Eiichiro Oda is sailing into the final stretch of his magnum opus as everyone turns to look for the One Piece. Seeing that it is in its final saga, fans have been sitting on the edge of their seats for the longest time, awaiting any possible development they couldn’t see coming or one that Oda had planned for the longest time.
Everyone, ever since the series first began, has been asking the same question; what is the One Piece? While the mangaka has been extremely tight-lipped about it, the anticipation and curiosity isn’t something he has any control over. The evergrowing eagerness of the fans only blasted exponentially as the race to the mysterious treasure continued to get more and more formidable players.
The One Piece Could Get in the Wrong Hands
The four Yonkos; Luffy, Shanks, Blackbeard, and Buggy have the upper hand in the journey of finding the One Piece. Not only because of their strength but also because of their access to the Poneglyphs. Pirates everywhere wish to seek this treasure that has been rumored and hyped for so long but they might not be the only ones.
If the Marines were able to get their hands on the One Piece, things could take an unexpected turn. While they aren’t actively on the lookout, the goals could change drastically the more information about the treasure gets revealed. Certain Marines could take matters into their own hands, wanting to grab the One Piece for the purpose of making sure the other pirates cannot.
In this manner, the World Government and the Marines would incidentally have control over the pirates. This would help them not only pull the strings but also eradicate any form of injustice. They could force their own hand into the game and the power that comes with it won’t be one the pirates would be able to manipulate either.
Eiichiro Oda Could Never Make Akainu the Main Character
During an interview in the Sound & Recording Magazine in 2012 (via Screen Rant), Eiichiro Oda confirmed that Luffy becoming the protagonist of One Piece held more value than just what meets the eye. According to the mangaka, it was imperative for someone not as strong to start their journey as a protagonist.
When you create a protagonist in manga, it is not a good idea to make him too strong. For example, if Akainu became the protagonist, he is so strong that One Piece would come to an end within a year.
What makes a protagonist good is that they grow as the story progresses. However, if there was someone like Admiral Akainu who took the reigns instead, the series would end in only a year. He is a character too strong to take the spotlight and that could certainly turn the tides of the series around, in a way that Oda did not want.
Akainu’s strength is one that even the mangaka acknowledged and if he were to set sail for the One Piece, there is a likely chance he gets to it before any pirate. Were that to be a possible case, the Marines and the Navy could rise to power almost instantly.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
