One Piece is truly a majestic masterpiece filled with mystery and immersive plot twists in a world where no one truly dies. Given Oda, he can quite quickly bring back anyone from the dead. Let’s not give up quite easily on our heroes just yet as we continue to look on the Final Stages of One Piece. Today, let’s focus on characters who have supposedly died in battle. Fans suspect they may still be alive since these characters were never officially killed off on the scene. With One Piece being notorious for never killing off anyone permanently, let’s go over three of them.
Shimotsuki Kuina: A Swordswoman’s Legacy
Fans know Kuina as the childhood friend and rival of the fan-favorite Roronoa Zoro. She is the daughter of a Shimotsuki master swordsman. She is also the granddaughter of the great swordsmith who crafted the great blades Wado Icihimonji and Enma. The esteemed Shimotsuki Family is known for being a powerful family from the Wano Country. Growing up, Kuina has always sought her father’s approval.
Still, the master swordsman, Koushirou, believes that women are no match against men in strength. She eventually comes to resent her small-framed body as an obstacle to becoming the strongest swordswoman and constantly envies Zoro for being a male. Despite her tiny body, Kuina was considered a prodigy at a young age. Although struggling with obvious physical disadvantages, she stands out to become Isshin Dojo’s strongest pupil, defeating even the adult trainees.
In a flashback, Kuina accidentally fell down a staircase and died from a fatal impact at eleven. Her death drove much of Zoro’s ambition to become the world’s strongest swordsman and eventually develop the Three Sword Style. One theory the fans are still debating is that Tashigi is Kuina. Given she is the spitting image of her, although doubtful. Zoro saw her supposed lifeless body. But they covered it with a blanket, which they could easily fake if they put their mind to it. We already know Oda is a master in imperssive plot twists, so something like this is somewhat probable.
Pedro of the Treetops: A Brave Sacrifice for a Bright Future
Pedro was the noble and honorable jaguar mink captain of the Guardians. He was the former captain of the Nox Pirates, an expedition crew of minks from Zou to search for the elusive poneglyphs. He is well-respected within the Mink Tribe, who admire his loyalty and strength. Pedro cared so deeply for his people that he even went as far as to beg the Straw Hat Pirates to save them despite dying. Pedro is very loyal to Nekomamushi. He is often overly eager to use violence to handle a problem and reckless without regard for his safety. As captain of the Guardians, Pedro is a strong warrior skilled in using Electro, allowing him to channel electricity through parts of his body to shock anything he touches. He has also proven to be a skilled swordsman whose swings are powerful enough to break even shields and armor.
After the Straw Hats saved the Minks, Pedro vowed to return the favor by helping them get back Sanji. As the Thousand Sunny makes it to the coast to escape from Whole Cake Island, Perospero shows up and traps Sunny inside candy to stop them. Believing that the Straw Hats would bring about the dawn of a new world, Pedro lays down his life to make the most intense sacrifice. He lights the bomb jacket he has strapped on, causing a massive explosion and freeing Sunny.
Given the enormous blast, Pedro is nowhere to be seen and is assumed dead. It may seem bleak, but fans believe Pedro is still alive, given the missing body. However, it is also plausible that the explosion blew it up to pieces. On that note, if Pell managed to survive a nuke bomb, who’s to say Pedro can’t survive a dynamite explosion?
Monkey D. Garp: The Beloved Admiral
Garp is a famous and influential Marine vice admiral who earned the nickname “Garp the Fist.” Oda quickly reveals early on that he is the father of Monkey D. Dragon of the Revolutionary Army and the grandfather of the Super Rookie Monkey D. Luffy. It came as a shock when they also revealed him to be the adoptive father of the Whitebeard Pirates Portgas D. Ace. He is a distinctively important figurehead of the Marines, having gone toe-to-toe when the former Pirate King Gol D. Roger was still alive.
Garp’s feats and achievements at the God Valley Incident gave him the title of “Hero of the Marines,” gaining immense notoriety and universal acclaim. He is a living legend as one of the strongest marines of all time, more-than-capable of fighting the former Pirate King on equal footing. Even without Devil Fruit’s powers, he can handle himself against an entire army.
In Chapters 1087 and 1088, Garp confronts the Blackbeard Pirates on Hachinosu Island. He sought to rescue his protégé Koby after he offered himself to the Blackbeard Pirates in exchange for the 800 marines. As they escape, Koby gets tricked by Shiryu of the Rain and stabs Garp in the gut. Garp knocks down Shiryu, but Kuzan shows up to stop him. Garp sacrifices himself for Koby and the others to escape, while Kuzan uses his powers to freeze him. While it may look like Garp is dead, fans speculate that Kuzan only made it look like he died, given the hopeless situation. Yes, death at the hands of a student may sound poetic, but fans believe this is not yet the end for one of the most beloved characters in One Piece. Let’s just hope Oda thinks the way we do.