I will keep this brief and to the point lol. So I had planned to do this post in the past, and I wanted to do a post on my speculations about Akainu’s tattoo and how it relates to his overall character. I was thinking about the time Oda drew Akainu gardening:
And I remember thinking how weird it was that Oda drew a character like Akainu caring for plant life lol. I mean, this is the guy who sunk a ship full of innocent civilians to prevent a single criminal from escaping among them. You’re telling me this guy raises and nurtures plants?
Akainu also wears a rose as part of his Admiral attire:
And his overall design seems to be around a theme of gardening.
1. His Flower tattoo
2. Flowers being all over his Admiral attire
3. The fact that he spends time gardening
So, what gives? What is Oda getting at here?
I decided to do some research into Volcanos, to see if there was some kind of connection between Volcanos and Vegetation.
And I was very impressed with what I found:
According to just
one source:
“Volcanoes can be destructive, but volcanic action can lead to the formation of fertile soils. Volcanic activity is traditionally associated with the
destruction of lives and property because events such as eruption can decimate all living things. However, the process of eruption is characterized by different processes which ultimately lead to the formation of
new materials including
rocks and soil with volcanic soils formed through this process. They are
among the most fertile in the world.”
Now I’m no geologist, so without getting too scientific, the results of my research is that Volcanic Eruptions, while extremely destructive, are also capable of producing extremely fertile soil, which can result in lush vegetation and beautiful plant-life.
Thinking about this on a deeper level, I think this is the reason Oda gave Akainu a Magma Devil Fruit. On a symbolic level, Akainu’s incredibly destructive Devil Fruit is meant to represent his brutal philosophy of Thorough Justice: that evil must be obliterated without a trace.
However, much like Volcanic eruptions can eventually produce new plants and vegetation (in other words,
life), I think Akainu’s goal isn’t destruction for destruction’s sake, but rather is destruction in the name of a better world, and ultimately of new life.
Akainu believes that only by thoroughly destroying all evil, can a world of good be born. Akainu does care for life on some level, as illustrated by the symbolism around his “Flower” theme. Flowers are typically associated with beauty, much like the world Akainu envisions as a result of his actions. At least, this is what I think.
I think Akainu has a great character design. His appearance, Devil Fruit, and character are all meant to serve as symbolic representation of who he is as a character, and his philosophies on Justice and the creation of a better, more beautiful world.
TL;DR-Akainu is
LITERALLY THE THANOS OF ONE PIECE COME TO SNAP THE YONKO OUT OF EXISTENCE a really well-designed character.
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