Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapter #1052
The Marine Admiral Ryokugyu, one of the most mysterious and hyped One Piece characters of the past few years, is ready to make his debut as the next, powerful antagonist that Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates will have to overcome on their journey to Laugh Tale and the mysterious One Piece treasure. Fans have been wondering for years what powers Ryokugyu might have, and the first glimpse of them hints that he could be one of the most bizarre and unique characters in the series.
The pirates who roam the seas of the One Piece world have one sworn enemy: the Marines, the armed forces of the World Government. The Marines believe in absolute justice and upholding the law, so they see pirates as a major threat to the stability of the world. Among their ranks, the Admirals are the second-highest officers (only below the Fleet Admiral) and the strongest fighters among all the Marines. Their power is so great that they are respected and feared all over the world, and they are considered the World Government’s “Greatest Military Powers”. There can only be three active Admirals at the same time. While Borsalino (Kizaru) and Issho (Fujitora) are well known to One Piece fans, Ryokugyu was still one of the series’ big mysteries, until now.
Ryokugyu’s real name is still unknown, and his nickname means “Green Bull” (every Admiral has a name that includes an animal and a color). He is part of the “new generation” of Admirals, selected after the events of the Summit War shook up the Marines’ hierarchy. One Admiral (Aokiji) resigned and another one (Akainu, the man who killed Luffy’s brother Ace) was promoted to Grand Admiral, leaving two spots open that were filled by Issho and Ryokugyu. The latter was only shown as a silhouette in the manga until now. He is considered a “monster” in terms of strength, like every other Admiral, but his powers were still unknown. One Piece‘s chapter #1052 finally revealed a glimpse of them, showing Ryokugyu flying towards Wano Country, using a giant flower sprouting from his back and spinning like helicopter blades.
Every Admiral shown until now in the series has the power of one of One Piece’s powerful Logia type Devil Fruit, so it’s plausible that Ryokugyu will too. Logia are the rarest Devil Fruits, giving their users the ability to transform their body’s composition into a natural element at will, as well as create and control it. Flowers can hardly be defined as a “natural element”, but perhaps Ryokugyu’s abilities are connected with plants or nature in some form. Surely, this looks like a much subtler power than those of the other Admirals, who are able to control ice, magma, and other elemental forces.
Besides Ryokugyu’s powers, it will also be interesting to find out about his appearance and personality. All the admirals shown so far are based upon famous Japanese actors and are drawn to resemble them, so it’s likely that Ryokugyu will do too. There is also room for a personal feud with Luffy to develop, as Ryokugyu is responsible for defeating Sabo, Luffy’s other brother, during the last Levelie. The Straw Hats just came out of a grueling war against Kaido, giving the perfect end to One Piece’s Wano Country arc, and they already have to test their strength again by facing a Marine Admiral, one of the most powerful individuals in the world of One Piece.
Look for One Piece’s newest chapter when it releases on Viz Media’s Shonen Jump app!
