I had a really dumb joke about absentee fathers in Shonen anime and their kids forever on the lookout for them but, listen. I’m not going to go there because it’s essentially a trope of the genre at this point. What is a Shonen protagonist that doesn’t have a father that’s essentially M.I.A. from the story? (Ichigo Kurosaki, apparently. Shoutout to Bleach!) But I digress. Even if the father figure isn’t outright dead, they are still not present. I mean, just look at One Piece.

When I tell you I was shook when I realized Monkey D. Luffy had a dad out there, I do not exaggerate. And apparently, so was Luffy, because the kid did not even know he had a dad until Garp revealed his identity, two years ago during Water 7. Monkey D. Dragon had given up his son, Luffy, to his grandad, Monkey D. Garp prior to the series starting so it makes sense. But can we expect the estranged son and dad to ever meet? Honestly, yes. Though it might not be until we reach the climax of the series!

I mean, at this point, One Piece has been going on for so long, and it still has a lot more story to tell. We have met countless individuals, and yet we still have a number of new characters coming our way, guaranteed. That’s simply the nature of the show. And with how Luffy is characterized, I wouldn’t be surprised if his fated meeting with his long-lost dad would be something that goes completely unnoticed by him until someone reveals it explicitly. Like, you can imagine him in some final war situation being saved by Dragon, right?

But that’s just one scenario. There are so many different ways this amazing moment can go down. From a completely understated meeting hidden in the shadows, to a bombastic reunion because of a common enemy, the possibilities are endless. And those possibilities are exactly what we’ll be discussing in today’s segment of Lore Analysis. Let’s get into it!

A Quiet Moment That Luffy Won’t Realize Until Much Later:

This is actually my personal favorite because of how on-brand it would be for Luffy. I mean, him not noticing something that was right under his nose, until much, much later? Something that is so intrinsically tied to his history. Come on, that is peak Luffy behavior!

Like, picture this. Luffy is just on his way, doing his own thing. Maybe he got into a fight or something and is injured and alone. And he’s trying to find some help in this abandoned space but getting none.

Except when he comes across this old Ossan, looking mean with his imposing stature and scarred face. But instead of another battle, this man helps him out. Maybe provides some healing aid, and the two end up exchanging stories. He tells Luffy about his efforts against the World Government and Luffy describes his dreams to become the Pirate King someday.

Afterwards, his people manage to find him, and someone recognizes Dragon just as he turns to leave. Luffy later remarks about how him and the man connected and how cool he was, until everyone turns to him and shouts about how that was his dad, of all people. Cue chaos!

Like, tell me you can’t imagine this happening!

A Huge Reveal Of Dragon Saving Luffy, With Backstory And All!

The second way this reunion can happen is, I reckon, much more emotional and meaningful than the one I mentioned above. This would work in tandem with how extreme One Piece is getting as it reaches its finale.

Like, maybe the final battle against the World Government and its Fleet Admirals happen. It’s the Marineford arc, but so much more is at stake. Luffy is on his last vestiges of power. He is exhausted, tired, seen his friend sacrifice themselves for him. And when it feels like Luffy doesn’t have things in control, all of his allies start coming down to help him. And one of them just happens to be Dragon, both reuniting with his son and taking down the World Government by his side. All the lore will be revealed, and it’ll be a fight to remember.

That would be so epic and perfect as an ending. But we can only assume!