The Blackbeard Pirates have been rather busy in One Piece but Kuzan will not get away with defeating Garp, putting a huge target on his head.
SUMMARY
One Piece might be setting up for more bounty increases that aren’t for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Kuzan doesn’t have a pirate bounty yet and his part in imprisoning Monkey D. Garp will make it higher than any starting bounty.
Blackbeard might also see an increase for defeating the Heart Pirates and Garp’s imprisonment, surpassing Shanks’ bounty.
The world of One Piece doesn’t revolve around the Straw Hat Pirates. It involves the politics of so many different characters from different crews and walks of life and nobody is more distinct from Luffy than Blackbeard and his crew.
Bounties will affect any pirate who defies the World Government and will increase with any action and the Blackbeard Pirates were busy in that regard. Beyond defeating the Heart Pirates on Winner Island, they also took Monkey D. Garp, the Hero of the Marines, as their prisoner. But the key player here wasn’t Blackbeard, it was Kuzan.
Kuzan’s past with Garp in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]
While the Straw Hats were trying to survive a Buster Call, the Blackbeard Pirates abducted Koby, defeated Garp, and imprisoned him instead on Hachinosu. With these actions, Blackbeard’s bounty has to increase, but curiously, Kuzan’s bounty hasn’t been decided as a new pirate. What’s taking so long for his bounty?
Kuzan’s bounty will be the highest a rookie pirate will ever get
Kuzan fighting Garp in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]
Kuzan, also known as Aokiji, was in the Marines and not just any Marine, he was an Admiral. He was taught by Garp himself in his youth, having a great dynamic with the Vice Admiral. Now, he’s a Blackbeard Pirate after not wanting to be under Akainu’s control.
This made Garp’s imprisonment even more bitter and emotional, considering Kuzan was key to defeating the Vice Admiral. He had to fight his former mentor head-on after defecting from the Marines. It must not have been easy for the Admiral-turned-Blackbeard Pirate but he had to do it.
The fight between Garp and Kuzan was incredible. It was emotional in all the right places, thanks to Eiichiro Oda and Toei Animation’s brilliance. However, the World Government isn’t going to let Kuzan get away with it. His bounty hasn’t been decided yet as a new pirate in the game but he might surpass 3 billion berries for Garp’s defeat.
If this prediction is true and he gets a bounty worth more than 3 billion, his will be the highest-known starting bounty in the history of One Piece. He would surpass the Worst Generation’s bounties easily. Whether he’s undercover for the Marines or truly found his freedom, Kuzan is a threat to the World Government.
Other potential bounty increases in One Piece
Sai and Leo beat St Charlos, a Celestial Dragon, in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]
Blackbeard not only decimated the Heart Pirates but also was responsible for taking Charlotte Pudding and Monkey D. Garp prisoner. A captain and Emperor would be considered more threatening than the crew. Thus, Teach’s bounty could potentially go above 4 billion berries, surpassing Shanks. However, Luffy might be a more likely candidate for that.
Other unexpected bounty increases might be Sai and Leo who you might remember from the Dressrosa Arc. The two flattened St Charlos’ head when he attempted to enslave Shirahoshi. However, their actions will not be ignored by the World Government. Their bounties might increase by 300 million each, if not more with their affiliation with Luffy.