Unexpected as it may be, Kizaru’s betrayal makes perfect sense when taking into consideration the state of affairs at Egghead and his relationship with Bonney and Sentomaru. Moreover, this alleged betrayal raises interesting questions about Kizaru’s character, morality, and unique sense of justice.

Only Kizaru Could Have Helped Luffy

In chapter #1103, the panel of Luffy asking for food is followed almost immediately by one of Kizaru lying on the floor thinking of Bonney and Sentomaru. Not long after, Luffy is seen quickly stuffing down a pile of food, while the next panel depicts Kizaru again, sitting up in a different spot than before, suspiciously out of breath. While it isn’t clear whether Kizaru heard Luffy’s plea for food or not, given that the rest of Luffy’s allies have been immobilized by Saturn’s mysterious ability, Kizaru appears to be the only one who could have helped Luffy.

Not only does it make sense for Kizaru to be unaffected by Saturn’s power, but his devil fruit would also allow him to move undetected by Saint Saturn, who also appears clearly oblivious as to who helped Luffy. Considering Kizaru’s devil fruit allows him to move at the speed of light itself, this would also explain how Luffy was given such a large amount of food in the short span of time that passes between the two scenes.

Kizaru May Betray Saturn to Ensure Sentomaru & Bonney’s Escape

Kizaru’s alleged betrayal appears to be motivated by his wish to protect Bonney and Sentomaru, both of whom Kizaru is seen worrying about when Luffy asks for food in chapter #1103. Given the dire situation at Egghead with Bonney in Saint Saturn’s grasp and Sentomaru captured by the Marines as well, Kizaru may have been left with no choice but to depend on Luffy to cause enough chaos to allow Bonney and Sentomaru to escape. More importantly, as seen during Kuma’s flashback, Kizaru seems to have grown rather close to both Kuma and Bonney during their brief stay at Egghead.

Chapter #1100 reveals Kizaru eating and dancing to the rhythm of Nika’s heartbeat with Sentomaru, Vegapunk, Bonney, and Kuma during their feast on Egghead, despite claiming to be there on business. The scene suggests a feeling of camaraderie which may have spurred Kizaru to try and protect Bonney, more so given that he is among the few aware of Bonney’s true age and that she is still only a child. Scenes of partying and feasting are often used by Eiichiro Oda to depict the camaraderie among a group of people, so it’s no coincidence that Kizaru was included in that.

Kizaru’s relationship with Sentomaru is also no secret. As seen in chapter #1091, Kizaru may be the closest thing to a father figure in Sentomaru’s life, having known him as a child and trained him to become Vegapunk’s guard. Hence, while Kizaru may have no qualms about killing pirates, he may see Bonney and Sentomaru as objectively innocent and their deaths as unjust according to his ideals and personal philosophy of justice. It’s true that Kizaru himself took out Sentomaru during the assault on Egghead, but it’s also true that he did not kill him, despite having the chance to do so.

Kizaru’s Idea of Justice Justifies His Betrayal

Much like Akainu and Aokiji, Kizaru also has his own unique sense of justice, described as “Unclear Justice.” As the name implies, Kizaru’s philosophy embodies moral ambiguity and forms the gray area between Akainu and Aokiji’s polarizing ideas of justice. As such, Kizaru often swings between apathy and surprising ruthlessness, best seen when Kizaru captured 500 pirates himself after the events of Marineford simply to vent his anger. Hence, while Kizaru may not outright turn his back on the Marines like Aokiji, he could justify helping Luffy, even though he is a pirate, if it means ensuring Bonney and Sentomaru’s survival.

The turning point for Kizaru seems to be having listened to Saturn’s account of Bonney and Kuma’s past. While Kizaru was present during some of those events, the true magnitude of Saturn’s cruelty possibly escaped him – especially the fact that the Elder was the one who caused Ginny and Bonney’s sickness in the first place, then using that same illness to manipulate Kuma and turn him into a soulless machine slave.

A change of heart, and allegiances perhaps, would be in line with the ideal of “Unclear Justice” and with Kizaru’s presence in Bonney and Kuma’s past. Overall, Kizaru’s betrayal could prove to be an excellent opportunity for One Piece to draw attention to its underlying themes of moral ambiguity and inspire discussions on the complex dichotomies of good and evil within the pirate world.