One Piece: Blackbeard’s Sinister Plan for Garp Can Finally Show Us Mihawk’s True Power as the Greatest Swordsman 

SUMMARY

• Garp’s capture is easily the most concerning event for his fans in One Piece manga.
• However, it opens up numerous possibilities on what could happen next in the story.
• One fan theory suggests that it might be the key to the revelation of Mihawk's true powers, which is quite intriguing.

From the first proper introduction to his recent spar with the Blackbeard Pirates, Garp has been an important character in One Piece. Every scene that involves him creates a lasting impact on the viewer. For instance, his meeting with Dadan after the Marineford War or his training days with Koby and Helmeppo. His recent capture evoked fear and concern among fans. However, it also opens up numerous possibilities for how the plot could progress. 

Garp | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

Garp’s association with both the Marines and the pirates makes him an integral character whose presence is valuable to both factions. If anything happens to him, a war could ensue. Fans have come up with several theories on how the recent events involving Blackbeard could progress. There’s one theory that signals the revelation of Mihawk’s true strength, and it’s worth exploring. 

Garp’s Capture Might Finally Give Us a Glimpse of Mihawk’s Strength 

The anime has finally reached the part where Garp’s grave situation gets fans concerned about his fate. The recent episodes show us a glimpse of the character’s strength and his feelings for his subordinates. Garp arrived at Hachinosu to save Koby and after a rough fight with former pupil, got captured by the Blackbeard Pirates. The first thought that comes to mind hearing about Garp’s capture is an enraged Luffy. 

Mihawk | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

While that’s an obvious guess, another theory has surfaced online that is quite intriguing. Back when Garp arrived on Hachinosu in the manga, a similar theory was posted on Reddit. These fan theories suggest that Blackbeard might trade Garp with the Cross Guild. However, there could be a twist. Instead of the real Garp, he might give them a fake one instead. 

This could be done through Catarina Devon’s Devil Fruit powers. Catarina wields the Inu Inu No Mi: Kyubi no Kitsune, which allows her to transform into different characters. This sort of trickery would provoke the members of the Cross Guild, leading to a potential face-off between them and the Blackbeard Pirates. 

Blackbeard | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

Mihawk was introduced to us fairly early on in the series. He is Zoro’s goal and Shanks’ close friend. He’s known as the World’s Greatest Swordsman. But we have never seen him in battle. If this theory ends up being true, it’ll be the first demonstration of Mihawk’s powers and his swordsmanship. 

A Potential Match-up Between the Cross Guild and the Blackbeard Pirates 

The Blackbeard Pirates are bloodthirsty and never shy away from fights. If they manage to trick the Cross Guild, Mihawk and Crocodile might put up a fight. While we don’t have much idea about Mihawk’s powers, we have seen Crocodile up against several characters. He’s strong but it’s hard to picture him among the strongest in the current landscape of the One Piece world. The power scale has been ramped up significantly. 

Mihawk’s introduction during Baratie | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

Even the main character, Luffy, is inferior to those who stand at the top. If we go by their track records, then it’s safe to assume that Crocodile is weaker than Luffy. Even if Mihawk is extremely strong, he won’t be able to take on Blackbeard’s entire crew all by himself. Moreover, it has been shown time and again that the Blackbeard Pirates don’t mind playing dirty if the final outcome aligns with their goals. 

So, besides raw strength and power, the absence of any moral conscience makes a fight against the Blackbeard Pirates highly unpredictable. Maybe this entire match-up being a theory is good after all, as the future doesn’t look too favorable for Mihawk if this turns out to be the reality. 

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll. 

Written by Laveena Joshi

Articles Published: 172

Laveena holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism with a keen interest in entertainment journalism. Known to defend Naruto with her life, her love for anime has turned into great appreciation for the Japanese Culture. Besides considering herself a veteran weeb, she's also a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur. Better if the perfect brew is paired with a random video essay from YouTube. Blending her love for anime with the know-hows of content writing, she is now an anime content writer at FandomWire.