Sakazuki of One Piece

Sakazuki is the acting Grand Admiral of the Navy. Two years ago, he held the rank of admiral, along with Kuzan and Borsalino. His admiral name is Akainu (赤犬, “Akainu”). A rigorous advocate of Absolute Justice, he is responsible for the death of Portgas D. Ace and is one of Monkey D. Luffy’s main antagonists. He was first mentioned by Nico Robin in the manga, and by Vice Admiral Jonathan at an earlier point in the anime.

Following the Battle of Marine Ford, he won a ten-day battle for the post of Grand Admiral against Aokiji and succeeded the resigned Sengoku. He then moved the naval headquarters to the New World to counter the new era of piracy.

Appearance

Sakazuki is an extremely tall, powerfully built man with a particularly muscular upper body and fair skin. He has an angular face with prominent, usually grim features, brown eyes, and short black hair. His body is covered in a series of tattoos: a flame pattern on the left side of his torso, and a smaller sword on his upper right arm.

During the Battle of Marine Ford, Sakazuki wore a suit of purple with a rose attached to the left side of his chest. Flower motifs also adorned the unbuttoned collar of the shirt underneath. Like most officers, he wore a white coat loosely over it with the words Justice (正義, Seigi), as well as a cap with the words “Marine” pulled low over his face. Sakazuki’s noble manner of dress is completed by black men’s shoes and gloves.

After the time jump, you can see the aftermath of Sakazuki’s fight with Aokiji. The right side of his face is scarred, and a small piece of his right ear is missing. Sakazuki looks aged, with some wrinkles, upper lip and chin beard. He wears the same floral print shirt, but the suit over it is white, reminiscent of his predecessor’s. He is now regularly seen with a cigar.

Personality

Sakazuki is merciless in his belief in Absolute Justice and his own interpretation of it, Thorough Justice (徹底的な正義, Tetteiteki na Seigi). He comes across as deadly serious, resolute and sinister in his approach to “evil” – ruthless and downright brutal. As Vice Admiral, he sank a ship carrying refugees to preclude knowledge of The True Story from leaving Ohara. Caesar Clown is convinced that Sakazuki would not be averse to experiments on prisoners and weapons of mass destruction.

Sakazuki knows neither respect nor fear of pirates. During the Battle of Marine Ford, he in particular fought Whitebeard – with the conviction that he could kill one of the Four Emperors. Above all, Sakazuki views pirates with notorious kinship as a danger whose existence must be eradicated. He specifically murdered Portgas D. Ace as the son of the pirate king Gol D. Roger. He intends to do the same with Monkey D. Luffy, the son of the leader of the revolutionary army Monkey D. Dragon.

Sakazuki also does not deviate from his ideas of Absolute Justice when dealing with colleagues. He wanted to execute Koby as a deserter when he begged for an end to the Battle of Marine Ford. Fujitora, in his eyes, violated the honor of the Navy when he revealed the truth about Dress Rosa to the public. Aokiji fought Sakazuki for the post of Grand Admiral without being interested in it himself. Aokiji’s main goal was to prevent Sakazuki’s extreme views from leading the Navy. When Sakazuki won, Aokiji resigned from the organization. Of note here is that Sakazuki spared Aokiji’s life – out of respect for a former colleague.

In general, despite his impulsive streak, Sakazuki can act thoughtfully if it is beneficial in the long run. For example, he manipulated Squard into attacking Whitebeard with false protestations. He was also against the abolition of the Samurai of the Seas, despite them being pirates, as he considered them necessary.

He prefers to avoid the affairs of the Five Elders.

Skills & Strength

As Grand Admiral, he also gained full command of the naval force. Only Kong and the Five Elders are still directly superior to him. Even as an admiral, he was able to drive Blackbeard away by his mere appearance and possessed the authority to call in a buster call.

Sakazuki is one of the Navy’s strongest fighters, possibly the strongest Navy member ever after the retirement of Sengoku and Monkey D. Garp. He won against his then-colleague Admiral Aokiji on Punk Hazard, with the island’s climate permanently altered by his forces. During the Battle of Marine Ford, only Whitebeard in Rage showed the admiral his limits after Sakazuki defeated and killed Portgas D. Ace. For most of the time, Sakazuki fought the aged pirate emperor toe-to-toe, severely injuring Whitebeard on several occasions. In a very short time, he defeated opponents such as Ivankov, Inazuma, and Curiel. Shichibukai Jinbe and Crocodile, officers of the Whitebeard gang like Vista and Marco could only stall for time against a badly injured Sakazuki.

Like all naval officers of the rank of Vice Admiral and above, he is proficient in Haki. Together with Aokiji and Borsalino, he used Busoushoku to successfully stop a shockwave from Whitebeard. Sakazuki’s sense of hearing enables him to perceive movement underwater from far away. He manipulated Squard and Ace by skillfully using their feelings towards Whitebeard.

Sakazuki’s physical strength is sufficient to take on Whitebeard in hand-to-hand combat – who in turn was known as the strongest man in the world. Sakazuki’s endurance and steadfastness are unparalleled. His fight against Aokiji lasted ten days and left gruesome wounds, yet Sakazuki was able to prevail. Sakazuki remained conscious even when an enraged Whitebeard dealt him two devastating hits. Sakazuki was able to continue fighting shortly thereafter without any visible limitations.

Sakazuki’s devil fruit is the Magma-Logia Magu Magu no Mi (マグマグの実). With it, he creates magma whose heat Iceburge can vaporize. A masterful Logia user, Sakazuki is impervious to even the Busoushoku-enhanced attacks of Marco and Vista. Only Whitebeard with his Haki and Aokiji with his Ice Logia were able to hurt him. His magma is superior to the fire element of Portgas D. Ace, to whom he inflicted fatal burns. By turning his body into magma, Akainu can move quickly underground.

Sakazuki’s most famous technique is Dai Funka (大噴火, “Great Eruption”), in which he turns his fist into explosive magma and strikes. Combined with Sakazuki’s immense physical strength, this attack pierces enemies and burns their internal organs, so one hit killed Ace instantly. With Ryūsei Kazan (流星火山, “Meteor Volcano”), Sakazuki sends a series of magma fists at long range, sinking large battleships. With Meigō (冥狗, “Dark Dog” – translated as “Hellhound”), Sakazuki turns his arm into a claw. Whitebeard lost half his face to this attack in the manga, though he was merely grazed. In the anime, Meigō’s effect was censored and resembled Dai Funka.

Past

Joining the Navy

At the age of 23, Sakazuki joined the Navy, along with Borsalino, who was three years older. Called “monsters” even then for their strength, they were trained by Zephyr.

Strong World

Sakazuki was stationed at naval headquarters over twenty years before the plot began. Thus, he was present when Monkey D. Garp and Sengoku left to fight Shiki. He held an unspecified officer rank.

Buster Call on Ohara

Twenty years before the plot begins, Sakazuki was one of five Vice Admirals involved in the Buster Call against Ohara. He ordered the sinking of a ship carrying refugees to preclude the escape of even a single scientist. Vice Admiral Aokiji condemned the action as excessive, even Spandine found it appalling.

Present

First reference

Nico Robin introduced the three admirals to the Straw Hat Pirates as the Navy’s “supreme war power” when they encountered Aokiji.

Battle of Marine Ford

Sakazuki appeared with Aokiji and Borsalino in Marine Ford to attend the execution of Portgas D. Ace. In the erupting battle of Marine Ford against the Whitebeard Gang, his actions were crucial. Sakazuki intervened when Jozu hurled a giant iceberg at the scaffold. Using his devil fruit, he melted the iceberg and destroyed one of Whitebeard’s ships. Koby and Helmeppo later watched stunned as Sakazuki executed a deserter. At Sengoku’s direction, the admiral spoke with pirate Squard, an ally of Whitebeard, a short time later. He lied to Squard about Whitebeard’s alleged treachery: that Whitebeard had made a deal with the government. According to this agreement, the Whitebeard gang and Ace would be spared if Whitebeard allowed all other pirate gangs to be destroyed. After initial doubts, Squard believed this lie and betrayed Whitebeard – hoping to save his own pirate band. Squard plunged a sword through Whitebeard’s chest – before realizing he had been lied to and manipulated by Sakazuki.

Whitebeard survived, forgave Squard, and attacked the execution platform with a shockwave. The three admirals united used their Busoushoku to neutralize it. With the Whitebeard gang encircled by steel walls, Sakazuki attacked Kazan with Ryūsei. The magma fists caused heavy damage and destroyed the Moby Dick, Whitebeard’s largest ship.

When the Whitebeard gang stormed the main square, Sakazuki fearlessly confronted the Emperor. Both damaged Marine Ford with their destructive devil powers. When Whitebeard weakened due to his age and illness, Sakazuki wounded his chest with Dai Funka.

After Ace was freed by Monkey D. Luffy and Mr. 3, Sakazuki took up pursuit of Luffy and Ace. By insulting Whitebeard, the admiral provoked Ace into a duel. Sakazuki’s magma element proved hierarchically superior to Ace’s fire. Ace threw himself into Dai Funka and perished himself from the aftermath, protecting Luffy. The utterly distraught Luffy was only saved from death by Vista and Marco attacking Sakazuki with their Haki, and Jinbe fleeing with Luffy.

Sakazuki was determined to execute Monkey D. Dragon’s son as well. He noticed too late that Whitebeard – in a rage over Ace’s death – had snuck up on him. This time, Whitebeard forced the admiral to the ground with two devastating attacks, but lost half his face to Meigō Sakazuki who was able to continue pursuing the Whitebeard gang after Whitebeard’s death. He easily defeated Ivankov and Inazuma, severely injuring Jinbe and the unconscious Luffy. The Whitebeard gang and Crocodile gained time for them to continue escaping.

When Koby pleaded for an end to the war, Sakazuki attacked him in a rage. Now Shanks appeared and parried the admiral’s attack. He was able to convince Sengoku to end the now pointless battle. Sakazuki was most displeased that Luffy was able to escape.

After the battle

After the war ended, Sakazuki set off for the New World in search of Blackbeard. The latter’s gang saw the admiral’s ship on the horizon and fled headlong. They left Jewelry Bonney, whom they had captured, on the island. Sakazuki, who had by now landed on the island, asked Bonney where Blackbeard was. When he learned that he had fled, he told her that he was very worried when he heard that Bonney had fled from the World Government. The latter shouted at him that she would never forgive them.

Ascension to Grand Admiral

Sengoku resigned as Grand Admiral after the Battle of Marine Ford, whereupon Sakazuki was proposed by the World Government as his successor. Aokiji rebelled against this, so the admirals fought each other on Punk Hazard. Sakazuki, badly wounded, was able to win the battle after ten days. He spared the life of Aokiji, who then resigned from the navy.

According to Jinbe, the navy became a more dangerous organization under Sakazuki’s leadership. The navy headquarters was moved to the New World, two admiral posts were filled by Sakazuki himself with Fujitora and Aramaki.

Dressrosa

After Donquixote Doflamingo resigned his title as Shichibukai and Trafalgar Law and Luffy formed an alliance, Sakazuki was seen discussing the matter with senior officers of the Navy. The Grand Admiral ordered Fujitora to Dress Rosa to resolve the issue in short order, and Fujitora later notified Sakazuki that the news of Doflamingo’s resignation was a lie. Incensed, Sakazuki confronted the Five Elders about this deception, which undermined the Navy’s credibility. In the war of words that broke out, the Five Elders and Sakazuki blamed each other for their actions. They were interrupted when news arrived from Dress Rosa.

The Grand Admiral then accused Fujitora via Den-den Mushi of revealing the truth about Dress Rosa to the public without conferring. Fujitora insisted on his actions, whereupon Sakazuki demanded Law and Luffy’s heads from him as compensation.

The World Conference of Kings

While Sakazuki was getting the news about Luffy and his actions in Totto Land from the newspaper, he was told that the Lulusia Kingdom’s ship, which was on its way to the Levely, was attacked and their princess kidnapped. Furious, he asked what the escort was doing that such a thing could happen. Even in his later appearance, the Grand Admiral was in no better mood when he was told that Fujitora had returned to Mary Geoise, though he had yet to bring him the heads of Alliance partners Luffy and Law. Former Grand Admiral Sengoku then took it to the extreme when he briefly showed up only to ask if being a Grand Admiral wasn’t annoying.

Sakazuki yelled at him to keep it down, he was already semi-retired after all. He asked his subordinates who was currently stationed in Mary Geoise and thus learned that it was Admiral Aramaki. But things did not calm down, because shortly after, the Navy intercepted an unencrypted call from Big Mom. This one was to none other than Kaidou, another emperor, and they seemed to want to ally at least on this matter regarding Luffy. Admiral Borsalino wanted to take care of the matter himself, but Sakazuki stopped him, as Wano Country’s strength was uncertain at the moment.

Wano Country

After the reverie, he had a conversation with Fujitora and made it clear that he was not satisfied with the abolition of the Seven Warlords of the Seas as determined by the kings. However, his initial position of not sending soldiers to Wano Country did not change after fears surrounding an alliance between the two emperors seemed to come true.

So he told the former Grand Admiral Sengoku after he spoke in a room in front of a number of marines about the Rocks Pirates that these very two emperors once belonged to, and their captain. Sengoku disagreed with him and spoke of the hardly coincidental connection between the greats of piracy, the land of Wano Country, and Kozuki Oden, whose name was also a familiar one to Sakazuki.

Miscellaneous

• The three admirals are based on the Japanese folk tale of Momotarō. The main character of this story, the young heaven-sent Momotarō, was born inside a giant peach. This explains his name (桃 – momo – Jap. “peach; 太郎 – tarou – typical ending of Japanese boys’ names). The hero of the saga sets out to defeat a horde of savage OniMomotarō meets three talking animals that would accompany him from then on and assist him in his task. On his journey, Momotarō meets three talking animals that would accompany him from then on and assist him in his task: a monkey, a pheasant, and a dog.
• What is striking is the fact that all admirals so far also have real-life counterparts whose appearance they resemble. In Akainu’s case, this is the Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara.
• His name “Sakazuki” (サカズキ) is also a homonym on “Sakazuki” (盃 (さかづき)), which is a name for ceremonial sake bowls.
• Commander Jonathan is a good friend of his.
• In the SBS to Volume 65, Oda drew the Navy’s former highest-ranking soldiers as children, including Sakazuki.
• Akainu speaks with a Japanese dialects.
• Oda claimed in the 2012 Sound Recording interview that if Akainu were the protagonist of One Piece, he would be so strong that he could end the storyline after just one year.
• His favorite food is white rice and red peppers.
• In the SBS to volume 87, Sakazuki could be seen if he were female.