I will use this thread to present an in-depth analysis of Sakazuki's portrayal, naturally this will include other characters mainly Wb & Aokiji.
Considering the final saga just started, there couldn't be a better time to revisit Akainu's portrayal so far to better help tune our expectations in the future. Hope you enjoy this read as much as I did making it.
Whitebeard
Due to the maximum number of images allowed I had to include Oldbeard in a different thread. It is advised to read it first as it completes the narrative I'm going for
Link-> Oldbeard Respect Thread
Akainu
First half of the war
Akainu and Whitebeard's exchange
Chasing after Luffy
The war ends
Akainu vs Aokiji
Hints on who will fight Akainu
Considering the final saga just started, there couldn't be a better time to revisit Akainu's portrayal so far to better help tune our expectations in the future. Hope you enjoy this read as much as I did making it.
Whitebeard
Due to the maximum number of images allowed I had to include Oldbeard in a different thread. It is advised to read it first as it completes the narrative I'm going for
Link-> Oldbeard Respect Thread
Akainu
First half of the war
War starts with admirals showcasing their well tuned CoO by detecting Wb's activity underwater from far away
We get a first look at Akainu's fruit power. After he evaporated Jozu's ice block, his magma fist exploded on its own dealing heavy damage to the other side, even took one Wb's 3 ships with it. This shows how this fruit unintentionally has high lethality and aoe. Small possibility but he may have triggered the explosion himself.
Oda uses this chance to pair up Whitebeard and Akainu from the get go. From his first scene Oda establishes the admiral hierarchy.
Akainu then sets his eyes on the prize, as you'll see later he never hesitated a second to achieve this goal
Then comes his meteor volcano that he spammed for a couple of minutes, really shows how busted his fruit is
In this badass hands in pocket form, Akainu faces Wb for the first time in the most stylish of entrances. He manages to totally negate the quake bisento with his leg.
He then clashes equally with the gura fruit which I've already shown how destructive it can be. First showing of Akainu's haki strength
During this interaction Akainu complains about Whitebeard destroying the town, Wb ofcourse is nerfing his powers but it also shows how Akainu is not using a fraction of his devil fruit powers, especially when you know how Punk Hazard's weather changed permanently after his 10 day deathmatch with Aokiji
This screams logia awakening
Wb then get a heart attack, Akainu takes this opportunity to open a hole in his chest. What separates Akainu's power from ACoC attacks is that you cannot retrieve your strength after this, no amount of food Luffy e.g. can eat that can compensate for having a hole in his chest with his insides burnt. This is what Oda meant by the most offensive devil fruit.
After Ace escaped, Sakazuki remained calm and composed. This tenacity is not something Sengoku showed during the time.
Really contradicts how people perceive Akainu as some mindless bull who charges forward without hesitation, when in fact he's one of the more intelligent characters, able to maintain his composure in the direst of situations.
He then displays how cunning he is by the playing with Ace's emotions and urging him to challenge him.
In the most raw panel in the manga, Akainu busts a hole in Ace, a logia, and kills him with one blow. Umatched Ap.
Jinbe jumps in to block what seems to be projectile magma, note how Jinbe used water to block and to put out the fire from his hand
Bottom left has a line that is slept on. We know Akainu is not someone to boast himself or go after glory, he's a straight shooter. He tells Jinbe as a former WG associate that he should know of his personal strength, not the admirals in general. This is straightforward portrayal that Akainu is special among his peers.
Marco and Vista, who are YC of the utmost caliber, couldn't do any significant damage and were described as irritating by Sakazuki. This is the second showing of Akainu's incredible haki. Combined with his logia intangiability, his durability is no joke, I can't think of any other than Linlin, Kaido and Nika who boast better durability.
We get a first look at Akainu's fruit power. After he evaporated Jozu's ice block, his magma fist exploded on its own dealing heavy damage to the other side, even took one Wb's 3 ships with it. This shows how this fruit unintentionally has high lethality and aoe. Small possibility but he may have triggered the explosion himself.
Oda uses this chance to pair up Whitebeard and Akainu from the get go. From his first scene Oda establishes the admiral hierarchy.
Akainu then sets his eyes on the prize, as you'll see later he never hesitated a second to achieve this goal
Then comes his meteor volcano that he spammed for a couple of minutes, really shows how busted his fruit is
In this badass hands in pocket form, Akainu faces Wb for the first time in the most stylish of entrances. He manages to totally negate the quake bisento with his leg.
He then clashes equally with the gura fruit which I've already shown how destructive it can be. First showing of Akainu's haki strength
During this interaction Akainu complains about Whitebeard destroying the town, Wb ofcourse is nerfing his powers but it also shows how Akainu is not using a fraction of his devil fruit powers, especially when you know how Punk Hazard's weather changed permanently after his 10 day deathmatch with Aokiji
This screams logia awakening
Wb then get a heart attack, Akainu takes this opportunity to open a hole in his chest. What separates Akainu's power from ACoC attacks is that you cannot retrieve your strength after this, no amount of food Luffy e.g. can eat that can compensate for having a hole in his chest with his insides burnt. This is what Oda meant by the most offensive devil fruit.
After Ace escaped, Sakazuki remained calm and composed. This tenacity is not something Sengoku showed during the time.
Really contradicts how people perceive Akainu as some mindless bull who charges forward without hesitation, when in fact he's one of the more intelligent characters, able to maintain his composure in the direst of situations.
He then displays how cunning he is by the playing with Ace's emotions and urging him to challenge him.
In the most raw panel in the manga, Akainu busts a hole in Ace, a logia, and kills him with one blow. Umatched Ap.
Jinbe jumps in to block what seems to be projectile magma, note how Jinbe used water to block and to put out the fire from his hand
Bottom left has a line that is slept on. We know Akainu is not someone to boast himself or go after glory, he's a straight shooter. He tells Jinbe as a former WG associate that he should know of his personal strength, not the admirals in general. This is straightforward portrayal that Akainu is special among his peers.
Marco and Vista, who are YC of the utmost caliber, couldn't do any significant damage and were described as irritating by Sakazuki. This is the second showing of Akainu's incredible haki. Combined with his logia intangiability, his durability is no joke, I can't think of any other than Linlin, Kaido and Nika who boast better durability.
Akainu and Whitebeard's exchange
Then comes bloodlusted Wb from behind, from the way Ace is shown in the panel you know this is some serious business, sending Akainu to hell was his last life act.
Akainu immediately retaliates from this cheapshot by melting a third of Wb's head. However in exchange for this mortal blow, while he's still hanging in the air, Wb lands the infamous island splitter. Comparing this with the commanders' attacks, we can safely say that Wb in his final rage moments used all his might to kill Akainu
Akainu doesn't lose conciousness but instead curses Wb on his way down. Note the bottom left corner how Akainu loses his footing due to Wb splitting the island.
When you evaluate the whole skirmish, Whitebeard was the one who ultimately lost the exchange due to suffering a mortal injury, and that's after he was the one to initiate the fight by attacking Akainu from behind.
Akainu immediately retaliates from this cheapshot by melting a third of Wb's head. However in exchange for this mortal blow, while he's still hanging in the air, Wb lands the infamous island splitter. Comparing this with the commanders' attacks, we can safely say that Wb in his final rage moments used all his might to kill Akainu
Akainu doesn't lose conciousness but instead curses Wb on his way down. Note the bottom left corner how Akainu loses his footing due to Wb splitting the island.
When you evaluate the whole skirmish, Whitebeard was the one who ultimately lost the exchange due to suffering a mortal injury, and that's after he was the one to initiate the fight by attacking Akainu from behind.
Chasing after Luffy
The red circle marks the spot where Akainu fell. During the time it took Wb's death to take place, Akainu didn't waste time by flying accross this gap to the other side, continuing on his promise to not let Luffy leave the island alive. There was no point in continuing the fight with Wb after the mortal blow.
Akainu digs the tunnel all the way to appear infront of Jinbe showing explosive power in the process.
He blitzes through a revolutionary commander blocking his way
After Blackbeard went lunatic with his new power, Akainu gave the I'm going after your ass later look but continues with his main goal and leaves Bb for Sengoku.
He then catches up to Jinbe who tries to attack him with no use, he effortlessly penetrates Jinbe, Luffy gets his eternal scar.
Even after Croco cleaves him in two, he immediately throws this massive magma fist after Luffy.
He's finally confronted by 14 accomplished Wb commanders and Crocodile in this sexy doublespread. His immediate reaction was to ask why they were willing to give up their lives for Luffy. He disregards their small talk and gets straight into business. In the end he managed to push back the whole group before Coby went on his tantrum.
Akainu digs the tunnel all the way to appear infront of Jinbe showing explosive power in the process.
He blitzes through a revolutionary commander blocking his way
After Blackbeard went lunatic with his new power, Akainu gave the I'm going after your ass later look but continues with his main goal and leaves Bb for Sengoku.
He then catches up to Jinbe who tries to attack him with no use, he effortlessly penetrates Jinbe, Luffy gets his eternal scar.
Even after Croco cleaves him in two, he immediately throws this massive magma fist after Luffy.
He's finally confronted by 14 accomplished Wb commanders and Crocodile in this sexy doublespread. His immediate reaction was to ask why they were willing to give up their lives for Luffy. He disregards their small talk and gets straight into business. In the end he managed to push back the whole group before Coby went on his tantrum.
The war ends
Shanks jumps out of nowhere to block Akainu from attacking Coby, Akainu is shocked and seen sweating.
What to understand from this scene is: Akainu, as worn out as he was, was still aiming for Luffy's head. There are 2 main reasons why Akainu didn't attack Shanks:
1. Shanks wasn't on the offensive, he only blocked the attack
2. It is not Akainu's place to start another war with yet another yonko crew, this decision belongs to Sengoku.
Akainu insults Shanks and tells Aokiji to assault the submarine, which Kizaru too joined in later. This disproves any nonsensical ideas that Akainu was afraid of Shanks.
Shanks and Sengoku do some politics and end the war, Akainu is still pissed he couldn't secure Luffy's body.
A month after the war he goes solo after the BBPs, whom basically almost amount to a yonko crew. They flee him so fast that they forget to take Bonney with them
What to understand from this scene is: Akainu, as worn out as he was, was still aiming for Luffy's head. There are 2 main reasons why Akainu didn't attack Shanks:
1. Shanks wasn't on the offensive, he only blocked the attack
2. It is not Akainu's place to start another war with yet another yonko crew, this decision belongs to Sengoku.
Akainu insults Shanks and tells Aokiji to assault the submarine, which Kizaru too joined in later. This disproves any nonsensical ideas that Akainu was afraid of Shanks.
Shanks and Sengoku do some politics and end the war, Akainu is still pissed he couldn't secure Luffy's body.
A month after the war he goes solo after the BBPs, whom basically almost amount to a yonko crew. They flee him so fast that they forget to take Bonney with them
Akainu vs Aokiji
Some people use this fight to downplay Akainu and bring him closer to the other admirals, I think they're making a mistake for 2 reasons:
1. Rayleigh described how haki blooms occur when fighting strong opponents, and a 10 day fight with another admiral is no joke. Akainu got a boost from it + the war
2. Aokiji's devil fruit allows him to nullify Akainu's magma, leaving it to be a battle of attrition. Not to underestimate Aokiji, I still believe he's #2 after Akainu, but as admirals go his ability is the worst matchup of Akainu.
Note here the speed by which Aokiji jumped from his chair and appeared infront of Whitebeard, basically in a flash of a second the whole tsunami was frozen. During his debut he could freeze an entire ocean where it stays frozen for a week. The fact that punk hazard is split between the two clears up how their abilities nullified each other.
Aokiji casually one shotting Jozu with all his durability after a second of distraction.
1. Rayleigh described how haki blooms occur when fighting strong opponents, and a 10 day fight with another admiral is no joke. Akainu got a boost from it + the war
2. Aokiji's devil fruit allows him to nullify Akainu's magma, leaving it to be a battle of attrition. Not to underestimate Aokiji, I still believe he's #2 after Akainu, but as admirals go his ability is the worst matchup of Akainu.
Note here the speed by which Aokiji jumped from his chair and appeared infront of Whitebeard, basically in a flash of a second the whole tsunami was frozen. During his debut he could freeze an entire ocean where it stays frozen for a week. The fact that punk hazard is split between the two clears up how their abilities nullified each other.
Aokiji casually one shotting Jozu with all his durability after a second of distraction.
Hints on who will fight Akainu
Akainu has been placed in the same light as Blackbeard twice
He's the only one to break Luffy's will to the extent that he disregarded becoming the PK. Add on that Luffy's iconic throbbing scar.
When you think about it really doesn't make any sense for the manga to end without Luffy fighting an admiral, Oda definitely won't miss out on a fight of this caliber considering how all fans have been hyped up for this revenge deathmatch for more than a decade
Some people suggest Sabo as his opponent, which doesn't really make sense since not only is Akainu leagues above Sabo, but the latter is at a devil fruit disadvantage. Awakening and blue flames are some arguments suggested but it still doesn't close the gap. Revos aren't even concerned with the navy anyway but with the CDs.
As you've seen Akainu has been constantly portrayed as the top dog of this marine generation, if Luffy and Blackbeard from the pirate side will surpass the old gen, it's safe to assume that Akainu is on the same path. To think that people want to ruin this character by having him fight some nobody like Sabo. Get over your agenda lol
He's the only one to break Luffy's will to the extent that he disregarded becoming the PK. Add on that Luffy's iconic throbbing scar.
When you think about it really doesn't make any sense for the manga to end without Luffy fighting an admiral, Oda definitely won't miss out on a fight of this caliber considering how all fans have been hyped up for this revenge deathmatch for more than a decade
Some people suggest Sabo as his opponent, which doesn't really make sense since not only is Akainu leagues above Sabo, but the latter is at a devil fruit disadvantage. Awakening and blue flames are some arguments suggested but it still doesn't close the gap. Revos aren't even concerned with the navy anyway but with the CDs.
As you've seen Akainu has been constantly portrayed as the top dog of this marine generation, if Luffy and Blackbeard from the pirate side will surpass the old gen, it's safe to assume that Akainu is on the same path. To think that people want to ruin this character by having him fight some nobody like Sabo. Get over your agenda lol
He's really the finest villain this manga offered
Feel free to share your thoughts.
Feel free to share your thoughts.
@Fleet Admiral Lee Hung @MarineHQ @Extravlad @ranady @kurwa @Kurozumi Chrono @scoobie3 @Owl Ki @God Buggy @Blackbeard @Abysswalker @Lili @The White Crane @Admiral Mou Bu @AdmiralBetterr777 @silverfire @Jiihad @RayanOO @ConquistadoR @Van @King7 @TheAncientCenturion @Red Admiral @Echizen_Jo_Ndule @Kerkovian @ClownKingKinyagi @Erkan12 @GoldDiamond @God Tier Sovereignty @Bogard @centurion @Vinsmoke D. Zolo @Seth @Trueprodigy @SkySanji @Swallalala @MonsterKaido @AkainuTheGrimReaper @LANJI CUCKSMOKE @comrade @Ssg super suit coby @Kefka @Sakazuki-Singh @SakazukiTheFist @Sentinel @ShishioIsBack @Jailer @KiriNigiri @Redhair Le Fishe @Kurozumi Seven7 @ZenZu @HA001 @gz89 @Cinera @Dragon777
Last edited: