The Members of the D. Clan in One Piece: Legacy, Secrets and Destinies
Warning: this article contains major One Piece spoilers, including details about the Void Century, the Nefertari family and recent events in the final saga.
In One Piece, the initial “D.” appears in the names of characters from radically different backgrounds: pirates, Marines, revolutionaries, rulers and survivors of historical tragedies. This letter does not identify a crew or a single family in the strict sense. However, it connects individuals whose choices have repeatedly shaken the order established by the World Government.
The revelations surrounding Nefertari Lily, the Ancient Kingdom and the Poneglyphs now place the Will of D. at the heart of the final conflict. Here are the main known bearers and what their stories bring to the mystery.
Monkey D. Luffy: the bearer of D. who seeks freedom
Monkey D. Luffy is the character who most visibly embodies this will. His dream is to become the Pirate King because he associates that title with being the freest man in the world. An unpredictable, gluttonous and spontaneous pirate, he acts first according to his own desires, but he never backs down when a friend or a people are under threat.
His opposition to the World Government takes shape throughout his adventures, while his ties to the Revolutionary Army and the Kozuki clan emphasize his place in the world’s great upheavals. His Devil Fruit, long believed to be the Gum-Gum Fruit, is ultimately identified as the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. This Mythical Zoan makes him the embodiment of Nika, the Warrior of Liberation.
Luffy is also Garp’s grandson and Dragon’s son. His family therefore brings together three opposing paths: the Marines, the Revolution and piracy.
Gol D. Roger: the Pirate King and the truth of Laugh Tale
Gol D. Roger conquered the Grand Line with his crew and reached Laugh Tale. There, Roger and his companions discovered the One Piece, the history of the Void Century, the truth about the D. clan and the existence of the Ancient Weapons. However, he understood that his era had come too soon: certain conditions necessary to fulfill this legacy had not yet been met.
Stricken with an incurable illness, Roger disbanded his crew and then surrendered to the authorities. His execution in Loguetown began the Great Age of Piracy when he invited the world to seek his treasure. He had no Devil Fruit, but possessed exceptional strength, all three forms of Haki and the ability to hear the Voice of All Things.
His journey is also inseparable from Garp, his Marine rival, and the God Valley Incident, where the two men joined forces against Rocks D. Xebec. For more on this central figure, see this overview of the members of the D. clan in One Piece.
Monkey D. Garp and Monkey D. Dragon: two rebellions against the system
Monkey D. Garp is the hero of the Marines. Yet he refuses to submit completely to the authority of the Celestial Dragons, whom he despises. He notably turned down promotion to admiral several times to avoid having to obey them directly. His physical power is such that he trains by throwing cannonballs without relying on a Devil Fruit.
Garp masters all three forms of Haki and remains formidable despite his age. During his mission to Hachinosu to save Koby, he fights the Blackbeard Pirates, protects his students and stays behind so they can escape. He is subsequently captured, becoming a potential bargaining chip for Blackbeard against the World Government.
His son, Monkey D. Dragon, chose an even more direct path. As leader of the Revolutionary Army, he seeks to dismantle a system he considers oppressive. A former Marine, he turned away from it after witnessing the cruelty of the Celestial Dragons and slavery. Dragon remains the world’s most wanted man and leads a force that has moved from secrecy to open war against global power.
Portgas D. Ace and Portgas D. Rouge: the weight of Roger’s name
Portgas D. Ace, born Gol D. Ace, is the son of Roger and Portgas D. Rouge. After the Pirate King’s execution, Rouge concealed her pregnancy from the Marines for twenty months to save her child. She died after giving birth to Ace, who was taken in by Garp and then entrusted to Curly Dadan.
Alongside Luffy and Sabo, Ace grew up like a brother before setting out to sea. He became Whitebeard’s second division commander thanks to the power of the Mera Mera no Mi, which allows him to create, control and become fire. His defeat at the hands of Marshall D. Teach led to the Marineford War, where he died protecting Luffy.
After his death, the Mera Mera no Mi was obtained by Sabo, who thus carries on part of his legacy. Ace remains one of the most tragic examples of the burden carried by the initial D. and Roger’s name.
Trafalgar D. Water Law: a survivor searching for the truth
Trafalgar D. Water Law is the captain of the Heart Pirates and the wielder of the Ope Ope no Mi. His fruit allows him to create a “Room” in which he can alter the position, orientation or composition of objects and bodies. This surgical mastery explains his nickname, the Surgeon of Death.
Law comes from Flevance, the White City, whose population fell victim to amber lead toxicity. The World Government concealed this reality, while neighboring countries massacred the survivors, wrongly believing the disease was contagious. Law lost his parents and his sister, Lami, in this tragedy.
His rescue by Corazon, who enabled him to obtain the Ope Ope no Mi at the cost of his own life, profoundly shaped his existence. Law later allied himself with Luffy to overthrow Doflamingo, then took part in the downfall of Kaido and Big Mom. His quest is not solely about revenge: he also seeks to understand the meaning of D. and the secret of the world.
Marshall D. Teach and Rocks D. Xebec: the ambition to conquer the world
Marshall D. Teach, known as Blackbeard, is one of Luffy’s major opponents. He is the only known individual to possess two Devil Fruit powers: the Yami Yami no Mi, obtained after killing Thatch, and then the Gura Gura no Mi, acquired after Whitebeard’s death. His rise led him to become an Emperor and the leader of a fleet made up of ten Titanic Captains.
Teach pursues copies of the Road Poneglyphs and attacks Law on Winner Island. He also captured Koby, then Garp after the events on Hachinosu. The revelation of his lineage from Rocks D. Xebec sheds light on his ambition: his father wanted to become king of the world.
Rocks was the captain of the Rocks Pirates, a crew that notably included Whitebeard, Big Mom and Kaido. He was defeated at God Valley by the alliance of Roger and Garp, after which his existence was erased from the World Government’s records. Yet his legacy continues to weigh on the current era through Teach.
The Nefertaris: a royal branch connected to D.
The Nefertari family adds an essential dimension to the clan’s mystery. Nefertari Lily, queen of Alabasta eight hundred years ago, was one of the twenty royal families that founded the World Government. However, she refused to settle in Mary Geoise and become a World Noble. She chose to return to her kingdom, but never made it back.
Her full name, Nefertari D. Lily, reveals that Alabasta’s royal family also bears the D. Lily is believed to have scattered the Poneglyphs to preserve the truth of the Void Century, an act Imu considers a betrayal. Her letter, passed down from ruler to ruler, eventually reaches Vivi.
Nefertari D. Cobra discovers this secret during the Reverie. After questioning the Five Elders about Lily and the Poneglyphs, he is attacked by Imu. Before dying, he asks Sabo to tell Vivi and Luffy that the Nefertaris also carry the D.
Vivi consequently becomes a direct target of Imu. After Cobra’s death, she manages to escape with Wapol’s help and remains separated from her kingdom. Her connection to Lily makes her one of the most important characters for the rest of the story. The stakes of Imu’s interest in her are also explored in this analysis of the threat facing Vivi.
Jaguar D. Saul: the memory of Ohara
Jaguar D. Saul is a giant from Elbaf and a former vice admiral. Sent to Ohara during the Buster Call, he understood that the World Government was trying to erase a historical truth. He then betrayed his orders to help Nico Robin escape.
Defeated and frozen by Kuzan, Saul was long believed to be dead. Yet he survived and helped save Ohara’s books, recovered after the destruction of the Tree of Knowledge. With the help of Elbaf’s giants, he brought the library to safety. His existence therefore physically preserves part of the memory the World Government wanted to erase.
FAQ about the D. clan in One Piece
Who are the main known members of the D. clan?
The major bearers include Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Garp, Monkey D. Dragon, Gol D. Roger, Portgas D. Ace, Portgas D. Rouge, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Marshall D. Teach, Rocks D. Xebec, Jaguar D. Saul and Nefertari D. Lily. The Nefertari family is also connected to this initial through Lily and the revelation made by Cobra.
Why does the World Government fear D.?
The available information connects D. to the Void Century, the Ancient Kingdom and the Poneglyphs. Lily’s actions, Ohara’s destruction and Cobra’s assassination show that the World Government seeks to prevent this history from spreading.
Is the D. clan a single family?
No. The known bearers come from different bloodlines and regions. The initial appears to express an inheritance or a will that crosses generations rather than simple family membership.
