The One Piece series has stood at the top of the anime ladder for a long time. Not only is it a member of the “Big Three,” but it can also be considered its most influential series. Eiichiro Oda, the mastermind behind this epic tale, has received many plaudits for his unique story and enjoyable characters.
The current EggHead arc possibly signals the beginning of the end of the series. As the series heads towards its final arcs, Luffy’s potential enemies have been receiving a lot of attention. Characters like Blackbeard have been looking for ways to increase their powers. The Blackbeard pirates have already proven to be a terrifying force in the series. With the addition of former Marine Admiral Aokiji, the team’s strength has increased astronomically.
One Piece: Why did Aokiji Join the Blackbeard Pirates?
Aokiji has always been a symbol of strength to the Marines; his mere presence alone put his subordinates at ease. After his battle with Akainu at Punk Hazard, the former admiral was seen roaming and drinking around the sea. He left the Marines as he thought Akainu did not embody the philosophies needed by the Marines.
His adventures led him to a bar where he met Marshall D’ Teach, aka Blackbeard, and his crew. He told them the story of his battle with Akainu. Kuzan earned the emperor’s respect as they traded information about the red poneglyphs. Meanwhile, the rest of his crew was skeptical about Aokiji, telling Teach to kill him and take his devil fruit.
However, Teach did the opposite and welcomed him into this crew, asking him to become one of his captains. Although skeptical at first, Blackbeard reminded Kuzan that he’s a free man, which will soon draw the attention of the world government. Aokiji joined and became the Blackbeard pirate’s tenth titanic captain.
There is no apparent reason for him to join the Blackbeard Pirates. The popular belief is that he joined to enforce justice without shackles from the Marines. Many theories of an alleged double cross exist, but that is yet to be proven. Whatever his reasons are for joining, fans can rest assured that he is the same powerhouse he was.
