One Piece creator once spoke about the character who could end it all, literally

One Piece has a lot of interesting villains, but Fleet Admiral Akainu holds a special place among fans. His stoic and determined demeanor and what he has done in the series make him a very compelling antagonist. His desire to end Luffy's life and the things he has done so far is a testament to the man's resolve and how he represents the most extreme brand of justice in the Navy.

The recent events of the manga, showing his swift battle with Kuma, is a testament to his strength and abilities as a fighter.

Akainu's strength, however, is a big mystery because the power scale has grown so much in One Piece and a lot of people argue that he is no longer a challenge for Luffy. However, Eiichiro Oda shed some light on the character in a previous interview, which has only generated even more excitement considering the recent events in the manga.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

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What One Piece author Eiichiro Oda said about Akainu's power in the series

Eiichiro did an interview in 2018, stating that Luffy's strength was a problem for him because he would end his enemies too quickly and that's why he tends to leave him stranded for most of the arcs. This is something that can be seen especially after the time skip, with arcs such as Fishman Island, Punk Hazard, and Dressrosa being the best examples of that trend.

However, the most interesting part was what he said next. He went on record saying that if Akainu was the main character of the series, One Piece would have ended in just one year. This is very interesting because of how long the series has been and how strong Luffy has been in the entire run, which goes to show how potentially overpowered Akainu is.

Akainu's strength has always been a topic of discussion among One Piece fans because of his history with Luffy. Considering that the Fleet Admiral was the one who killed the protagonist's brother, Portgas D. Ace, most people are expecting a rematch between these two characters, and as Luffy has become even more powerful in recent arcs, there is a fear that Akainu is no longer an imposing challenge to the Strawhats' captain.

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Akainu's role in the story

Akainu is highly rated among One Piece fans because of how straightforward and menacing he is, cutting an imposing figure among a colorful cast of villains. While there have been antagonists such as Crocodile and Doflamingo who have become iconic in the series, Akainu holds a special place in the story because of where he stands morally.

While most villains in Oda's manga are straight-up evil, Akainu seems to do bad things for what he considers the greater good. The reader can empathize with Luffy when the Admiral murdered Ace in the Marineford arc, but he was fulfilling his duty and taking the life of who was a criminal with a death penalty at the time.

In the world of One Piece, pirates are criminals and Akainu wants to take them down, although that doesn't justify actions like the ones he did in Ohara during Nico Robin's childhood. In many ways, he is a representation of what happens when a sense of justice is taken to the absolute extreme, and could stand as a very interesting contrast to the lighthearted nature of Luffy, thus making their potential rematch all the more exciting for the fans.

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Final thoughts

Akainu is bound to have a greater role in the series in the near future.

He is arguably the Navy's ultimate fighter and their last line of defense. Considering the history that Luffy and him have and their desire for a rematch, their final confrontation seems more than obvious.