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Kuzan has always been a fan-favorite character in theOne Piececommunity. Being one of the three original Marine Admirals, Kuzan quickly captured the hearts of fans through his incredible powers, and slightly more sympathetic attitude towards pirates, especially Robin. In fact, compared to most members of the Marines inOne Piece, Kizaru has a fairly consistent moral compass, acting as a strong foil to Sakazuki’s more intense form of justice.
However, as many fans already know, Kuzan leaves the Marines, opting to join the ranks of the Blackbeard Pirates instead. For many, this change felt incredibly out of the blue, going from being one of the most morally upstanding members of the Navy to being on one of the mostruthless pirate crews inOne Piece. From here, many fans predict that Kuzan may have ulterior motives for joining the crew. Still, overall, despite seeming odd, Kuzan already has plenty of reasons to join the Blackbeard Pirates inOne Piece.
Kuzan Has Witnessed The Atrocities Of The Navy In One Piece
He Also Lost The Fleet Admiral To The Ruthless Akainu
Kuzan, being a former Admiral, was originally one of the strongest members of the Navy inOne Piece. Being a Marine for quite some time, Kuzan has participated in many of the horrific things that the Navy has done, including theBuster Call on Ohara. However, Kuzan, at his core, is a kind person. For example, he chose to spare Robin on Ohara, giving her a second chance at life. Still, during the Buster Call, Kuzan witnessed his fellow future Marine, Sakazuki, sink a ship of civilians that were originally supposed to leave the island.
The thing called “justice” changes its shape… Depending on where you stand. - Kuzan
Later, after the events of Marineford, Kuzan, and Sakazuki faced off for the new position ofFleet Admiral of the Navy. Sadly, Kuzan lost the battle, leading to his resignation from the Navy, which would now be controlled by his bitter rival. From here, Kuzan joined the crew of the Blackbeard Pirates, even going as far as to do some fairly villainous things, like kidnapping Pudding or fighting against Garp.
Kuzan Doesn’t Need To Have A Deeper Reason For Becoming A Villain
He Might Simply Be So Jaded With The Navy He Turns Against Them
Based on his fairly lenient personality, many fans were shocked to see Kuzan make this transition. From here, some members of the community have attempted to justify his transition to becoming a villain. MostOne Piecetheories for this involveKuzan secretly joining SWORD, the secret Marines, after resigning and simply working with Blackbeard to gather information.
However, at the same time, although some fans feel his transition came out of the blue, Kuzan becoming a villain already has plenty of motivation. Mainly, throughout his career inOne Piece’sNavy, Kuzanhas witnessed countless atrocities committed by the corrupt system, some of which he himself was forced to do. Seeing an extremely harsh and cruel figure like Sakazuki take over the Navy may have been the final straw for him, leading to Kuzan joining a pirate crew simply to try and take down the current world order.
Kuzan May Be Trying To Take Down The Navy With Blackbeard
This Could Be A Chance To Punish Them For Their Crimes
Although some fans may be looking for more, this feels like enough motivation for Kuzan to becomea villain inOne Piece. Though joining Blackbeard’s crew may be a step too far, as well as kidnapping Pudding or fighting Garp, after witnessing the horrors of both Ohara and Marineford, at this point, becoming a villain seems more reasonable than actually staying on the side of the Marines. Especially with Sakazuki in charge, Kuzan may just be upset with the current status of the Navy overall.
And remember this: I am not your ally… If you do anything, I’m the ‘enemy’ that will be the first to catch you. - Kuzan
In the end, Kuzan, being a bitter pirate and enemy ofthe Navy at this point inOne Piece, feels completely reasonable. His journey through the Marines was full of atrocities, both being witnessed and committed by him. Although it is likely that there will be a deeper reason for Kuzan joining the Blackbeard Pirates, in reality, he doesn’t really need any more motivation than he already has. In fact, it might be better if, by the end ofOne Piece, Kuzan had simply become bitter over the years.
One Piece
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One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
