One Piece: Who Executed Roger & How Was He Killed? Garp’s Role Explained!

The live-action adaptation of Oda’s One Piece is a hit on Netflix and we are continuing our series of articles covering the story of the live-action adaptation and some of its aspects. One character has made an early appearance in the series without being properly introduced (although he will be introduced properly later), and that is Monkey D. Garp, Luffy’s grandfather. In this article, we are going to connect Garp with Roger and the story of his execution, explaining why Garp’s role in this segment was so important.

Monkey D. Garp is the Marine vice admiral with the Scottish accent who announced and ordered the execution of Captain Roger in One Piece. He will be properly introduced in later episodes, but the first episode hinted at Garp and Roger being acquainted, which is true. The two of them were the most bitter rivals in the series, but they shared a strong mutual respect, as they valued each other’s authenticity. This is why Garp overseeing Roger’s execution made complete sense, despite some criticism surrounding Garp’s inclusion in the first season of the live-action series.

The rest of this article will focus on three main points: Garp’s role and inclusion in the live-action series, Roger’s execution, and the relationship between Garp and Roger. Regardless of how the live-action series ends up, the relationship between Roger and Garp is an extremely important aspect, and we think that it is necessary for us to properly explain Garp’s role and why we think that, despite the criticism, his inclusion in the first season of the live-action adaptation, made complete sense in more ways than one. For those who have not seen the anime or read the manga, we have to warn you that the article will contain many spoilers.

Garp and Roger were rivals, but they respected each other, which is why Garp’s inclusion makes complete sense

Before the series actually began, the character of Monkey D. Garp has become a topic of controversy (somewhat), as one of the series’ creators, Arthur (known on Twitter as @newworldartur), shared his thoughts on the series on Twitter, and this is what he had to say:

I just watched the premiere for the One Piece Live Action! Does it live to the hype? The answer… YES! Here is why in my review!! It becomes clear when watching that the Live Action is not the manga. They didn’t try to just copy paste the original story, they put in the effort to accurately translate it in a way that it works for live action audiences while still keeping the heart of the series.

It really feels like they struck an almost perfect balance between the wackiness and uniqueness of the manga and a Western film style that I feel will result in a lot of new audiences being able to get into OP while still being so faithful and respectful to Oda’s work. The vibe and feel of it are completely different from the manga, it’s cinematic, like an epic adventure film, something that may even take a little for some folks to get adjusted to. But despite different vibes, at its core its spirit is so clearly OP’s through and through.

Alongside its different vibe though, the Live Action is also very differently structured form the manga. Every arc’s structure feels like it has been switched around a lot, with many scenes being rearranged, changed, or cut, and most of the dialogue being completely new. Some of the scene changes and cuts made sense and were weaved in fantastically, but others felt a bit jarring and disagreeable. Some scenes cut awkwardly from one to another without much rhyme, and while most changes were for the best, some I didn’t fully agree with.

Certain storylines had to be cut or condensed for better pacing, and while some I’m glad were skipped, some others felt sorely missing. Whereas instead other storylines that felt very redundant were given too much screentime, such as Garp’s forced inclusion into the story. But these are easy to forget thanks to the incredible script. Dialogue is fantastic, it’s unlike any non-canon or filler material we’ve gotten, every line feels as if Oda wrote it. Even with the Straw Hats having different personalities, they all feel true to Oda’s vision.

The humor in particular is so on brand for OP, it constantly had the entire theater laughing. They really picked the worst jokes and one-liners for the trailers, everything in the show itself is on a much higher level and much more in tune with the humor of the series. The script gave so much more depth to many characters like Koby and Buggy, and all of this is only elevated thanks to the absolutely stellar cast of actors. Every actor, from Helmeppo, to Morgan, Lucky Roux, Cabaji, Boodle and so on have absolutely unreal performances.

But the real stars of the show are the main characters. Every one of the core Straw Hats have such natural acting and chemistry on screen. Iñaki is Luffy incarnate. Mackenyu is effortlessly cool. Emily is so witty and likeable. Seeing them acting together is such a treat. The set/costume designs are fantastic, and the CGI, especially in Luffy’s and Buggy’s fruits, honestly looked really great, way better than what the trailers first showed. The amazing soundtrack by @SonyaBelousova
was also such a highlight, it adds such a jolly vibe!!

The direction by @marcjobst1 was fantastic, which added to the wonderful cinematography of the show. Action scenes in particular are so much fun, with great choreography and camera work so good that it evokes the anime’s best action scenes! Just a treat to watch! Overall, the One Piece Live Action seems to be a smash hit, as all the fans at the premiere were ecstatic. It’s not perfect and has room to improve, and it may take a little for fans to adjust to some changes, but it’s all so easy to forget with how fun it is to watch!

Taking all issues aside, the heart of the story is very much there. The scenes that need to hit end up hitting you like a truck, to the point many people ended up crying. They managed to capture OP’s trademark emotional moments and I’m so so happy they managed to do so. All the flaws are easy to forget when you notice the heart and passion there was behind this live action. All the easter eggs, amazing dialogue, fun camerawork, and out of this world acting come together to deliver absolute joy, passion, and emotion! It’s a real success!!

– Source: Twitter

As you can see, Artur raised a bit of controversy when he commented on Garp’s “forced” inclusion in the series, and Garp’s role in the initial stages of the manga was indeed quite small; even the live-action series, at some point, mentioned that Luffy doesn’t have a family – which is obviously wrong – but it shows that Garp’s inclusion in the series, and he has appeared on more than one occasion, wasn’t necessarily handled in the best way possible. But it was, nevertheless, necessary, especially for the first scene.

Sure, the live-action series did not have the space to fully explore all the intricacies of the relationship between Garp and Roger, but manga readers will know that the two of them have a very strong bond and a shared history. Despite being a Vice Admiral, Garp is an exceptionally important and powerful figure within the Marines, and he was, at the time, Roger’s biggest rival. He chased him and wanted to apprehend him, but he also had a lot of respect for him, and Roger also held a lot of Respect for Garp as well.

This was best evidenced when Roger asked Garp to take care of his son, Ace, telling him that Ace shouldn’t be blamed for his crimes; he not only entrusted Garp with the information that Ace was his son, but he also asked him to take care of him, which Garp ultimately did.

This was how much they really respected each other and how deep the bond between them was, despite them being bitter rivals. And from that perspective, Garp’s inclusion, we think, wasn’t really that forced, as his role in Roger’s life was truly big and it was important. He was elegantly included in the series as a whole, and although he might have been handled a bit better, we’re all for his inclusion, and we’d love to see more of him later if the series gets a second season.

Regarding his narrative role, the most important moment is his spearheading Roger’s public execution. He announced it, explained it, gave Roger the chance to say his last words, and ultimately ordered his execution. But how was Roger killed in the first place? There is a lot of discrepancy in this aspect as well.

Namely, the original manga and anime never showed his execution, but based on the panels and the context, it has been assumed that he has been beheaded. But, the original manga translation suggested that he was hanged, like real-life pirates of the time, while the live-action series showed that he was stabbed in the back with blades.

So, which is it? As far as the canon is concerned, Roger was beheaded; the manga translation obviously made a change there, as did the live-action series, but that makes sense since the live-action series is a standalone alternative universe, so such interventions are fine.