Once regarded as the Marines’ strongest, the three original Admirals, Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru, went their separate ways to seek out “Justice.”

Marine Admirals are central to the Three Great Powers, and an integral component in the World Government’s control over the world of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. Portrayed as the strongest assets in the Marines’ arsenal, the three original Admirals — Aokiji (real name Kuzan), Akainu (real name Sakazuki), and Kizaru (real name Borsalino) — were major players in the Marineford War, which brought an end to the Great Age of Pirates.

Huge changes took place in the ranks of the Admirals during and after the time skip, with the retirement of former Fleet Admiral Sengoku, followed by Akainu and Aokiji’s battle to decide the future leader of the Marines. The result of this fight sent massive ripples throughout the world of One Piece, forever altering the balance of the Three Great Powers. Currently, each member of the original trio of Admirals is forging their own path after Marineford, choosing to pursue their own brand of “Justice.”

Who Were The Original Marine Admirals?

The original trio of Admirals was introduced one at a time, as they encountered the Straw Hat Pirates on their journey through Paradise. Depicted as the epitome of strength among the World Government’s forces, the Marine Admirals embodied the level that Luffy and his crew had to aspire towards. In fact, during the crew’s first encounter with an Admiral, which saw the debut of Aokiji, the Straw Hat Pirates were decisively defeated, with Luffy himself being frozen and incapacitated by the Admiral’s ice-based Hie Hie no Mi Devil Fruit powers.

Next to feature was Kizaru, who pushed the crew into a corner in Sabaody Archipelago, forcing Bartholomew Kuma to intervene. Kizaru’s light-based abilities with his Pika Pika no Mi Devil Fruit were on an entirely different level compared to the Logia users the crew had fought previously, and he taught them an important lesson about the dangers of the Grand Line. Last to be introduced was Akainu, who showcased the deadly magma powers of his Magu Magu no Mi Devil Fruit in the Summit War of Marineford, being the one responsible for Ace’s death and the huge cross-shaped scar on Luffy’s chest.

Each one of them possessed an incredibly powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit, which immediately made them threats that far exceeded anything the Straw Hat Pirates had faced in Paradise. Moreover, all three were well-versed in using Observation and Armament Haki. Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru held their own definitions of “Justice” which aligned with their respective personalities. For Aokiji, his “Lazy Justice” is flexible and occasionally lenient, whereas Akainu’s “Absolute Justice” is extremist and rooted in blind dogma. Lastly, Kizaru’s “Unclear Justice” represents a middle ground between the others, although it is often simply a manifestation of his indecisive nature.

The Fallout Of The Paramount War

An era-defining conflict that altered the status quo of the New World, the Summit War of Marineford saw the three Admirals stand together against the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies. Kizaru went out of his way to reprimand Luffy for being weak and mocked Whitebeard for allying with him, believing that someone of his caliber had no reason to participate.

On the other hand, Aokiji was more measured in stopping Luffy, and did not go out of his way to kill him, given his close relationship with Monkey D. Garp. The most extreme approach of all was taken by Akainu, who mercilessly assaulted Luffy after killing his brother Ace, seeing him as a threat by virtue of being the son of Monkey D. Dragon. In the aftermath of the battle, Fleet Admiral Sengoku resigned from his post and nominated Aokiji as his replacement, which was a contentious decision, as the World Government’s higher ups favored Akainu.

Strife Within The Ranks Of The Admirals

During the time skip, Aokiji and Akainu fought one another on Punk Hazard for the right to become the next Fleet Admiral, since the former strongly opposed Akainu’s extremism. At the end of a battle that lasted ten days and completely altered the island’s weather, Akainu emerged victorious, and took on the title of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. Neither of the two escaped the fight unscathed, as Akainu was left heavily scarred, whereas Aokiji gained huge burns across his body, and had his left leg reduced to a stump.

Fortunately, the latter’s Devil Fruit allowed him to create a prosthesis made of ice. Bitter and disillusioned by his defeat, Aokiji resigned from the Marines, began using his original name Kuzan, and became a wanderer as he saw how corrupt the World Government truly was. Nearly a year after leaving the Marines, he encountered the Blackbeard Pirates, and joined them as one of their Ten Titanic Captains. He played an instrumental role in kidnapping Charlotte Pudding from Totto Land, and capturing Monkey D. Garp, his former mentor, in Hachinosu.

True to his ideals, Sakazuki moved the Marine Headquarters to New Marineford in the New World, to better monitor affairs between the Four Emperors. He instituted a mandatory draft for the Marines, which led to the recruitment of Fujitora and Ryokugyu as replacements for himself and Kuzan as Admirals. Sakazuki’s aggression had to be tempered due to his new responsibilities, and he was forced to watch conflicts in the New World unfold from afar. Nevertheless, his brash, no-nonsense attitude remained, and he was bold enough to even argue with the Five Elders about the events of the Dressrosa Saga. He was last seen fending off Bartholomew Kuma’s assault on Mary Geoise.

Among the original trio, Kizaru was the only one to remain an Admiral after the time skip, dutifully complying with his superiors’ orders. His most prominent involvement since Marineford, has been in the ongoing Egghead Arc, where he led a huge fleet of Marine battleships alongside Saint Jaygarcia Saturn of the Five Elders, to conduct a Buster Call on the island. This course of action was adopted in light of the Straw Hat Pirates barricading themselves on Egghead, after CP0’s failed attempt to assassinate Dr. Vegapunk.

Upon reaching Egghead, Kizaru fought Luffy and was soon knocked out, as he struggled to reconcile his order to assassinate Vegapunk, and his earlier friendship with the scientist. In spite of this, it was Kizaru who dealt the killing blow to Vegapunk’s main body, but he was promptly hurled off the island by Luffy in his giant Gear 5 form. Struggling to come to terms with what he has done, it remains to be seen whether Kizaru has a future in the Marines, in light of the moral dilemma he now faces.

How Will The Original Marine Admirals Affect The Final Saga?

For quite some time, Sakazuki has been built up as a major antagonist of the Final Saga, since he is the one responsible for Ace’s death and is the most zealous representation of the Marines’ ideology of Absolute Justice. It is only natural for Luffy to seek retribution against the Fleet Admiral, although the way this will play out is open to speculation. Kizaru’s role in the story is up for debate, as he will likely be out of action for quite some time after losing the resolve he once had.

Naturally, Kuzan’s role is likely to be very significant, given that he is now a member of the Blackbeard Pirates, and the one responsible for Monkey D. Garp’s capture. While there is speculation about him being a spy for the Marine organization SWORD, his actions on Hachinosu contradict this. As the Final Saga of One Piece progresses, it is certain that Sakazuki (Akainu), Kuzan (Aokiji), and Borsalino (Kizaru), will have major parts to play, and it is anyone’s guess as to who will be on which side of the final conflict that ushers in the dawn of the world.