The One Piece Enigma Outshining Mihawk: Bogard’s Hidden Powers Finally Explained
Move over Mihawk—the sharpest mystery in One Piece might be Garp’s fedora-clad shadow. Bogard, the silent Marine swordsman, has lurked in plain sight for years, radiating cut-you-down-before-you-blink menace. Here’s why the deadliest right hand in the Grand Line deserves the spotlight.
Spoiler heads-up: light manga-era context ahead. Now, let me pitch you on the quiet Marine in a fedora who might be scarier than the guy with the giant cross-shaped sword. Yes, we need to talk about Bogard, Garp's right-hand shadow.
The silent Marine with the fedora
Bogard has been orbiting Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp for decades, the calm to Garp's chaos. He is taller than average, unflinching, and always dressed like he is walking straight out of a noir. He barely talks. He does not need to. While Garp is laughing, yelling, and breaking things, Bogard is usually one step behind with a hand on his sword, like a reminder that Marines can be cool without saying a word.
The series places him around since the God Valley era — that infamous day when the Marines and Gol D. Roger's crew teamed up to crush Rocks D. Xebec's lineup (Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, the whole nightmare roster). Some tellings put Bogard there with Garp in the middle of it. Either way, he is treated like a survivor of that generation. And he looks exactly the same all these years later. Either he found the Marine anti-aging plan, or Oda wants him frozen in time.
Receipts: what the story actually shows us
- He has been at Garp's side for over 38 years, basically his shadow.
- Always crisp suit, fedora, and a noir-detective vibe. Tall, steady, and unreadable.
- He is not a title guy: no 'Hawk Eyes' nickname, no flashy duels, no giant cross-shaped blade.
- Precision demo: he cleanly sliced Koby's pistols into neat scrap without leaving a scratch on Koby.
- The mentor side: he trained Koby and Helmeppo.
- The clinic: he coolly fended off three swords at once with a single hand — his off-hand, at that.
- His style reads as surgical: minimal motion, clean timing, lethal if he decides to flip the switch.
Mihawk vs. Bogard: reputation vs. mystery
Dracule Mihawk has the crown, the castle, and the billboard sword. He makes an entrance. Bogard? He materializes and leaves you wondering what his ceiling actually is. And honestly, the unknown is scarier. With Mihawk, the dial is set to 'obviously obscene power.' With Bogard, the blank space does the intimidation. No ego, no wasted movement, no need for a spotlight — just a blade and perfect timing.
Live-action check-in
Netflix's One Piece actually gives Bogard more to do. He is framed as Garp's level-headed second-in-command, the calm counterweight to Garp's wild streak. It fits, and honestly, I liked that choice.
Why he sticks in your head
Bogard does not need a bounty number or a parade of titles. He feels like the type who quietly erased entire pirate crews offscreen and then went right back to paperwork. Calm energy, precise sword work, unshakable loyalty — he is one of the most underrated fixtures in One Piece. If Garp is chaos, Bogard is discipline shaped like a person. Call him the Marines' ghost blade.
Is he cooler than the 'World's Strongest Swordsman'? On some days, yeah.
One Piece is streaming on Crunchyroll, if you want to rewatch and hunt for the fedora in the background.
Could Garp's right-hand actually give Mihawk a fight? Drop your take in the comments.