Kuzan: The Shocking Traitor Among the Blackbeard Pirates!

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Summary

  • Kuzan is speculated to be a double agent in the Blackbeard Pirates, secretly working with Sword.
  • This theory is supported by Kuzan’s moral code and potential hidden motives.
  • Kuzan’s allegiance could be part of a larger plan by Sword to curb the threat of the Blackbeard Pirates.

In the modern era of the One Piece story, there is perhaps no other crew that inspires as much fear as the Blackbeard Pirates. Representing the role that the Rocks Pirates served all those decades before the start of the main series, this crew is the biggest wildcard among all the Yonko crews due to their unpredictable nature and the mysterious goals that they want to achieve.

However, despite the aura of ever-present danger and secrecy they have, many fans seem to believe in the possibility of there being a traitor in their midst. This debate has been raging in the fandom for a few years now, so let’s take a look at who the traitor likely is and why their reveal as such would be a very monumental reveal for the future of the One Piece franchise.

Is Kuzan Secretly A Double Agent?

Is The Former Admiral A Traitor?

First Appearance One Piece, Chapter 303, “Rich Pirates”
Debut Date December 15, 2003
Story Arc Long Ring Long Land

Ever since the time skip of the series, there have been many new reveals in the story that changed the way fans thought of the world. One of the biggest of these was the change in the structure of the Marines, since Sengoku stepped down from the position of Fleet Admiral, creating a power vacuum that was looking to be filled by Akainu and Aokiji, two of the three Navy Admirals.

This led to a 10-day-long battle between the two that completely destroyed the island of Punk Hazard and resulted in Akainu’s victory and subsequent promotion as well as Kuzan’s departure from the Navy. This came as a massive reveal for fans, since Kuzan was the first Admiral who everyone saw in the series and was quite beloved by the fandom due to his attitude and nature as Garp’s disciple. However, to add to the surprise, Kuzan would eventually become a member of the Blackbeard Pirates and one of their Ten Titanic Captains.

Since then, he has gone on missions to further the goals of the crew, which all culminated in the battle on Hachinosu, where Garp came to free Koby from Blackbeard’s clutches. For many fans, this marked the final nail in the proverbial coffin for Kuzan, who fought with his new allies to defeat and capture the Marine Hero and his former mentor. As of the current setting, Garp remains in the clutches of the Blackbeard Pirates.

However, there is a growing sentiment among fans which states that Kuzan is actually a double-agent working for Sword. This is a secret organization of Marines who have officially resigned from the World Government but still work on its behalf, cementing themselves as one of the most competent and important forces of the World Government. While they are still allied with it, they choose to operate on their own as a special services group.

Sword is a group of Navy soldiers who have submitted their resignations. So, they can pick a fight with the Four Emperors without permission from above. They can also do whatever they like and disregard any orders.

The prevailing theory states that Kuzan is secretly allied with Sword and is only operating within the ranks of the Blackbeard Pirates in order to extract information or work towards a currently unknown goal. The concept of double agents is not a new one to the series, since X-Drake had always been a Marine but was disguised as a pirate, who, coincidentally, is also a member of Sword. Similarly, it’s possible that Kuzan is currently doing the same thing.

Ever since his introduction, it’s been quite apparent that Kuzan has a very strong sense of morality and justice which is different from that of Akainu since it allows nuance. He has always been a very understanding character, so it would be strange for him to throw all that away for no reason to ally himself with the most notorious pirate crew in the world. Even his final words to Smoker at the end of the Punk Hazard arc seem to indicate some sort of secret plan, which many fans believe was to infiltrate the Blackbeard Pirates.

How Likely Is This Fan Theory?

The Truth Of Kuzan’s Allegiance

As someone who spent his entire life in the service of the Navy and under the tutelage of someone like Garp, it’s highly probable that Kuzan is playing the role of a double agent for Sword. Some even think that his current trajectory must have been set by Fleet Admiral Akainu upon his promotion in order to curb the threat of the Blackbeard Pirates and to know their next move at all times.

Being in the employ of someone like Blackbeard simply goes against everything that Kuzan stands for and is completely different from what he would realistically do. The theory of him being a traitor in the Blackbeard Pirates isn’t founded on a ton of evidence but is highly likely when looking at the kind of character that he is as well as the motivations he has had throughout his journey in One Piece.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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2025-03-18 23:11