The question of good and evil in One Piece is one of the most recurring one and Eiichiro Oda has to clear it out for one aspect of the series.
SUMMARY
The battle of Navy and Pirates have raised a lot of questions but the biggest one is who is the evil one among them.
While there are certainly some evil characters in the Marines, it also has some wise characters.
However, their association with the Celestial Dragons makes them impossible to redeem.
One of the biggest questions that One Piece fans have been wondering about since the start of the series is who the evil entity in the narrative is. Ideally, in the real world, the pirates are deemed bad, and the authorities that save the general mass from them are considered good. However, with One Piece this approach has been completely changed.
One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation
As fans know, the One Piece story is majorly based on the adventures of pirates of all sorts, belonging to both sides of the coin. Some of them are good, like Luffy, Shanks, etc., while some of them just want to wreak havoc and battle for power and authority, like Blackbeard and Kaido. And the same goes for the Marines, who are the rival force against the pirates.
While some Marines are inherently wise and good, like Koby and Garp, others are portrayed in the most devilish manner, like Akainu. But the thing that makes the Navy completely evil and irredeemable is their association with the World Government and essentially the Celestial Dragons of One Piece, who are the most ruthless jurisdiction in the series.
The question of good and evil in One Piece
The aspect of morality is one of the biggest elements of the One Piece narrative. When the series started, Eiichiro Oda made it look like the Navy was evil by introducing characters like Captain Nezumi and “Axe-Hand” Morgan. This made fans sympathize with the pirates, especially the protagonist crew, the Straw Hat Pirates.
However, when the story moved forward, characters like Garp, Sengoku, Fujitora, and Koby were introduced who tipped the scales of the Navy by portraying the good side of it. Fans understood that just like any other organization, the Navy is filled with both good and bad characters. Still, it was difficult to put them in one category that could perfectly define them.
They are one of the most significant organizations in One Piece, and thus, their role during the final war will be very crucial. This is why there have been speculations that the Navy might try to redeem itself by going against the World Government and helping Luffy liberate the One Piece world.
The Marines might have a hard time defending themselves
Although there is a possibility that the Navy might try to redeem itself by going against the World Government, it won’t be as easy as it sounds. This is because the Navy has been associated with the World Government (controlled by the Celestial Dragons) for the longest time. They have been following the most ruthless orders without questioning them at all.
Celestial Dragons | Credit: Toei AnimationWhile there have been some Marines who share no interest in following the orders of the Celestial Dragons, they still have to forcefully do it because of the chain of command.
The Celestial Dragons are in all aspects cruel and evil, and they only care about what’s best for them. They are ignorant of real-world problems and are happily living in their bubble.
Not only that, their everyday livelihood in One Piece is the result of the death of thousands of slaves who are treated in the worst way possible. And somewhere, even the Marines are responsible for the torture that is placed on them, making them an accomplice. Thus, it would be almost impossible for Oda to redeem the Marines and make fans sympathize with them.
