Forever a mystery to the story of One Piece, Monkey D Dragon has been pulling strings behind the scenes for years. Even after seeing him during the Loguetown arc in the East Blue Saga, we still have no clue about how strong he is. Everyone knows that the commander of the Revolutionary Army is a force to be reckoned with, but does Dragon have a Devil Fruit backing him up?
Beware of spoilers for One Piece through chapter 1101. Catch up on Viz or MangaPlus before reading further to make sure you’re clear!
Does Dragon Have a Devil Fruit?
As far as things go, we have no clue. There’s a very high likelihood though, as most of the higher-ranking Revolutionaries have a major Devil Fruit power backing them. Dragon’s would have to be an incredibly strong one to make him a commander, and Smoker comments in Loguetown that he doesn’t want to mess with Dragon’s power.
The primary clue for Dragon having a Devil Fruit is the massive storm that suddenly sweeps in on Loguetown. Everyone notes how strange it is, and in the East Blue, it’s not like storms to appear out of nowhere like the Grand Line. Seeing Dragon there, with recent revelations that he’s been keeping an eye on Luffy throughout his life in the Goa Kingdom, makes it all the more likely. The weather when he rescues Sabo is also notably stormy, which gives the idea more credence.
Dragon’s Inspiration
Dragon has two main inspirations behind his character. The first is in his personality and role, inspired by Cuban Revolutionary Che Guevarra. That revolutionary spirit carries on in Dragon as well, lining up with his founding of the Revolutionary Army before the beginning of One Piece. That’s only the inspiration behind his character though, as his look is a totally different category that lends itself more to a certain Mythical Zoan Type.
Much of Dragon’s look is inspired by Native American culture, including the tribal tattoo covering part of his face. Native American folklore has a lot of superstitions and beliefs surrounding rain and storms. With Dragon’s look combined with a free will to see everyone find freedom in their lifetime, Dragon is a perfect analogy for the Indigenous spirit of the North American people.
Mythical Zoan Type
The widely believed theory that Dragon has a Devil Fruit revolves around Native North American inspiration. Specifically with the Thunderbird, a behemoth flying creature who flaps its wings to cause storms. According to legend, this bird would fly across the plains of America, with every flap causing booming thunder and blinks creating lightning while a trail of raging storms surrounded the land. Multiple legends tell of the fierce might behind the thunderbird, but note that it’s a considerably gentle soul at heart, bringing rain as a blessing.
Even more, in Menominee Indian culture, Thunderbirds are regarded as messengers of the Sun. Sounds a lot like Dragon, being the precursor to Luffy’s arrival.
With his look and the motif of storms when Dragon shows up, this is a very, very likely belief. Eiichiro Oda likes to pull his Mythical Zoans from all different cultures too, so it’s quite likely he would pull more toward the motif of Native American folklore.
Storm-Storm Fruit
This is the other likelihood if Dragon isn’t going to have some sort of Mythical Zoan. The typical lightning Logia has already been taken by Enel with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, so that’s out of the picture. What about the natural element of a storm though? Bringing wind, rain, thunder, and lightning along with him wherever he goes would be oddly poetic as the storm of revolution spreading over the world. Then it would be extra poetic that the storms of Dragon give way to the sun of Luffy as the true liberator.
Whether the Storm-Storm Fruit is a Paramecia or Logia is up for an argument, with either being plausible. Dragon being able to turn himself into a living storm would certainly be cool as hell, with the possibility of being totally overpowered. Then again, it seems like a Fruit this basic would be kind of a letdown when it comes to the overall intricate symbolism behind One Piece’s characters.
Revolutionary Themes
Of course, Dragon is a Revolutionary, but the themes behind his character show the real-life inspiration. Che Guevara was a revolutionary from his early life, taking part in various political movements for repressed groups. He was initially radicalized by his time crossing Latin America, seeing the state of poverty in nations like Guatemala. From there he began to hone his political views and help train guerrilla fighters. This is the inspiration for the initial iteration of the Revolutionary Army in One Piece, the Freedom Fighters.
Guevara most famously moved on to assist in the guerrilla warfare that won the Cuban Revolution, invoking more left-leaning policies. A central belief that those in poverty have the same right to life and happiness as the rich do. That everyone deserves to have basic needs met to contribute to the community, is one of the central inspirations. That’s the foundation of the Revolutionary Army, taking aim at the powerful, wealthy oppressors behind the scenes. Dragon targets the root, much like Guevara lived and died to do.
Dragon’s Other Powers
There’s not even any confirmation that Monkey D Dragon has a Devil Fruit of any kind. He’s definitely strong as hell though, considering he has people as strong as Kuma, Ivankov, and Sabo serving under him. If he’s anything like his son and father, there’s a decent amount of Conqueror Haki lurking under the surface. He’s just so calm and cool it barely ever bubbles out, much like it does for Shanks. Otherwise, it’s likely he has Observation and Armament Haki to go with them, among other things.
Whatever Monkey D Dragon ends up having for a power, it’s got to be incredibly strong. Whether a Devil Fruit of the Mythical Zoan type or just a simple, regular animal, Dragon is going to crush the World Government alongside his army and family. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, will free the entire world from Imu and the Gorosei’s oppression.
