Aokiji became one of One Piece’s biggest mysteries after the time skip. Just what is the former admiral’s relationship with the Revolutionary Army?
Aokiji is one of the most powerful characters in One Piece. He was the first Navy Admiral to be introduced in the series, and he left quite an impression on One Piece fans. When Aokiji faced the Straw Hats, he managed to get the better of them easily, showcasing the massive difference in their strength.
Aokiji was heavily involved in the Summit War arc, where his powers essentially saved the entire Navy forces from being wiped out with a single attack from Whitebeard. Aokiji also fought against other members of the Whitebeard Pirates, and his overall influence was pivotal to the Navy’s success in the war. After the Summit War was over, Sengoku stepped down from his position as Fleet Admiral, which left a vacant spot at the top of the Navy. Sengoku’s decision opened a can of worms that affected everyone, especially Aokiji.
The Punk Hazard Feud
The lack of a Fleet Admiral would have caused many problems for the Navy, so they selected two candidates who would succeed Sengoku. One of them was Akainu, an ardent believer in Absolute Justice. He was the prime candidate. The other option was Aokiji, who was selected by Sengoku to become the Fleet Admiral. The two Admirals could not come to a peaceful conclusion, so they decided to fight each other for the position.
Akainu and Aokiji fought each other at Punk Hazard for several days, with the former emerging victorious. Akainu claimed the position, and Aokiji was not pleased with the outcome, so he subsequently left the Navy. Aokiji’s departure came as a shock to the readers and left them scratching their heads. Later on, it was revealed that Aokiji had joined the Blackbeard Pirates, who have a reputation for being the worst pirate crew in the world. Considering Aokiji’s sense of morality, the switch didn’t make any sense, so could there be more to it than meets the eye?
Upholding Justice
Aokiji’s decision was weird in many ways. His ideals are completely different from Blackbeard’s. The crew is known for actively hunting devil fruit users and stealing their Devil Fruit. They also don’t seem to care about killing others if they consider them an impediment. The Blackbeard Pirates are just like real-life pirates, and keeping all their activities in mind, Aokiji could have definitely chosen another crew. Many fans believed that Aokiji might not be involved in any of the sordid schemes of Blackbeard, but in the Egghead Island arc, it was confirmed that the former Admiral invaded Whole Cake Island to kidnap Charlotte Pudding.
However, it doesn’t seem that Aokiji has fully cut off his friendship with some of the Marines. When he appeared at Punk Hazard, he saved Smoker from being killed by Donquixote Doflamingo. Smoker and Aokiji are close, but the latter wasn’t there to just save his friend. Doflamingo implied that Aokiji was on a mission to achieve something, which raises even more suspicion over his move. So, Aokiji might actually have a goal of his own, which could only be achieved by joining the Blackbeard Pirates.
Friends With The Most Wanted Man
Aokiji’s sense of justice is much better than most of the Marines, and because of this reason, many fans have speculated that he is still working undercover for the organization. According to popular theories, Aokiji is the leader of SWORD, which is why he decided to join the crew of a Yonko. SWORD’s goals revolve around the Yonko, so it would make sense for Aokiji to join the crew of one. However, there are a few fans who have proposed that Aokiji might actually be affiliated with the Revolutionary Army. The claim is supported by Vegapunk’s flashback. In the Egghead Island arc, Shaka told the Straw Hats about his meeting with Monkey D. Dragon at Ohara.
Dragon expressed his anger to Vegapunk, who told him not to lose sight of his goal. Vegapunk also told Dragon that there are many reasonable people within the Navy. This implies that the Revolutionary Army has supporters within the Navy, who possibly provide them with information and are waiting to overthrow the World Government. Considering the fact that Aokiji is a rational individual, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that he is working with Dragon to achieve a common goal. Dragon’s past has not been disclosed yet, but there is strong speculation that he is a former Admiral. After learning about the activities of the World Government, he left the Navy to start the Freedom Fighters. During the time he spent in the Navy, Dragon met other like-minded individuals and shared his plans for the world.
It is possible that Dragon left the Navy and ordered the others to remain so that he could learn more about the organization’s plans and come up with the appropriate countermeasures. As Dragon is older than Aokiji, the latter would have been his junior. Aokiji could have been inspired by Dragon’s idea of creating a peaceful world without any hint of prejudice. While the evidence is limited, Aokiji seems to be the only Navy soldier, and especially the only one in a position of authority, who could have done something to change the system. There is no doubt that he will play an important role in the final saga, so fans can expect all the mysteries surrounding him to be unraveled.
Src: gamerant.com
