaks volumes of Dragon's true power. When Sengoku told everyone of his relationship with Luffy, most people were stunned, including Gecko Moria of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and members of the Whitebeard Pirates. This reputation alone was enough for Luffy to be marked as a dangerous potential to the future, and for Demalo Black to take advantage of via impersonation.

Ivankov has been seen commenting on how Luffy's will to live and his phenomenal strength only helps to prove the idea that he is indeed Dragon's son, implying that Dragon has similar strength and will.

Past
"Someday, I promise you, they will all watch as I change the world."
 * —Dragon speaking to Ivankov when saving those from the Gray Terminal.

Dragon's history remains mostly a mystery, aside from his connections with the Goa Kingdom. After he began the Revolutionary movement, his ideals began to slowly spread throughout the world. One by one, countries slowly began to support him, though sometimes through war. He was shown to have witnessed Roger's execution, but he had not yet acquired his tattoo at this point.

Twelve years before the current storyline, Dragon returned to his home in the Goa Kingdom and witnessed the burning of the Gray Terminal. After witnessing the sorrow of its own people by way of Sabo, with the boy begging for help and claiming shame of his heritage, Dragon enacted a plan in order to save the people and embarrass the government by creating a causeway to allow for those on Trash Mountain to escape and join him. Due to his actions, the nobles merely noticed that the charred remains from their burning of the mountain was far less than anticipated.

When Sabo was leaving home to become a pirate, his ship was obliterated by a World Noble. Dragon saved him from the wreckage and brought him to the revolutionaries' ship.

Sometime later, the Revolutionary Army docked in Frost Moon Village for food and supplies, coincidentally close to where Roronoa Zolo was currently training. There, Dragon was seen on his ship, being scolded by Ivankov for being late.

In the anime, Ivankov asked Dragon where he had been, to which he replied that he had been at the World Noble's reception ceremony on Dawn Island. When Ivankov indignantly asks why he was not invited, Dragon told him that he attracted too much attention.

Dragon asked if they had enough food. When he heard that the local dojo had resupplied them, he nodded before announcing that they would be returning to Baltigo.

After Sabo regained consciousness, he was noted to suffer from memory loss. Dragon explained that he was part of a noble family from Goa, but Sabo insisted on staying with the revolutionaries, not wanting to return to his family. Dragon began directly training Sabo three years later, as Hack had nothing left to teach the boy.

Eight years before the main storyline, the Council of Kings gathered at Marie Jois to discuss Dragon's revolutionary movement and his ideals, both of which were threatening the World Government. Thalassa Lucas showed his picture. Lucas then went on to say that while Dragon was currently no real threat, he could easily become one in the next five to six years or so, if not dealt with.

Roguetown Arc
In Roguetown, Dragon saved his son Luffy from Captain Smoker. At that moment a green gust of wind passed through Roguetown blowing Luffy, Smoker, Buggy, Alvida, and their crew away. It is not known if he controlled the wind that blew off the marines at this point. Smoker would question Dragon's action, to which the Revolutionary replied about letting Luffy follow his path. Smoker would question about Dragon's motivation for saving Luffy until their relationship is revealed later on.

Post-Enies Lobby Arc
While visiting Luffy, Garp let it slip that Dragon was Luffy's uncle in a casual conversation with him. The reaction of those present was of dire shock, while Luffy himself did not even know who Dragon was. Everyone was shocked and surprised that Luffy had never heard of him. Robin then told Luffy just why his uncle is so feared.

Robin said that Dragon is the leader of the Revolutionary Army and had spread his ideals to every nation and kingdom in the world, causing many of them to fall. He managed to instigate rebellion against monarchies all over the world and had successfully pushed the world towards civil war. His actions greatly enraged the World Government and he was considered the most dangerous man in the world. Until Luffy had been told who his uncle was, nobody had known anything about Dragon, not even his full name.

On Baltigo, Dragon was looking at Luffy's new bounty when one of his men was about to tell him that Luffy was Vice Admiral Garp's grandson. However, Dragon interrupted him by leaving the room and said he will stay in the wind for a while. He walked out into the castle's balcony where he remarked that the true nature of the world will be answered and that he will meet Luffy again.

Post-War Arc
After Whitebeard's death and the liberation of the slaves at Tequila Wolf, Dragon expressed the desire to see one of the slaves: Nico Robin, the archaeologist of his nephew's crew and the sole survivor of the Ohara Incident.

Also after the Battle of Navyford, some of the revolutionaries questioned Dragon if he is really the father of Monkey D. Luffy just as the newspapers said. Dragon casually confirmed that fact.

In his headquarters, Dragon talked to Ivankov through the Transponder Snail. Ivankov told Dragon about a newspaper article about Luffy and commented on how much he is like him. In turn, Dragon told the Queer that Luffy's no longer a child that one should keep an eye on, but did not expect the boy to be under Ivankov's protection during the war, and was somewhat grateful as a result. Dragon informed Ivankov that as Whitebeard had died, they would soon have to gather the Revolutionary leaders spread around the world as the world's balance was beginning to shift. Dragon then went on to tell Ivankov about Kuma.

From the Decks of the World: The 500,000,000 Man Arc
As the news of the Straw Hats' accomplishment at Dressrosa spread throughout the world, Dragon, Sabo, and Koala read about the pirates' new bounties.

Zou Arc
After Doflamingo's defeat, Dragon received reports that rebel armies were succeeding all across the world. He then spoke to Koala, who informed him that the weapons they retrieved from Dressrosa contained a special mineral known as Liquor Iron Ore, which could provide a clue on where the weapons were made. After a small conversation concerning Luffy, Sabo, and Robin, Dragon requested Koala to gather all the revolutionary leaders.

Whole Cake Island Arc
Sometime later, a newspaper explained about Blackbeard's attack on Baltigo. The island was destroyed by the time the Navy and Cipher Pol arrived. However, Dragon and the revolutionaries' fate remains unknown.

Canon

 * Revolutionary Army vs. Blackbeard Pirates (unseen)

Non-Canon

 * Monkey D. Dragon vs. Sabo

Notes & Trivia

 * Neither Dragon's mother nor wife (if he was ever married) has been named. However, both were left as "?" in the supplement issue Grand Line Times.
 * Monkey D. Dragon is in the first anime opening for One Piece, "We Are!", showing his face for a brief second.
 * Whether it is a foreshadowing on Oda's part or a minor coincidence, Luffy appeared in the short Straw Hat Theatre - Monster Time as a dragon years before he was revealed to be Dragon's son.
 * All members of the Monkey Family have shown to have a noticeable mark on the left side of their faces. Both Luffy and Garp have a scar while Dragon has a large tattoo.
 * So far, the few times he was seen in the series outside of Baltigo, there was always at least the suggestion of a storm coming, if not one already there. This happened when he saved Luffy in Roguetown, at Gol D. Roger's execution, and in Goa Kingdom when the residents were saved by a wind tunnel through the flames. In the anime, he arrives onto the ship after rescuing Sabo with a gust of wind seemingly appearing from nowhere. This is referenced in his appearance as a support character in One Piece Gigant Battle and its sequel, where he can help his Leader or blow his opponents away with a gust of wind.
 * In the 5th fan poll, Dragon ranked 81st.
 * Dragon's birthday (October 5th) coincides with the date of the October Revolution in Russia where Vladimir Lenin took power.