One Piece has dozens of dangerous characters fans would never want to meet, but a couple of its most intimidating Marine Admirals finally showed a softer side, proving they were more complex villains than initially believed. The Egghead Island arc shed some light on many of the series’ mysteries and showcased a lot more of the formidable abilities of the Five Elders and Admiral Kizaru. However, one of the brightest villains successfully added more depth to One Piece‘s capable but often stoic Admirals.

What began as an infiltration mission with the Government Assassin’s CPO quickly escalated into an ordeal that summoned the full might of a Buster Call, battles with the World Government’s Five Elders, and the Glint-Glint Fruit using Admiral Kizaru. While the Marines were ordered to kill Dr.Vegapunk, chapter #1124 revealed that the Admirals, known for their vibrant personalities, have more empathy than they have previously let on.

Dr.Vegapunk was more than One Piece‘s smartest man; he was one of the only friends that Kizaru had ever gained during his years of loyal servitude. Although the Admiral did blow a hole through his friend’s chest, his face was wrecked with tearful regret when Fleet Admiral Sakazuki called to berate him about the World Government’s failures. It was a conversation that also saw the hot-headed Sakazuki melt for the first time.

The Events On Egghead Island Damaged Previously Unshakable Ideas Of Justice

One Piece‘s Egghead Arc Is The First Arc Of The Series Final Saga

Admirals are some of One Piece‘s strongest characters, and Eiichiro Oda has written their personalities to be synonymous with the brand of justice they practice. Sakasuki demonstrated absolute justice when he killed Marines who disobeyed him during the Marineford arc. Kizaru practiced unclear justice by blindly following orders, making it difficult to determine where his morals lie. With Kizaru reflecting on what he’d done to Dr.Vegapunk, it prompted him to ask Sakasuki if he’d ever had to kill a best friend. The conversation proved that both men are more than the justice they’ve enforced.

One Piece’s story has delivered foreboding foreshadowing through Luffy who believes that the friends he’s partying with could soon become his enemies.

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The ideals of the harsh Fleet Admiral have been challenged multiple times since he was introduced, but his conversation with Admiral Kizaru was the first time he showed any sign of wavering or feeling bad for his actions. After Sengoku retired as the Marine’s Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki and Kuzan battled on Punk Hazard for ten days straight, with the Magma Fruit user winning and sparing the other Admiral. This made Kuzan quit the Marines, fracturing the brotherly bond the Admirals that fought together on Marineford shared. Still, that fight may have affected Sakazuki more than readers realize.

Emotionally Compromised Admirals Add A Wild Card To The Narrative

Admiral Kizaru May Now Think Twice Before Blindly Following Orders

It’s possible that the loss of Kuzan left an emotional toll on Sakazuki, which led him to be more supportive of Kizaru’s sudden outburst of emotion. Either way, the Admirals have been serving the World Government’s will, which took a considerable hit to its credibility during the events of Egghead Island, causing many Marines to reevaluate their lives and what they are fighting for. The final chapters of Egghead, arguably one of the series’ best arcs, showed the ordinarily stable and powerful Marine Admirals crack, and it could be a crack that grows larger in One Piece‘s final arcs.