One Piece theory: Monkey D. Dragon is the “Man Marked by Flames”

paraphrase:”Details from chapter 1081 of One Piece point to the increasing likelihood that the Man Marked by Flames is Luffy’s father, Monkey D. Dragon. Believe it or not, after more than 20 years One Piece is finally gearing up for its big finale. While it is still at least a few years away, according to the creator as well as the story itself, the ending is definitely in sight. Curiously, a relatively new character seems to be at the heart of this upcoming final saga, someone known mysteriously as the “Man Marked by Flames.” First mentioned by Eustass Kid and Killer at the end of Wano, they and the Blackbeard Pirates claim this figure holds the final key to reaching Laugh Tale. Though their identity has been kept secret from readers, based off the latest chapter as well as other moments in the story, it is starting to look like the Man Marked by Flames is none other than Luffy’s father, Monkey D. Dragon. Who is the Man Marked by Flames? When first introduced, the Man Marked by Flames was made out to be the final piece required in reaching Laugh Tale, though the reason behind this wasn’t made clear. However, in chapter 1081, the Blackbeard Pirates explain to Kuzan in a flashback of his recruitment that the Man Marked by Flames is said to be the holder of the final Road Poneglyph, which is why they are so important. Though Kuzan first thought they might have been referring to himself, they later explain that it couldn’t be him for multiple reasons. Firstly, based off of Vasco Shot’s reaction to Kuzan’s question, it seems as though the man they are looking for has been a legendary figure for some time, or at least was someone who received his burn scars far earlier than Kuzan did during his fight for the Fleet Admiral position with Akainu. Next, according to rumors, the Man Marked by Flames travels in an all-black ship and is somehow able to summon vortexes to swallow up his enemies. While Shiryu assumes this man works for the Navy or World Government, based off the other information, it is impossible for Kuzan to be this person. That being said, it does point in the direction of a different character with ties to Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, the revolutionary Dragon. Why Would Dragon Be the Man Marked by Flames? The Man Marked by Flames may be One Piece’s newest mystery, but it’s safe to say that Monkey D. Dragon might be the series’ oldest one. Though not name-dropped at the time, Dragon first appears all the way back in the Loguetown arc during the East Blue Saga, before the Straw Hats even made it to the Grand Line. Interestingly, a squall attacked the Navy shortly after Dragon showed up, which seemed like way more than a simple coincidence. This wouldn’t even be the only time Dragon’s appearance coincided with an intense bout of weather, as something similar happened years earlier when the nobles of Goa Kingdom attempted to kill the inhabitants of Gray Terminal — a gust of wind helped direct the endangered residents to him and the other revolutionaries there to save them. For some unspecified reason, Dragon seems to have a supernatural connection to the wind and weather, making it quite possible for him to summon vortexes if he should ever need to. The next example of a possible connection comes from the ship he uses. While the anime has shown it to have more than one color, appearing closer to brown than black, the manga by comparison has always depicted the ship as only the latter. This could just be due to the manga being in only black-and-white, but the anime has gotten colors wrong before, most notably when it came to the first appearance of Marco the Phoenix of the Whitebeard Pirates. With that in mind, it is entirely possible that Dragon’s ship is actually all-black, with the anime accidentally creating a continuity error. The most glaring issue in this theory is that Dragon hasn’t been shown to have any burn scars. However, there hasn’t been a single moment in the story where Dragon wasn’t fully dressed in clothes and/or cloaks that cover most of his body, meaning they could be concealed. It’s even possible that his face tattoo is meant to cover up the scar, like how the Sun Pirates covered up their Celestial Dragon branding. The final piece of concrete evidence towards Dragon being the Man Marked by Flames actually has nothing to do with Dragon himself, but rather the Blackbeard Pirates. At the end of the Dressrosa arc, Jesus Burgess stows away on the Revolutionary Army’s ship, tailing them in order to send the location of their base to Blackbeard himself. While it could be that Blackbeard was interested in the Devil Fruits possessed by many, if not all, of the high-ranking members, it’s now entirely possible that he was after Dragon himself for a Road Poneglyph. Why Would Dragon Have the Final Road Poneglyph? Though it seems ever more likely that Dragon is the Man Marked by Flames, it begs the question as to why he would even have it. As the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon’s entire mission revolves around bringing down the World Government. Supposedly, based off of statements made by multiple characters who know the truth about the Void Century, the One Piece will do just that, potentially making it vital to Dragon’s plan. Furthermore, it was confirmed that Dragon had been searching for Nico Robin for years before she met the Revolutionary Army. While it was assumed that this was because he thought she would make a valuable addition to their ranks and support their cause, he might have specifically wanted her to read the Road Poneglyph. Why she wouldn’t have done so when she was with them is unknown, but it could mean that Dragon’s plan required more elements, such as potentially his son, Luffy. As of now, there is no telling who this mysterious Man Marked by Flames is. Many fans believed this character to actually be Jaguar D. Saul, who was recently revealed to still be alive, though covered in freezer-burn scars caused by Aokiji’s ice. Admittedly, he is still a likely contender, and would even fit Shiryu’s own theory about the person having an affiliation with the Navy; however, given the recent description, it seems more and more likely that it is actually Dragon. With One Piece on the road to ending, the answer will be revealed soon enough.

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