'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
As a Navy Admiral, Borsalino “Kizaru” is not only exceedingly powerful but also plays a major antagonistic role as opposed to One Piece’s main protagonists. Among the many characters featured in the ongoing Egghead Arc, Kizaru is shaping up to be one of the most controversial.
Despite the nonchalant, almost absent-minded attitude that has always distinguished him, the Admiral is seemingly experiencing an unexpected inner struggle. Kizaru has always been an atypical character, but his devotion to the Navy has never been questionable. He was portrayed as a lazy, but merciless and cold-blooded Marine officer.
With the Egghead Arc, One Piece is showing Kizaru’s emotional side for the first time, as the Admiral is torn between protecting his bonds, and permanently severing them. Tasked with killing Vegapunk on the World Government’s behalf, Kizaru seems to have made his choice, carrying out his mission. However, things may not be as they appear.
Trending
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1108 and also the author's speculations regarding chapter 1109.
One Piece chapter 1109 will likely reveal Kizaru's true intentions and Dr. Vegapunk's fate
One Piece author Eiichiro Oda dedicated a compelling portion of the Egghead Arc’s storytelling to the touching backstory of Bartholomew Kuma and Jewelry Bonney. Through this flashback, the mangaka also revealed the poignant nature of Kizaru’s bond with Kuma, Bonney, Sentomaru, and Vegapunk.
Upon receiving the order to kill Vegapunk, Kizaru is forced to make a choice he never expected to do. The Admiral has always been loyal to the Navy, but never like this time his soul fallen prey to doubt and uncertainty.
Between fulfilling his duty as a Marine and listening to his heart, Kizaru seems to have chosen the first option, but without completely disregarding the second one. Based on his behavior so far, it could be argued that he is trying to have it both ways, uncertain of which he will choose in the end.
For instance, while Kizaru overpowered and defeated Sentomaru, many fans speculated that he might have done that with the intent to avoid an even worse fate for the latter. Kizaru could have easily killed Sentomaru, but merely left him knocked unconscious. If Saint Saturn had been in Kizaru's place, he wouldn’t have been as merciful.
In the ostensible effort to carry out his mission and kill Vegapunk, Kizaru attacked several characters, namely Sanji, Bonney, Franky, and Vegapunk Atlas. It must be noted that all of them have been hit more than once. Taking into account Kizaru’s overwhelming power as an Admiral as well as the owner of the fearsome Logia-class Glint-Glint Fruit, they should have been dead.
Granted, in One Piece it’s not unprecedented for weaker characters to survive the strikes of much more powerful foes. However, they should at least be knocked out. Only to cite the ongoing arc, Stussy was beaten within an inch of her life by Lucci’s Finger Pistol. The same CP0 agent also brutally defeated Vegapunk Atlas with a single strike of his Six King Pistol.
Compared to that, it’s odd to see the likes of Franky and even Vegapunk Atlas enduring Kizaru’s attacks without being particularly hindered by them. Franky was hit by a laser barrage and a kick, like Sanji, while Atlas was struck by lasers, and Bonney was attacked with a kick.
Granted, those were very basic moves, far from being Kizaru’s strongest techniques, but they should still be enough to immediately take out someone like Atlas. With this in mind, the impression is that Kizaru is only doing the minimum necessary to follow Saturn’s orders.
At one point, Kizaru claimed that he would kill Bonney and Kuma, and, to be fair, he was about to hit them with his lightsaber. Still, considering how little damage his other attacks did, it’s not too farfetched to take those words as a facade.
In One Piece chapter 1108, Kizaru kicked away Sanji, who was trying to escape with Vegapunk, and stabbed the scientist. Notably, Kizaru’s attack was aimed at the same area where Saturn previously pierced Vegapunk, inflicting a grievous wound on the latter.
One Piece chapter 1109 is set to tie up all the loose ends
Many fans hypothesize that Kizaru’s laser wasn’t aimed at killing Vegapunk, but that the former’s real intent was to cauterize the wound. This is a very fascinating theory, as such a thing would prevent Vegapunk from bleeding to death.
Then again, other readers have argued that Kizaru targeting Vegapunk’s wound was an act of sadism from the Admiral, who, for example, showed a similar attitude towards Luffy during the Paramount War.
This option remains certainly possible, and the manga may very well prove it to be correct, but it also appears a bit unlikely. As Kizaru couldn’t even look Kuma and Bonney in their eyes before attacking them, it wouldn’t make much sense for him to suddenly become wicked enough to hurt Vegapunk just for fun, especially as Kizaru seemed all but resolved to kill him.
In One Piece chapter 1107, before targeting Bonney and Vegapunk with a laser, Kizaru closed his eyes, as if he wanted to look away and not bear the burden of what he was about to do. This emblematic gesture only emphasized that Kizaru’s feelings are, at the very least, mixed.
The Admiral’s behavior is ambiguous, possibly as a result of his beliefs based on the concept of “Unclear Justice”, which he appears to epitomize perfectly. It’s interesting to note that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda created Kizaru drawing inspiration from Kunie Tanaka, a renowned Japanese actor who often played the role of grey area characters.
Some fans pointed out that Vegapunk had previously complained about the fatal wound but, right after being pierced through the same spot by Kizaru, he started to smile. This was particularly emphasized in a small panel placed at the end of One Piece chapter 1108, where Sanji, who was worried about Vegapunk’s conditions, noticed a smile on the scientist’s face.
Using a laser to cauterize someone who already has a huge hole through his abdomen is a highly risky gamble, but the idea that Kizaru did that to stop Vegapunk’s bleeding is not to be dismissed. The problem, and it’s a big one, is that the final panel of One Piece chapter 1108 supposedly confirms that Vegapunk is dead.
As the scientist lost consciousness in Sanji’s arms, the laboratory started playing a pre-recorded message with his voice. In the same panel, a computer with EKG flatlines. The clear implication is that the heart of someone connected to the computer has stopped beating, triggering the message broadcast.
It’s easy to assume that the person whose EGK flatlined is Vegapunk and that the scientist planned for his recording to activate upon his death, as some kind of posthumous insurance. Based on that, the heart rate disappearing in the monitor implies that Vegapunk is unequivocally dead.
Looking forward to understanding what Kizaru’s previous actions were really aimed at, it goes without saying that the Admiral can’t be unmoved by Vegapunk’s death. Assuming that Kizaru tried to avoid such a sad epilogue, this might be the last straw for him to decide which side he is on.
Keep up with all anime, manga, and live-action news as 2024 progresses. Check out our other One Piece articles here:
Chapter 1108 analysis || Chapter 1109 release date and time || Did Kizaru betray Saint Saturn? || Everything to know about the Egghead Vice Admirals
