How Ryokugyu’s Past Affected His Justice, Explained

This post contains spoilers for One Piece.

Key Takeaways

• The Summit War in One Piece led to significant changes in the world, including the promotion of Akainu and recruitment of new fighters.
• Admiral Ryokugyu’s dark past is slowly revealed, showcasing his profession, an incident involving a woman, and his determined but flawed sense of justice.
• Ryokugyu possesses monstrous strength and a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allows him to control plant life and demonstrate formidable abilities in battle.

One Piece has a long history that stretches back hundreds of years, and Eiichiro Oda makes sure to disclose how all major events transpired. Most of the time, he discloses this information in the manga. However, sometimes he uses SBS or vivre cards to inform his audience about important occasions.

The Summit War was one of the most pivotal events in One Piece. It started because the Marines wanted to execute Portgas D. Ace. However, Whitebeard would never let the Marines get away with Ace’s murder. So the Yonko and his allies traveled to Marineford to fight the Navy. The war led to the deaths of many people, and it effectively changed the entire world. Shortly after its conclusion, Kuzan and Akainu were involved in an intense battle on Punk Hazard.

The winner of the fight was going to be named the new Fleet Admiral of Marines. After a long and arduous fight, Akainu emerged victorious and was promoted. Admiral Kuzan left the Marines and eventually joined the Blackbeard Pirates. The actions of both Admirals created two vacancies that needed to be filled as soon as possible. So the World Government decided to use the world military draft to recruit two new fighters. Eventually, the organization settled on Fujitora and Ryokugyu.

Admiral Ryokugyu’s Dark Past Is Revealed

Fujitora made his debut in the Dressrosa Arc, but Ryokugyu had to wait until the Wano Country Arc to make his first full-fledged appearance. Naturally, there were a lot of things that fans did not know about him. However, Oda has slowly revealed the Admiral’s past and his Devil Fruit powers.

Ryokugyu was born 41 years ago in the Taya Kingdom, which is located in South Blue. He grew up to become a police officer. However, he was involved in a massive incident with a woman that resulted in him being thrown into prison. Ryokugyu would remain within the confines of his cell forever if the World Government had not intervened. The organization learned about his immense strength, which is why it decided to free him. Subsequently, he was included in the World Military Draft and then instilled as a Marine Admiral.

Ryokugyu’s Past Likely Left A Deep Impact On His Mind

The two things that stand out the most from his past are his profession and the incident involving the woman. While the details of the incident remain unclear, it is possible that he could have used his position unfairly, which, in turn, earned him the fury of the entire town. He has also stated that he enjoys being around beautiful women. He even told Fujitora that he would break his fast if a good-looking woman were to feed him. Furthermore, there is enough evidence to prove Ryokugyu is not a righteous man.

Ryokugyu’s Determined Justice Stems From His Past

Officially, the Admiral is said to have Determined Justice, which is another form of Absolute Justice. Ryokugyu strongly believes in carrying out justice, even if it kills him. However, he is not a virtuous person, just like Akainu or Rob Lucci. All of them believe that justice must prevail at all costs, but they do not care how many people become collateral damage.

Ryokugyu likely adopted Determined Justice when he was still a police officer. At the time, Ryokugyu presumably had a lot of influence in the town. He could easily exploit his position and coerce the citizens into doing whatever he wanted. Ultimately, power corrupted him and his definition of justice.

Ryokugyu has stated multiple times that he believes that the Celestial Dragons are gods, so they can do whatever they want. This fanatical devotion makes him very dangerous. A good example of Ryokugyu’s dedication is when he bashed Fujitora for helping the Revolutionary Army Commanders free the slaves who were in Marijoa.

If he was truly moral, Ryokugyu wouldn’t have questioned Fujitora’s actions. So, it is quite clear that Ryokugyu is the furthest thing from the paragon of justice. Despite his flawed sense of justice, there is no denying that Ryokugyu possesses monstrous strength.

Ryokugyu’s Devil Fruit Prowess

Ryokugyu’s Mori Mori no MI Is A Lethal Power

• Possesses a Logia-type Devil Fruit
• Can use two types of Haki

Ryokugyu is an exceptionally powerful character who didn’t even need a promotion to become an admiral. Like most Marines in his position, he too possesses a Logia-type Devil Fruit. It allows him to create and control all kinds of plant life. So far, he has demonstrated the ability to turn into a giant wooden golem. In this form, he was able to overwhelm several Scabbards at once. Ryokugyu can also use it to fly, making it possible to reach areas that would normally be inaccessible to other people. In addition to these, Ryokugyu can create roots that can drain the moisture from the body of an individual, leaving them dehydrated.

Ryokugyu hasn’t had the opportunity to demonstrate his Haki proficiency, but it is safe to assume that he has excellent control over both Armament and Observation Haki. Ryokugyu’s only real fight was against Edward Weevil. The Admiral traveled to Sphinx Island after his failed mission in Wano and defeated Weevil. Subsequently, Ryokugyu captured the former Shichibukai and likely took him to Imepl Down.