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Looking forward to the official release, which is scheduled on June 24, 2023, One Piece chapter 1088's spoiler summary and raw scans are already available, enabling fans to get a sense of what will happen in the latest installment of the manga. As highly anticipated, the issue will feature the conclusion of the battle on Pirate Island.
With a truly heroic effort, Monkey D. Garp single-handedly fended off several major members of the the Blackbeard Pirates, including Kuzan and Shiryu, to allow Koby and the other officers of SWORD to reach safety. Although rather underwhelming up to that point, in the conclusive part of the struggle Koby finally played a pivotal role.
Titled The Last Lesson as a reference to the beautiful mentor-disciple relationship which connects Garp and Koby, One Piece chapter 1088 saw the young Marine showcase the true extent of his might. Follow this thread to find out more.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1088.
Possibly unleashing his Conqueror's Haki, Koby showcased impressive might in One Piece chapter 1088
The new "Hero" showed what he is made of
With the same straightforward approach that is typical of his grandson Luffy, upon arriving on Pirate Island, the legendary "Hero" Garp immediately started wreaking havoc. The aged Marine faced the Blackbeard Pirates, while the SWORD officers and the prisoners they freed boarded his ship, aiming to leave the place.
However, Blackbeard Pirates member Avalo Pizarro, whose Devil Fruit allows him to merge with any island, created a gigantic rock limb to crush the Navy ship. As such, Garp ordered Koby to destroy Pizarro's giant arm.
With an exceptional burst of speed, the old Marine dashed towards Kuzan, punching him so fast that he couldn't even react. Garp then jumped towards the island's enormous skull, which he struck with a ravaging Haki-enhanced punch called "Galaxy Divide", splitting the giant rock in two halves.
Although grievously damaged by the blow, which caused him to scream in pain and bleed from his head, Pizarro managed to keep the two sides together, using one of his huge stone limbs to prevent the left portion from falling.
Remembering the days when he oversaw Koby and Helmeppo's training, Garp smiled. In a brief flashback, he recalled that Koby seemed to improve very fast, but his hands bore an abnormal amount of injuries, as the young boy, knowing that his skills were far below those of the average fighter, trained much harder than anyone else.
Impressively enough, every night Koby used to train in secret by punching the same warships that Garp and Kuzan used as boxing bags. As the narration returned to the present, Koby, with his hand coated in Haki, performed a powerful blow called "Honesty Impact".
The strike completely destroyed Pizarro's huge stone limb, breaking his real arm. With Helmeppo and Prince Grus left in awe, Garp was pleased at the scene, which left him laughing and crying at the same time. With black lightning visibly coming from Koby's punch, it's unclear whether the young Marine used just a particularly strong Armament Haki or the all-powerful Advanced Conqueror's Haki.
Very few One Piece characters worked as hard as Koby
Nowadays, Koby is an exceptionally talented Marine, whom even Garp recognized as the future of the Navy. However, only about three years ago he was a total weakling, with physical prowess and mental fortitude far below even those of the average person.
Inspired by Luffy and Zoro to follow his dreams no matter how hard they seemed, Koby joined the Navy, aiming to become an Admiral. Together with Helmeppo, who initially acted as Ax-Hand Morgan's spoiled son, Koby started training under Garp's supervision.
When they encountered each other again in Water Seven, Luffy and Zoro still beat Koby and Helmeppo almost effortlessly, but not without praising the two young Marines' improvements. Although they were now on opposite sides, as pirates and Navy officers, they still considered each other friends.
Koby challenged Luffy again in the Paramount War, but was quickly beaten. Still, this didn't affect their friendship. Two years later, Koby reappeared as a master of Rokushiki and a fighter with very respectable physical prowess.
He became able to move very fast even underwater, with enough power to block and redirect a torped with his bare hands. Koby also showcased notable skill with Observation Haki, with One Piece author Eiichiro Oda emphasizing his expertise in the field.
Although the full details are still unknown, Koby played a prominent role in the famous Rocky Port Incident. As such, he became worldwide known as "Hero". During the siege of Amazon Lily, Koby showed enough Armament Haki mastery to bare-handedly block a Haki-ehanced arrow from the Kuja Warriors.
He was also able to avoid getting petrified by Boa's Devil Fruit powers, which is a notable feat, given that the same move immediately defeated Vice Admiral Yamakaji as well as Blackbeard Pirates members Catarina Devon and Vasco Shot.
A testament to his talent, Koby rapidly rose through the ranks of the Navy. However, his current formal position is that of a Captain, despite his fighting skills being much superior to the average owner of this standing. Formal ranks don't always reflect the officer's strength, but, usually, higher-ranked Marined are more powerful than lower-ranked ones.
Coby's unsatisfying rank is due to his membership in SWORD, a secret unit composed by Marines who have formally resigned themselves from the actual structure of the Navy but still operate on its behalf. Once he joined SWORD, from a formal point of view Koby ceased being a Marine.
Thus, he only bears the latest ranking that he achieved before becoming a member of the secret unit, having never received the promotions that he would have obtained otherwise. This explains why his rank doesn't measure his capabilities. It remains to be seen whether Koby's formal position will be updated after the events that took place on Pirate Island.
Garp's last lesson to Koby in One Piece chapter 1088
Not to diminish their hardwork, but the pivotal factor for Koby and Helmeppo's immense growth was Garp's tutelage. In the legendary Marine Hero, Koby found a mentor whom he can sincerely admire for both his immense achievements and his good-hearted behavior.
Considering Koby his beloved disciple, Garp, upon hearing that he had been abducted by Marshall D. Teach, immediately headed to Pirate Island to rescue him, without any concern about the immense danger represented by entering the territory of a Yonko.
Despite his old age, which significantly diminished his strength compared to the days when he was powerful enough to fight on par with Gol D. Roger, the King of Pirates, Garp was even having the upper hand against former Marine Admiral Kuzan "Aokiji," now allegedly a member of the Blackbeard Pirates.
However, the tables turned when Shiryu used Koby as a bait to wound Garp, leaving the old Marine with a injury that significantly weakened him. As such, Garp decided to put his own life on the line, giving priority to Koby and the others' safety.
As seen in One Piece chapter 1088, Garp had the quickness to outspeed Kuzan, the physical strength and Haki prowess to destroy Pizarro's giant body and limbs, as well as the Geppo skill to freely move in mid-air. Despite his injury, he could have handled everything, including the ship's rescue, and then save himself.
However, he didn't do that, as he wanted to force Koby to evolve, pulling out his true potential. True to the title of the latest One Piece chapter, this was Garp's "Last Lesson" to his disciple.
