One of the drawbacks of having a series that has been going on for almost 30 years is that fans start to make their assumptions. This has happened a lot with Eiichiro Oda and his magnum opus One Piece. Over the years, fans have developed many theories and myths that have been interpreted from Oda’s interviews and statements.
The problem with these interpreted statements is that people tend to take them and change them according to their own satisfaction. This results in a different meaning to what Oda originally meant when he delivered the statement. One such example is when Oda talked about how the series would have developed if Akainu had been the protagonist.
There is a myth going on that Oda stated that Akainu, the fleet admiral of the Navy would have found the One Piece treasure in a single year if he was a pirate. This was an interpreted statement that hurt the feelings of a lot of people who thught that Oda believed that Akainu was stronger and a better main character than Luffy.
Myth About Akainu Finding One Piece in a Year
During an interview between Eiichiro Oda and Yasutaka Nakata, published in Sound & Recording Magazine 2012 Issue 4, while talking about the development of the protagonist in the story, Oda stated that if Akainu had become the protagonist of One Piece, he would have ended the series in one year. The interview was translated and uploaded by @sandman_AP on X(Formerly Twitter).
He stated:
“Luffy worries me most since he defeats the main villains right away unless I make him stranded before he arrives at the enemy. So, when you create a protagonist in the manga, it is not a good idea to make him too strong. For example, if Akainu became the protagonist, he would be so strong that ONE PIECE would come to an end within a year.”
This statement was taken in a completely different context by fans. They started believing that Oda thinks Akainu is a better protagonist for the series as he would be able to find the One Piece treasure and end the entire series in a single year. However, Oda never meant this and the real meaning behind the statement was different.
The Actual Meaning Behind Eiichiro Oda’s Statement
During the interview, Oda san explained how it is never a good sign to create an overpowering protagonist. He stated that an overpowering protagonist wouldn’t be able to take the story forward for a long time, as there would be no one to defeat him. This is why he tries to put so many obstacles in Luffy’s journey before he reaches the main villain.
While explaining this statement, Oda gave an example of how if Akainu had been a protagonist, he would have ended the One Piece manga in a single year, because he is too powerful. This does not imply that Akainu would have found the One Piece treasure. It only meant that the story would have nothing to move forward to.
It is a known fact that Akainu is extremely powerful, which is why he is the Fleet Admiral of the Navy. However, his strength doesn’t mean that he can easily find the One Piece treasure without any obstacles or problems in his way.
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