Sengoku of One Piece

Sengoku, “the Buddha” (Jap. 仏のセンゴク, Hotoke no Sengoku), was the commander-in-chief of the Navy and held command of the entire naval force until the Great Battle of Naval Ford. He currently holds the rank of Chief Inspector. He was one of the greats back in Gold Roger’s day, along with Whitebeard and Garp, and is still active as an instructor these days.

Appearance

Sengoku is a tall, muscular man who has a long braided beard and moustache. He is usually seen together with his goat. He wears glasses and the full uniform of a naval admiral, complete with large medals. The most striking feature of his uniform is probably the life-size seagull on his hat and his oversized coat. Interestingly, the lettering for justice on his coat is blue.

Twenty years earlier, when Sengoku was still an admiral, he was seen with an afro and only the old familiar moustache. Interestingly, even then there was a goat by his side. It is unclear so far if it was the same goat or a different one. His uniform was less navy related at the time. Thus, he wore a simple black tank top and blue jeans. Only the coat of an admiral was evidence of his rank. Still, during the battle against Shiki, he wore a black suit with a blue tie. Meanwhile, Sengoku has a few wrinkles in addition to his braided beard.

The two-year time jump has left noticeable traces on Sengoku. Both his hair and his beard have turned completely white. In the meantime, he has exchanged his formal uniform for a much looser one. Thus, he now wears a dark blue shirt adorned with a green and red zigzag pattern, an orange tie, white shorts adorned with the navy’s logo, and brown shoes. The only thing that hints at his former rank is his coat, which he still wears draped over his shoulders.

Personality

He seems to be a proud man, loyal to the world government and does not question orders. He has a dislike for pirates and doesn’t seem to have any sympathy for at least one of the 7 Samurai of the Seas either.

The Straw Hat Pirates, meanwhile, seems to have sparked some interest in Sengoku, as he’s been following their movements since Water 7. To him, Luffy has become one of the biggest pests of his life due to his actions that were shocking to the world government, such as the victories against two samurai, the attack on a Tenryuubito, and the destruction of Enie’s lobby. In desperation, he often blames Garp, but Garp takes it with humor.

He also doesn’t accept any reason to let a criminal get away, not even based on moral values. Even the children of a criminal must die in his eyes. So Ace was killed, not because he was a pirate, but because his father was the pirate king Gol D. Roger. The same should happen to Luffy because of his father Monkey D. Dragon.

For Sengoku, it seems, victory is all that matters, no matter how it is achieved. Thus he instructed Akainu that he should persuade Squard to turn against his “father,” which the latter did. Whitebeard’s noble character, however, prevented this intrigue.

However, it later became apparent that he was somewhat critical of “Absolute Justice” after all. While Akainu still wanted to continue slaughtering the fleeing pirates, he declared the war over at Shanks’ request. He was also very angry about the Gorousei’s behavior towards the Impel Down incident.

Since he no longer holds the post of Grand Admiral, Sengoku has become much more relaxed and carefree, reminiscent of Garp’s character. Thus, he laughed when he heard what kind of quarrel Fujitora and the acting Grand Admiral Sakazuki had.

Skills, strength and power

As the supreme commander over the entire force of the navy, Sengoku had absolute power over every action of the navy two years ago. Only the 5 Wise Men of the World Government and Kong, the general commander of all World Government units, stood above him and could give him orders. Further evidence of his formidable strength is his respect from the strongest man in the world, Whitebeard, and that he was able to join Garp in a victory against Shiki, one of the strongest pirates of his time. Although he is already almost 80 years old, he was able, together with Issho and Crane, to defeat the pirate Jack and his fleet, on whose head a billion berries are offered.

Furthermore, he ate from a cryptid zoan that allows him to transform into a giant Buddha statue with almost unbelievable strength. To protect Ace, Luffy used the Gum Gum Gigant Balloon and Galdino erected another Candle Wall behind it. Sengoku only hit it with one fist, causing Luffy to spit a lot of blood, shattering the Candle Wall and causing the scaffold to collapse in on itself.

Another of his abilities is firing shockwaves. What he creates them from is unknown, but they are powerful enough to blow away the entire Blackbeard gang, with the exception of San-Juan Wolf, causing tremendous damage.

But even without his devil powers, he has tremendous physical strength. Thus he managed to push Garp, who wanted to kill Admiral Akainu, to the ground and hold him. Furthermore, he is able to use all three types of Haki.

However, Sengoku can score points not only for his strength, but also for his tactical thinking, for which he is admired. For the Battle of Marine Ford, he devised a cunning plan to destroy the pirates. Unfortunately for him, however, his opponent was Whitebeard, who was his equal as a tactician and countered his every move. During his time as Vice Admiral, he coordinated the campaign against the Donquixote pirate gang, which was known at the time as the most dangerous gang in the North Blue.

Past

Education

Sengoku joined the Navy along with Garp and Kranich 56 years ago. Sengoku developed a deep and long friendship with his two comrades.

Meeting with Rosinante

Thirty-one years ago, Sengoku met young Rosinante, who had just lost his father because his brother blamed him for their situation and shot him. Sengoku took Rosinante in and trained him to be a marine. To him, Rosinante soon became something like his own son.
At the request of Rosinante, who 14 years later held the rank of frigate captain, the latter was infiltrated into Doflamingo’s gang as a double agent. Rosinante hid the devil powers he acquired during his time with Sengoku from his brother and used them to secretly pass information to Sengoku about Doflamingo’s plans. He also simultaneously approved Vergo’s transfer to Naval Base G-5.

Fight against Shiki

News arrived at naval headquarters that there was trouble between Roger and Shiki. Garp took up the cause, but Sengoku asked him to stay, as he wanted to take on Shiki himself. Garp only replied that he could have the glory on his own, which was not what Sengoku was about at all.

Twenty-four years ago, Gol D. Roger turned himself in to the Navy because he was deathly ill. Through this information, the “flying pirate” Shiki came to headquarters to see what happened to his rivals. After learning the truth, Sengoku along with Garp confronted the pirates, destroying large portions of Marine Ford. However, the two Marine officers won the battle and Shiki ended up in Impel Down, where he later escaped, however.

Buster Call on Ohara

Twenty years ago, Sengoku was an admiral. During that time, he received orders from the world government to carry out a secret mission. The mission consisted of wiping out Ohara Island in the Westblue with a Buster Call, should there be evidence there that archaeologists were guilty of illegally deciphering the Poneglyph. Sengoku gave Spandine, then director of the CP9, his golden Den-den Mushi. Every admiral has such a Den-den Mushi, with which he can initiate a Buster Call. Spandine’s job now consisted of investigating the island, interrogating the archaeologists, and initiating the Buster Call in case evidence was found. Furthermore, it was Sengoku’s job to determine the five Vice Admirals who would be involved in the Buster Call. Among these five were Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Jaguar D. Saul.

After the arrest of Nico Olvia, Sengoku informed Saul about his role in the planned mission. Saul protested this plan and tried to convince Sengoku that the archaeologists were just scientists interested in history. But Sengoku followed his orders and advised Saul to do the same. Later, Sengoku learns that Nico Olvia has been freed by Saul and both are on the run. Since this jeopardized the mission, Sengoku ordered his men to search for the two and kill them if necessary!

After carrying out the mission, Sengoku was informed by Spandine that an archaeologist had escaped: Eight-year-old Nico Robin. Thus, she posed a threat to the world government. Sengoku and other high ranking heads of the Navy set her bounty at 79,000,000.

Loss of Rosinante

Thirteen years ago, Sengoku received word from Rosinante that he was on his way to find a cure with a boy from Flevance who had Hakuen Syndrome, furthermore Rosinante also wanted to keep him from his brother’s influence so he interrupted his undercover mission for the time being. Half a year later, he heard Doflamingo trying to get the OP fruit. He informed Sengoku of Doflamingo’s plans, but concealed from him that he was heading to Minion himself. After the events on Minion, word reached Sengoku that an officer of Doflamingo’s gang had been found dead, but to his chagrin it was Rosinante, at which Sengoku shed bitter tears. That day, Sengoku felt, four things were lost on Minion: The lives of the pirates who were to give Doflamingo the Devil Fruit, the OP Fruit itself, Rosinante’s life, and the boy Rosinante was trying to save, whose name Sengoku could never learn.

Present

Gathering of the Samurai

After Crocodile was defeated by Luffy and stripped of his rank as one of the 7 Samurai of the Seas, Sengoku summoned the remaining six Samurai of the Seas to Mary Geoise. At this meeting, a successor to Crocodile was to be discussed. As expected, not all of the samurai showed up at this meeting. When Sengoku entered the room, only Bartholomew Kuma and Donquixote Doflamingo had appeared, alongside naval personnel such as Vice Admiral Crane. To the surprise of all present, even Mihawk Hawkeye, whom no one would have expected, appeared a little late. A little later still, everyone was surprised again, this time by the unexpected appearance of Laffitte, who proposed his captain, Marshall D. Teach, as the new samurai. Sengoku initially rejected this, as no one would take an unknown pirate seriously. But Laffitte informed him that they already had a plan to make a name for themselves among the pirates. He then disappeared again and told everyone to remember the name of his crew already: The Blackbeard Gang.

Later, Sengoku was seen with Garp and Bartholomew Kuma in Mary Geoise. He was upset that Bear did not capture or eliminate the Straw Hat Pirates and seemed concerned since their log port leads them directly to Marine HQ.

During the Straw Hat Pirates’s stay in the Sabaody Archipelago, Sengoku commented in Mary Geoise “Luffy’s knack for getting into one thing after another.” Sengoku was very irritated by Luffy’s attack on the world aristocrat Saint Charlos and the supposed taking of his father and sister hostage. As a result, Admiral Kizaru volunteers to go to the Sabaody Archipelago to take care of the problem. After all, an attack on one of the world’s aristocrats results in one of the three admirals himself going in pursuit.

Shiki’s Revenge

This information comes from One Piece Movie 10

At the beginning of the 10th movie, Sengoku was seen together with Garp in Marine Ford. There, he watched as Shiki, using his devil powers, dropped an entire fleet of warships on the naval headquarters. While Sengoku was amazed that he was still alive, the Vice Admiral wondered where he had been for the last 20 years and if he had returned to take his revenge on the world. After Shiki’s defeat at the hands of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, he was seen in his office commenting that it was a shame that the world was saved by pirates.

Bad news from Impel Down

When Sengoku was given the news of Luffy’s break-in to the most secure prison in the World Government, he was beside himself. Remembering that only Shiki had managed to break out so far, he was beginning to blame even Garp for Luffy’s actions. However, the latter only made fun of Sengoku’s tantrums.

As if this bad news were not enough for the Grand Admiral, who already had his hands full preparing for war with Whitebeard, another bad incident occurred. Blackbeard disappeared without a trace from the meeting of the Samurai and appeared in Impel Down, which he now attacked. However, Sengoku could not help as all forces were needed in Marine Ford.

The decisive battle of the navy

In the wake of Portgas D. Ace’s execution, 100,000 Marines were assembled at Marine Ford. On the scaffold, Ace had already been kneeling for three hours before an assembled force. Sengoku informed Garp that he would now say all. The Grand Admiral came upstairs to the prisoner and surprisingly asked him his father’s name. Ace replied that he considered his idol Whitebeard to be his only father. Sengoku, on the other hand, proved him wrong and informed that his mother, Portgas D. Rouge, was able to delay his birth for more than a year so that he would not be persecuted. All the soldiers are puzzled as to why they were just told this now. At the end, Sengoku still said that Ace is the son of the biggest scum of the seas – Portgas D. Ace is the son of the pirate king Gol D. Roger.

Shortly after this speech, Whitebeard appeared and the battle began. Sengoku had planned everything ahead: First he let the pirates advance further and further towards the scaffold, and then he surrounded them with the Pacifista. Whitebeard, however, had his men fight in all directions, so the plan was changed and the Pacifista fired on everything around them. Now an intrigue was to weaken the enemy: A lie from Akainu animated Squard to attack Edward Newgate with his sword. According to Sengoku’s plan, the pirates were to fall away from him, but the pirate’s noble character prevented this. The strongest man in the world now intervened in the battle himself, but stopped at an extended wall that was not even damaged by his devil fruit. Through the prostrate body of Little Oars Jr. the pirates were able to escape one of the traps of the Grand Admiral once again. Later, the giant also stood up again and tore down a large piece of the rampart. Thus all plans had failed, and with Garp’s defeat of Luffy, the Straw Hat Pirate now stood on the scaffold, ready to save his brother.

Sengoku now wanted to execute Ace with his own hands. He activated his devil powers and punched him, but the blow was cushioned by Luffy and Galdino. Although the scaffold now collapsed, the two managed to free Ace with a wax key.

Later in the battle, both Ace and Whitebeard died. The latter was finally finished off by Blackbeard and stripped of his devil powers, which meant Teach now had two devil powers and declared war on the entire world, after which he began to lay waste to Marine Ford. However, Sengoku attacked him and his gang with a massive shockwave to stop this.

Shortly thereafter, Blackbeard also challenged him to defend these ideals and a brief battle ensued. In the meantime, the battle went on rather one-sided: the pirates tried to flee, but the navy pursued and slaughtered them like berserkers. Very few soldiers, such as Tashigi or Smoker, could not grasp such a thing. Koby, too, saw his naval ideals violated and threw himself in front of Sakazuki with the intention of stopping him. The latter, of course, did not want to stop and attacked, but the Yonkou Shanks saved the young soldier. He called on the entire navy to fight him if they were still burning for it. Sengoku, who had some respect for Shanks, saw that the navy had achieved its goals and, to the relief of many, called an end to the war.

After the war

Shortly after the battle, Sengoku sat down alone in the city until he received news from Brannew. Magellan was said to be near death due to the outbreak, and several level 6 prisoners were said to have escaped. Knowing Magellan, he surely will want to take the situation upon himself by committing suicide, which must be prevented. Sengoku gave the order to immediately issue wanted posters with the prisoners. Brannew only replied that the government, that is, the Gorousei, want to keep the incident secret, which makes Sengoku extremely upset.

He then went to Mary Geoise, where he resigned his commission as Fleet Admiral with Commander General Kong. Nevertheless, just like Garp, he was to remain in the Navy and train young soldiers.

Z’s rampage

This information comes from One Piece Movie 11

During the 11th movie, Sengoku, who had become Chief Inspector of the Navy in the meantime, was seen talking to Garp about her former companion Zephyr, who had taken up a criminal career in the meantime.

Transport from Doflamingo

After Luffy defeated Doflamingo on Dress Rosa and Fujitora captured him, Sengoku accompanied Vice Admiral Crane. They were to pick up Doflamingo and take him to Impel Down. Arriving on Dress Rosa, Sengoku was later amused to hear that Fujitora did not capture Luffy and Law because he let this decide a dice game. Further, he noted that he had heard about Fujitora’s argument between him and Sakazuki, and stated that he was glad he was no longer a Grand Admiral. Sengoku also donated some of his blood, from which Mansherry used her devil powers to make effective medicinal plants for the people of Dress Rosa. When Fujitora decided to capture the Straw Hat and Law, Law took the opportunity to speak with Sengoku about Rosinante. Sengoku confirmed to Law that the latter had worked for the Navy and had meant a lot to Sengoku himself, so his loss hit him hard. When Law stated that he was also a D. carrier, he asked Sengoku if he knew anything about it, to which Law replied in the negative. He speculated, however, that it had been the reason Rosinante had saved Law’s life. For Rosinante’s sake, however, Sengoku did not arrest Law.

Later, he, Fujitora and Crane were on a naval ship to take Doflamingo to Impel Down. During the trip, Sengoku advised Fujitora to apologize to Sakazuki. Fujitora refused, saying he also had his pride. Later, the convoy was attacked by Jack. However, Jack failed to free Doflamingo.

The Levely in Mary Geoise

While preparations for the Levely were in full swing and the invited Regents were arriving at Mary Geoise, Sengoku was also at the New Marineford. Grand Admiral Sakazuki had his hands full and was loudly complaining about Fujitora, which Sengoku also overheard. He stuck his head into Sakazuki’s office and jokingly commented on the latter’s tantrums that working as a Grand Admiral must be annoying, which only made his counterpart angrier.

After the Levely was over, and thus the Samurai of the Seas system was abolished, Sengoku was present at a meeting of several marines. Brannew briefed those present on the latest incidents. On the occasion of the impending alliance between the two emperors Big Mom and Kaidou, the former Grand Admiral intervened and told of the Rocks Pirates as well as their captain Rocks D. Xebec. These bullied the sea 40 years ago and these same two emperors were once members of the crew, as well as Shiki and Captain John among others. He went into more detail, telling of the God Valley incident, in which Garp allied with Roger and became a “hero of the Navy” by defeating the Rocks pirates. Some bounties were then presented and Sakazuki entered the room with the comment that Wano Country would be left alone as there was simply a lack of men. Sengoku then left the room, but before doing so he addressed Kozuki Oden, saying that it can’t be a coincidence that the biggest pirates are always associated with the land of the samurai.

Miscellaneous

• His name could be a pun on Son Goku from Dragon Ball, of whom Eiichiro Oda is a huge fan. This could also be taken as a reference to Sengoku’s power and strength.
• In the SBS to Volume 65, Oda drew the Navy’s former highest-ranking soldiers as children, including Sengoku. 
• His favorite dish is okaki (Japanese rice crackers).
• His motto is “Acting Justice” (jap. 君臨する正義, Kunrinsuru Seigi).