No one could believe it when Oda revealed that Monkey D. Dragon was once a Marine. Fans immediately wanted to see how he started in the Marines and what made him leave. Later, we finally got a flashback showing Dragon wearing his Marine uniform during the God Valley incident. In this flashback, we saw the terrible things the World Government was secretly doing through the Marines, all from Dragon’s perspective. Now, in One Piece chapter 1166, Oda showed the moment Dragon decided to leave the Marines for good.
One Piece: Monkey D. Dragon’s shocking past as a Marine, explained!
Dragon joined the Marines when he was just 17 years old during the God Valley incident. At first, he wanted to do his duty. But very quickly, he realized something was wrong. He couldn’t understand why the Marines were hurting people and ignoring citizens in need. Slowly, Dragon saw the truth. The Marines were hiding the dark deeds of the World Government right in front of everyone.
That was when he decided to change course. He saved Kuma, Ivankov, and Ginny from danger. He even tried to protect the Figarland twins from his father. But when he lost the twins one by one, he finally took a stand. Dragon pointed a gun at his senior officers to let people escape on the Marine ships. Then he threw away his Marine badge and chose to do the right thing.
Dragon’s actions had consequences. He was locked up in the Marine Headquarters’ underground cell. His father, Monkey D. Garp, came to visit him. During that visit, Dragon made his final decision to leave the Marines. He could not be part of an organization that did not value human life. He also admitted he was disappointed in his father for staying in the Marines. Garp explained he stayed to protect young Marines, but Dragon couldn’t see it at the time.
This moment was a turning point for Dragon. He would eventually go on to form the Revolutionary Army and challenge the World Government. But he didn’t start the army immediately. He was only 17 then. Dragon still had to travel, learn the harsh truths of the world, and prepare for the future. This journey would shape him into the revolutionary leader fans know today.
