The Members of the D. Clan in One Piece: Legacy, Secrets and Destinies
What Does the D. Clan Represent in One Piece?
The letter “D.” is one of the most important mysteries in One Piece. It appears in the names of characters from radically different backgrounds: pirates, Marines, royalty, revolutionaries and survivors of historical tragedies. This common trait does not make them a family in the traditional sense, but it ties them to an ancient will that appears to be directly connected to the Void Century.
The research conducted in Ohara had already linked the D. clan to the world’s forbidden history. Professor Clover and the scholars had uncovered traces of an ancient technologically advanced kingdom, suppressed by the nations that would later form the World Government. Their destruction during the Buster Call illustrates the fear this truth still inspires. Jaguar D. Saul, who saved Nico Robin and helped preserve Ohara’s books, therefore remains a key figure in this legacy.
The bearers of the D. do not all pursue the same goal. Some seek freedom, others power or truth. Yet their destinies constantly intersect with the secrets of the World Government, Imu, the Poneglyphs and the Ancient Weapons.
Monkey D. Luffy, the Face of Freedom
Monkey D. Luffy is the most central bearer of the D. in the current era. His ambition is to become the King of the Pirates because he associates that title with absolute freedom. He acts according to his own desires, protects his friends with total determination and regularly opposes the World Government.
His Devil Fruit, long believed to be the Gum-Gum Fruit, is actually the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. This Mythical Zoan allows him to embody Nika, the Warrior of Liberation. This revelation places Luffy at the heart of the stakes surrounding Joy Boy, the Void Century and the future of the world.
His journey is also tied to several other members of the D.: his grandfather Garp, his father Dragon, his brothers Ace and Sabo, his ally Trafalgar Law, as well as his future opponents Marshall D. Teach and the heirs of the ancient era.
The Monkey Family: Garp and Dragon
Monkey D. Garp, the Hero of the Marines
Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather and one of the greatest fighters in the Marines. Fiercely independent, he refuses promotions that would force him to serve the Celestial Dragons directly. His sense of justice does not prevent him from being deeply disgusted by the world aristocracy.
His legend is notably tied to the God Valley Incident, where he allied with Gol D. Roger against the crew of Rocks D. Xebec. Without a Devil Fruit, Garp relies on extraordinary physical strength and his mastery of Haki. He is capable of using all three forms of Haki, including Conqueror’s Haki, and attacks such as Galaxy Impact demonstrate that his power remains formidable despite his age.
After Ace’s death, Garp becomes an instructor while retaining his rank of vice admiral. During his mission to save Koby on Hachinosu, he allows his students to escape before being captured by the Blackbeard Pirates. He remains alive, chained on the island, while Teach considers using him as a bargaining chip.
Monkey D. Dragon, the Revolutionary
Garp’s son and Luffy’s father, Monkey D. Dragon leads the Revolutionary Army. He is described as the world’s most wanted man because of his struggle against the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. A former Marine, he left the institution after witnessing the brutality of the system.
His commitment grew stronger particularly after Ginny’s fate as a victim of Celestial Dragon slavery. Dragon wants to dismantle an order that oppresses populations and build a freer world. His actions make him one of the most dangerous opponents of the established power.
His measured approach is central to understanding why Monkey D. Dragon’s strategy is crucial in One Piece.
Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Ace: A Tragic Legacy
Gol D. Roger is the King of the Pirates, the first man since Joy Boy to conquer the Grand Line and reach Laugh Tale. With his crew, he discovers the One Piece, the history of the Void Century, the secret of the D. clan and the existence of the Ancient Weapons. However, Roger realizes that his era came too early: Poseidon has not yet been born, and Pluton remains sealed in Wano.
Afflicted with an incurable disease, he disbands his crew and turns himself over to the authorities. His final words spark the Great Pirate Era. Roger has no Devil Fruit: his strength rests on his endurance, his Haki and his ability to hear the Voice of All Things.
His son, Portgas D. Ace, is born from his union with Portgas D. Rouge. To protect the child from the manhunt launched by the World Government, Rouge hides her pregnancy for twenty months. She dies after giving birth, and Garp then entrusts Ace to Curly Dadan, alongside Luffy and Sabo.
Ace becomes Whitebeard’s second division commander and masters the Mera Mera no Mi, which gives him the power of fire. His pursuit of Marshall D. Teach leads to his capture and then the Marineford War. He dies while protecting Luffy from Akainu’s attack. His legacy lives on notably through Sabo, who later obtains his Devil Fruit.
Ace’s fall remains one of the most memorable episodes in the series.
Marshall D. Teach and Rocks D. Xebec: The D. of Conquest
Marshall D. Teach, known as Blackbeard, represents a dark and predatory vision of the Will of D. A former member of Whitebeard’s crew, he murders Thatch to obtain the Yami Yami no Mi, a Logia that allows him to manipulate darkness and nullify his opponents’ powers.
At Marineford, Teach and his allies finish off Whitebeard and seize the Gura Gura no Mi. He then becomes the only known person to wield two Devil Fruit powers. Having become one of the Four Emperors, he continues his rise through violence, captures Koby and defeats Trafalgar Law in order to take his copies of the Road Poneglyphs.
The revelation of his descent from Rocks D. Xebec sheds light on his ambition to conquer the world. Xebec led the Rocks Pirates, a crew that notably included Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido. His goal was to become the King of the World. He was defeated at God Valley by the extraordinary alliance of Garp and Roger, while the World Government subsequently erased his existence from the archives.
To learn more about the captain who continues to weigh heavily on the plot, read our feature on the mystery surrounding Elbaf and One Piece’s future.
Trafalgar D. Water Law and the Memory of Flevance
Trafalgar D. Water Law is the captain and doctor of the Heart Pirates. Nicknamed the Surgeon of Death, he possesses the Ope Ope no Mi. This fruit allows him to create a “Room” in which he can manipulate the position, orientation and composition of objects or people.
Law is a survivor of Flevance, the White City. Amber Lead, which had made the kingdom wealthy, was in fact poisoning its population. The World Government conceals this toxicity, while neighboring countries massacre the survivors out of fear of contagion. Law loses his parents and his sister Lami in this catastrophe.
Condemned by Amber Lead Syndrome, he is saved by Corazon, who helps him obtain the Ope Ope no Mi at the cost of his own life. Law then founds his crew, brings down Doflamingo with Luffy in Dressrosa and takes part in the war in Wano. His interest in the D. and the Void Century therefore goes far beyond simple piracy.
The Nefertaris: A D. at the Heart of the World Government
The most important revelation concerning the D. clan involves the royal family of Alabasta. Nefertari D. Lily, a queen who lived eight hundred years ago, was one of the twenty founding families of the World Government. Unlike the other rulers, she refused to settle in Mary Geoise and become a World Noble.
Lily scattered the Poneglyphs across the world. This act, initially considered a mistake, is presented by Imu as deliberate betrayal: she wanted to preserve the truth of the Void Century. She disappears before returning to Alabasta, while her letter is kept by the royal family for centuries.
Her descendant Nefertari D. Cobra discovers this secret during the Reverie. After questioning the Five Elders about Lily, the Poneglyphs and the Ancient Kingdom, he is murdered by Imu. Before dying, he asks Sabo to tell Vivi and Luffy that the Nefertaris also bear the D.
Nefertari D. Vivi consequently becomes a direct target of Imu. A former ally of the Straw Hats against Crocodile and Baroque Works, she is now on the run after escaping CP0 with Wapol’s help. Her signal, an X drawn in a newspaper, recalls the sign used with the crew in Alabasta.
The danger surrounding her is explored further in the threat Imu’s obsession poses to Vivi.
Jaguar D. Saul, Clover and Ohara’s Truth
Jaguar D. Saul is a giant from Elbaf and a former Marine vice admiral. During Ohara’s Buster Call, he refuses to obey the order to annihilate the scholars and civilians. He helps Nico Robin escape before being frozen by Kuzan. Presumed dead, he survives and organizes the transfer of Ohara’s rescued books to Elbaf with the giants’ help.
His laugh, “Dereshishishi,” and his decision to protect Robin make him a symbol of kindness and resistance. His role is inseparable from that of Professor Clover, director of Ohara’s library. Clover is not presented as a bearer of the D., but his discoveries concerning the Ancient Kingdom, the Rio Poneglyph and the D. clan explain why Ohara was destroyed.
FAQ About the Members of the D. Clan
Who are the main members of the D. clan?
Among the most important figures are Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Garp, Monkey D. Dragon, Gol D. Roger, Portgas D. Ace, Marshall D. Teach, Rocks D. Xebec, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Jaguar D. Saul, Nefertari D. Lily, Nefertari D. Cobra and Nefertari D. Vivi.
Is the D. clan a single family?
The bearers of the D. do not form a single family. They belong to very different bloodlines, but are connected by an initial and by an ancient mystery associated with the Void Century.
Why does the World Government fear the D.?
Ohara’s research and the actions of Nefertari D. Lily suggest that the D. is linked to a truth the World Government has sought to erase for eight hundred years. Bearers of the D. often become opponents of the world order, each in their own way.
