When Aokiji was first introduced in One Piece, everybody instantly realized that there is an existence within the Marines that held powers beyond belief. They are the Admirals, and Aokiji is the perfect embodiment of that title. After all, the man seems to be as carefree as anyone can be, but once he gets serious, he can freeze the ocean, along with everything within and around it. His power is boundless, merciless, and seemingly unbeatable.
Along the way, more Admirals were introduced, and we finally get the chance to see that there is actually a power struggle happening within the Marines. The three Admirals are not really on friendly terms with each other. And then the time skip happened, and suddenly news broke out around the world that Aokiji has willingly resigned from his position as an Admiral. What happened during those two years after the Marineford Incident? Why did Aokiji resign from the Marines?
The Marines After The Marineford Incident
The Marineford Incident sent a heavy blow into the Pirate world. After all, in just one incident alone, they lose the man that is closest to being the Pirate King, Edward Newgate (also known as Whitebeard) and also the man that is considered to be his successor, Portgas D. Ace (also known as Fire Fist Ace). It is without a doubt a massive defeat for the Pirates.
However, that doesn’t mean the Marines left this incident unscathed either. On the contrary, the Marines lost a lot of things during the Marineford incident. From the lives of their precious officers, to the destruction of their HQ, this massive battle left a huge, gaping hole within the Marine. That being said, the biggest loss that they receive is the resignation of their Fleet Admiral, Sengoku. Though rather than resignation, it’s more accurate to say that he was retiring.
That means the new Fleet Admiral has to be appointed soon. After all, the state of the world was utterly unstable at the time. So there’s no way the Marine could go on without a proper leader. Sengoku endorsed one of the current Admirals, Aokiji, as his successor. Sengoku knew that underneath Aokiji’s carefree attitude, he is actually an honorable and merciful man who will do his best to uphold justice.
Unfortunately, there’s another Admiral that has been wanting to be the Fleet Admiral for a long time. He is Akainu, the man who killed Fire Fist Ace. He is a shrewd man who won’t hesitate to do anything in order to uphold his brand of justice. Furthermore, if Aokiji is endorsed by Sengoku, Akainu has the full support of the people from the World Government. Since the Marine can only have one Fleet Admiral, the two candidates decided to settle this matter through the good old battle to the death.
The Clash Between Admirals
In order to decide who should be the next Fleet Admiral of the Marines, the two Admirals, Aokiji and Akainu, decided to duke it out. This clash between Admirals happened on an island called Punk Hazard. The battle between these two superpowers was so fierce and intense that it ended up changing the climate of the island forever. Nowadays, half of Punk Hazard suffers from an eternal summer with constant hellfire scorching heat, while the other half is enveloped by an eternal winter with nonstop blizzards and freezing temperatures.
After fighting nonstop for ten days straight, Akainu finally managed to gain the upper hand. However, just before he landed the killing blow, he decided to spare Aokiji’s life. After all, even though they are currently fighting to the death, both of them are still colleagues who have worked together for a long time. Furthermore, despite his dislike of some of Aokiji’s behaviors and decisions, Akainu still recognizes his strength and his determination to uphold justice in the name of the Marines. And thus, the battle between the two Admirals ended with Akainu’s victory.
Aokiji Leaving The Marines
Since Akainu wins the battle at the Punk Hazard, he gains the right to command the full might of the Marine as its new Fleet Admiral. As for Aokiji, well, he was technically still an Admiral after the fight. However, he couldn’t bear the thought of working under someone as shrewd and brazen as Akainu. So he decided to resign, and leave the Marine for good.
The Marines always have three Admirals at any given time. But with Akainu promoted to the Fleet Admiral position and Aokiji leaving the Marines, it means there are suddenly two empty seats for the Admiral positions. So in order to fill that void, two new talents are promoted as the new Admirals. They are Fujitora and Ryokugyu. As for Aokiji, he goes by the name of Kuzan now, and has been spotted around the Blackbeard Pirates, ready to begin a new chapter of his life.