Smoker was the first new character to be teased for One Piece Season 2. The Marine Vice-Admiral featured in a post-credits scene following the ending of the first season. A resolute individual, he will be gunning for Luffy throughout multiple arcs.
Possessing the powers of Moku Moku no Mi Fruit, Smoker can create, manipulate, and transform into smoke at will. He controls the density of smoke and weaves it around his prey to restrain them. The Marine is one of the characters that Luffy initially avoids battling due to his inability to punch through smoke.
Despite being able to overpower the Straw Hat during their first encounter, Smoker is never able to bring him in because of Luffy’s father, Monkey D. Dragon. The character is about to play a major role in Netflix’s One Piece Season 2.
Also Read: Not Tony Tony Chopper or Smoker, One Piece Season 2’s Biggest Challenge is Yet to Come
With Smoker’s Addition, Monkey D. Dragon is Not Far Behind
Dragon hasn’t been officially confirmed to be a part of One Piece Season 2. However, the character is bound to turn up sooner or later. Showrunner Matt Owens recently revealed that they are planning to incorporate the Logeutown arc in the series, which marked the debut of Monkey D. Dragon and Smoker in the manga, simultaneously.
Loguetown has many iconic scenes from the franchise. For instance, Roronoa Zoro gets the powerful Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri swords from a shop. He also meets Smoker’s confidant, Tashigi, whose face reminds him of Kuina. Usopp purchases goggles for the first time and it remains a characteristic equipment of the sharpshooter from thereon.
The highlight of Loguetown is the events surrounding Luffy. As per the One Piece manga, Smoker gets the jump on Monkey D. Luffy with his Devil Fruit powers when the latter is isolated from his crew. Just when we believe that the Straw Hat will spend the rest of his life away from the sea, Monkey D. Dragon appears behind Smoker and rescues his son.
Not only does Dragon play a pivotal role in saving Luffy’s dream of being King of Pirates but also supposedly saves his life. During the arc, the protagonist is captured by Buggy The Clown. He was moments away from ‘flashily’ executing Luffy in Gol D. Roger’s execution spot when a large bolt of lightning struck him down. Many fans believe that Dragon was responsible for it.
Since One Piece Season 2 is expected to stick to the source material, Dragon’s addition will correspond with that of Smoker. Dean Damonse and Mexican actor José María Yázpik are the rumored candidates to play the role of the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Criminal.’
One Piece Season 1 Teased The Role of The Revolutionary Army
Another hint that suggests Monkey D. Dragon could feature in One Piece Season 2 was seen in Episode 8. After Luffy gets a bounty on his head, Kaya reads a newspaper and smiles after seeing Usopp. Eagle-eyed viewers also noted an article about the Revolutionary Army in the background.
As the name suggests, The Revolutionary Army is a rogue organization that wants to dismantle the existing order imposed by the World Government. Monkey D. Dragon happens to be the Supreme Commander and one of the founding members of the group. The R.A. also consists of Sabo as the chief of staff, Bartholomew Kuma, Aokiji, and many other powerful pirates.
We have already seen Garp play a much more crucial role in the live-action series than in the beginning chapters of the manga. Therefore, Dragon could also be introduced as a character in One Piece Season 2 to be a guide and mentor to Luffy. His power to create strong gusts of wind and storms, manipulate weather, and possess inhuman strength, speed, and reflexes will surely come in handy.
Also Read: 5 Straw Hat Pirates Who May Appear in Netflix’s One Piece Live-Action Season 2
