One Piece Chapter 1054 (Theory): Monkey D. Dragon's new epithet seemingly suggests validity to a certain theory

Monkey D. Dragon as seen in the series' anime (Image Credits: Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Viz Media, One Piece)
Monkey D. Dragon as seen in the series' anime (Image Credits: Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Viz Media, One Piece)

The highly-anticipated One Piece Chapter 1054 is set to be officially released this coming Sunday, marking the series’ official return to serialization after a one-month hiatus. The break was meant to allow series author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda to prepare for the upcoming final saga, which seems to be kicking off with a bang based on available Chapter 1054 spoilers.

The spoilers detail many significant things, including the arrival of Shanks to the seas around Wano, confirmation of Sabo’s fate, and a fight between the Scabbards and Ryokugyu. However, the One Piece Chapter 1054 spoiler information, which has fans talking and theorizing, is focused on none other than Monkey D. Dragon himself.

Follow along as this article breaks down the latest tease surrounding the infamous revolutionary in One Piece Chapter 1054.


One Piece Chapter 1054’s calling the Revolutionary Army leader “Rebellious” Dragon sparks theories about former status as Admiral

The tease and the theory

As previously stated, One Piece Chapter 1054 began releasing spoiler information earlier this week, with seemingly more information appearing on a daily basis. The issue is incredibly exciting, with fans eagerly discussing its purported events on various social media sites.

One of the more dominant conversations, however, is centered around none other than Monkey D. Dragon himself. He’s called “Rebellious” Dragon by the newest Marine character Kurouma, who is a detective within the Marines’ investigative group. While the title, on the surface, seems to refer to his status as the Revolutionary Army’s Supreme Commander, fans suspect a double meaning.

One of the most popular theories surrounding the enigmatically influential character has been his former status as a Marine Admiral or other high-ranking position. For starters, the fact that his father was one of the most powerful, respected, and influential Marines of all time would imply that Dragon had been involved with the group at some point.

While Garp was unsuccessful in getting his grandchildren to join the Marines, it’s possible he was able to have more influence over his own son. Dragon’s departure could also be one reason why Garp never took a promotion to Admiral, since doing so would make him a direct subordinate of the Celestial Dragons.

Being their direct subordinate, he would likely have to end up fighting his own son one day whenever Dragon finally chose to make his move. Fans saw how emotional Garp became during the Marineford arc upon having to assist in Ace’s execution and fight Luffy off to prevent him from rescuing his brother. It’s entirely possible he’d have a similar reaction to fighting his own son as well.

Dragon's former status as Admiral would also explain why he has such a strong dislike for the World Government and wishes to demolish it. Given how tightly information appears to be guarded within the World Government, there must be some specific explanation or answer to how he discovered whatever it was that prompted him to form the Revolutionary Army.

Even if his motivations aren’t as grand as a shocking discovery, giving him a more mundane reason to dislike the World Government and Celestial Dragons would also be acceptable. Perhaps his time affiliated with the two showed him the true cruelty of those who claim to run and rule the world, initially souring his taste for the current world order.

While all of this is speculative, One Piece Chapter 1054’s deliberately introducing his epithet as the series’ final saga begins is undoubtedly more than a coincidence. With a month of prep time, there’s little doubt that every panel, word, and clue in One Piece Chapter 1054 was meticulously planned with a grand purpose in mind.


Be sure to keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as the year of the series’ 25th anniversary progresses.

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