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

Monkey D. Garp is the Scottish-accented Marine Vice Admiral who announced and ordered Captain Roger's execution in One Piece. He would be properly introduced in later episodes, but the first episode hinted at Garp and Roger getting to know each other, which is true. The two were the show's most bitter rivals, but they shared a strong mutual respect, as they valued each other's authenticity. Therefore, Garp overseeing Roger's execution made perfect sense, despite some criticism of Garp's inclusion in the first season of the live-action series.

The remainder of this article will focus on three main points: Garp's role and inclusion in the live-action series, Roger's performance, and Garp's relationship with Roger. Regardless of how the live-action series ends, Roger's relationship with Garp is an extremely important aspect, and we feel it's necessary to properly explain Garp's role and why we believe that, despite the criticism, his inclusion in the first season of the live-action adaptation made perfect sense in more ways than one. For those who haven't seen the anime or read the manga, we must warn you that the article will contain many spoilers.

Garp and Roger were rivals, but they respected each other, so Garp's inclusion makes perfect sense.

Before the series premiered, the character of Monkey D. Garp became a (somewhat) controversial topic, as one of the show's creators, Arthur (known on Twitter as @newworldartur), shared his thoughts on the show on Twitter, and here's what he had to say:

I just watched the One Piece Live Action premiere! Does it live up to the hype? The answer… YES! Here's why in my review!! It becomes clear upon watching that the Live Action is not the manga. They didn't try to simply copy and paste the original story, they strived to accurately translate it in a way that would work for the live action audience while still keeping the heart of the series.

It really feels like they've found a near-perfect balance between the craziness and uniqueness of the manga and a Western film style that I think will allow many new audiences to be able to get into OP while also remaining faithful and respectful to Oda's work. The vibe and feel is completely different from the manga, it's cinematic, like an epic adventure movie, something that may even take some people a little while to adjust to. But despite the different vibes, its spirit is so clearly OP through and through.

In addition to its different atmosphere, the live-action version is also structured very differently from the manga. The structure of each arc feels like it's been significantly altered, with many scenes being rearranged, changed, or cut, and most of the dialogue being completely new. Some scene changes and cuts made sense and were integrated fantastically, but others felt a bit jarring and unpleasant. Some scenes flow awkwardly into each other without much rhyme, and while most of the changes were for the better, I didn't entirely agree with some.

Some storylines had to be cut or condensed for better pacing, and while I'm glad some were skipped, others felt sorely lacking. Instead, other storylines that felt very redundant were given too much screen time, like Garp's forced inclusion in the story. But these are easy to overlook thanks to the incredible script. The dialogue is fantastic, unlike any non-canon or filler material we've gotten; every line feels like Oda wrote it. Even though the Straw Hats have different personalities, they all feel true to Oda's vision.

The humor in particular is so on-trend for OP that it constantly had the entire theater laughing. They really cherry-picked the worst jokes and one-liners for the trailers, everything in the show itself is of a much higher standard and much more in line with the show's humor. The storyline gave a lot more depth to many characters like Koby and Buggy, and all of this is only enhanced thanks to the absolutely stellar cast of actors. Everyone from Helmep to Morgan, Lucky Roux, Cabaji, Boodle and so on give absolutely unreal performances.

But the real stars of the show are the main characters. Each of the main Straw Hats has such natural acting and chemistry on screen. Iñaki is Luffy personified. Mackenyu is effortlessly cool. Emily is so witty and likeable. Watching them act together is a real treat. The set and costume designs are fantastic, and the CGI, especially in Luffy and Buggy's fruit, was honestly really superb, much better than what the trailers initially showed. The amazing soundtrack by @SonyaBelousova was also a highlight, it adds such a joyful vibe!!

@marcjobst1's direction was fantastic, which adds to the wonderful cinematography of the show. The action scenes in particular are so much fun, with great choreography and camerawork so good it evokes the best action scenes in anime! Just a treat to watch! Overall, the One Piece Live Action seems to be a resounding success, as all the fans at the premiere were thrilled. It's not perfect and there is room for improvement, and it might take a little while for fans to adjust to some of the changes, but it's so easy to forget how much fun it is to watch!

All the issues aside, the heart of the story is definitely there. The scenes that should hit you end up hitting you like a truck, to the point where many people ended up crying. They managed to capture OP's signature emotional moments and I'm so glad they did. All the flaws are easy to overlook when you notice the heart and passion behind this live action. All the Easter eggs, amazing dialogue, fun camerawork, and over-the-top acting come together to deliver absolute joy, passion, and emotion! It's a true success!!

- Source: Twitter

As you can see, Artur caused a bit of controversy when he commented on Garp's "forced" inclusion in the series, and Garp's role in the early stages of the manga was indeed quite small; even the live-action series, at one point, mentioned that Luffy doesn't have a family—which is obviously untrue—but it shows that Garp's inclusion in the series, and he appeared several times, wasn't necessarily handled in the best possible way. But it was necessary nonetheless, especially for the first scene.

Of course, the live-action series didn't have the space to fully explore all the intricacies of Garp and Roger's relationship, but manga readers will know that the two share a 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 greatest rival. He pursued him and wanted to apprehend him, but he also had a great deal of respect for him, and Roger had a great deal of respect for Garp as well.

This was best demonstrated when Roger asked Garp to take care of his son, Ace, telling him that Ace should not be blamed for his crimes; he not only confided in Garp the information that Ace was his son, but also asked him to take care of him, which Garp eventually did.

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

Regarding his narrative role, the most important moment is his direction of Roger's public execution. He announced it, explained it, gave Roger the opportunity to say his last words, and finally ordered his execution. But how was Roger killed in the first place? There is much disagreement on this aspect as well.

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

So, what is it? Canon-wise, Roger was beheaded; the manga translation obviously made a change to that, as did the live-action series, but it makes sense since the live-action series is a self-contained alternate universe, so such interventions are acceptable.