Highlights
- Admiral Kizaru is a carefree and laid-back character who takes a relaxed approach to dealing with pirates, in contrast to his strict and serious peers.
- His ideology of "Uncertain Justice" aligns with his nonchalant persona, as he sees himself as a corporate slave who follows orders rather than taking personal responsibility.
- Kizaru's cavalier attitude and unpredictable nature make it difficult to understand his actions, but he can also show seriousness in his duties when necessary, such as leading expeditions to engage with the Emperors of the Sea.
Seldom stressed, and always carefree, Admiral Kizaru is an anomaly among the Admirals that have played a part in Eiichiro Oda's One Piece till date. In direct contradiction to the hard line stances of his peers such as Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, formerly known as Akainu, or his fellow Admiral Ryokugyu, Kizaru has always taken a laid back approach to dealing with both pirates. He is never one to take the initiative in a confrontation and is more than satisfied taking orders from his superiors.
All this is tied to his idea of "Uncertain Justice," which perfectly aligns with his nonchalant persona, despite how incredibly strong he is when compared to most combatants in the pirate world. In fact, he has easily decimated most of his opponents throughout One Piece, save for some of the more powerful characters such as Silvers Rayleigh, who was once the right hand of the Pirate King. Now, as Kizaru faces off against Luffy during the climax of the Egghead Island Arc, there are many burning questions regarding his ideology and how it could affect the ongoing conflict as well as the Final Saga as a whole.
What Is "Uncertain Justice?"
More often than not, Kizaru's general air of apathy indicates that he is unconcerned with the strict code of conduct followed by the Marines. While he is polite and quite formal when speaking to most of his peers and subordinates, he can also be quite condescending towards those he deems weak, as seen in how he addressed Monkey D. Luffy during the Marineford War. Conversely, he does not appear to be very competitive, or someone who would go out of his way to excel at his job, and is content to do as he is told.
He primarily sees himself as a "corporate slave," bound by his responsibility rather than any sense of duty or honor. In this vein, Kizaru can be quite absent-minded and borderline irresponsible at times, to the point where it feels like he rarely takes anything seriously enough considering how high his rank is. At times, he has also been guilty of behaving in an extremely casual manner towards his opponents, such that he leaves himself open to attack. More often than not, it is barely a problem for him due to his Logia abilities. He also does not seem to efficiently prioritize his objectives, mainly due to his fickle-mindedness and tendency to get distracted.
That being said, he is not above taking decisions which require harsh action, when he is commanded to do so, and justifies it by believing that he has no choice in the matter, aligning with his view of himself as nothing more than a pawn. In effect, this shirking of personal responsibility is at the heart of his ideology of "Uncertain Justice," which allows him to do the bare minimum without having to deal with the consequences of his actions.
How Does It Differ From "Absolute Justice?"
Under this worldview, he deals out justice at his own pace, with little regard for what might actually be the need of the hour, in stark contrast to the way the Marines are trained to operate. His idea of "Uncertain Justice" operates between the lines of Absolute and Moral Justice, where he is neither beholden to duty nor righteousness, and only acts as he sees fit. This is a complicated outlook on its own, and Kizaru's capricious nature makes it all the more difficult to understand.
To begin with, he shows little regard for the damage caused by his abilities, as seen during the Sabaody Archipelago despite the fact that he is bound to protect civilians at any cost. Once again, he has not displayed the "ends justify the means" mentality of extremists within the Marines such as Akainu. Alternatively, he also seems to care little for the more lofty ideals of those that seek to reform the Marines like Koby or Garp. Kizaru, at his core, will never really go above and beyond the call of duty, or take on arduous assignments.
Whether this cavalier attitude is the product of his immense power, which has led him to become virtually unbothered by any assault against him, or is more related to his inherent nature, the Admiral's behavior can be perplexing. His attitude on Sabaody was extremely unbecoming of someone with his rank, as he would switch from hunting down pirates and engaging Supernovas in combat, to indifferently asking them for directions.
On the other hand, it seems that he can also take his duties more seriously, as he personally volunteered to lead expeditions to both Wano Country and Egghead Island in order to engage with Emperors of the Sea, even when Akainu seemed averse to doing so. This could stem from him feeling neglected by the World Government, as he was completely out of the running to become Fleet Admiral, and has even fallen in the pecking order with the introduction of two new faces into the ranks of the Admirals.
The Impact Of Kizaru's Ideology On Egghead
All this ties directly to his current involvement in the Egghead Island Arc, where he has been tasked with carrying out the assassination of Vegapunk, the rescue of York, and the capture of the Straw Hats who are striving to escape. Kizaru's face off against Luffy has been in the making for quite some time now in One Piece, as the Straw Hat captain finally gets his chance to pay the Admiral back for his defeat on Sabaody. In turn, Kizaru has shown special disdain for Luffy, which might have grown even more since he has now become an Emperor.
There is no doubt that the contest will be an enticing one, and it could swing either way depending on external factors that may interfere or turn the tide of the battle. Kizaru is never one to back down from a fight, and his abilities are truly terrifying in their scope and power, but he may elect to find a less exhausting way to execute his orders, rather than a long-drawn-out battle. However, Luffy has also made innumerable strides in his growth and is now more than a match for the Admiral, so the choice may not be up to Kizaru himself.
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