Akainu is a deeply complex character.
On the one hand, he relentlessly pursues absolute justice.
On the other, he turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed by the Celestial Dragons, even aiding them in their corrupt deeds.
What kind of absolute justice is this?
"Absolute justice" sounds as though it should leave no room for any evil, yet in practice, Akainu tolerates it. He has become an accomplice to the crimes of the Celestial Dragons, working tirelessly to uphold their dominion.
Two years later, after ascending to the position of Fleet Admiral, even Lucci—now part of CP0—could confront him without hesitation. Akainu's status as a mere lapdog for the Celestial Dragons became painfully clear.
The Navy, regardless of its ideals, is ultimately just an obedient tool for the Celestial Dragons.
That's why Kaido doesn't believe a word of Akainu's rhetoric about peace and justice.
A mere command from a Celestial Dragon is enough to silence him.
But Akainu...
He quickly retaliated, saying:
"The crimes of the Celestial Dragons are not even a fraction of what pirates have committed! You enslaved Wano, sold weapons, and unleashed criminals to kill, burn, and loot worldwide. The number of civilians slaughtered by pirates far exceeds those harmed by the Celestial Dragons—hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands more!"
Kaido sneered, unfazed. "So, you sit back and let the Celestial Dragons commit crimes without consequence? If your justice were truly absolute, you would fight pirates and Celestial Dragons alike. But instead, you only go after pirates. Isn't that 'absolute justice' of yours incomplete?"
Kaido pressed on.
"In fact, Akainu, you know better than anyone that I've done business with the World Government. You know it has no real justice. Its only goal is to maintain the Celestial Dragons' stranglehold on the world. And as long as they hold power, what justice do you represent?"
Invoking the Celestial Dragons is like playing a trump card. No one in the Navy, no matter how esteemed, can claim to act independently of them—not even Garp.
The same Garp who, alongside Roger, took down Rocks at the Valley of the Gods. Yet, in the end, even he is just another barking dog for the Celestial Dragons.
Kaido's words now directly questioned the legitimacy of Akainu's justice.
Akainu, unable to deny the truth, stood in silence.
Grinding his teeth, Akainu muttered, "To eliminate the great evil of piracy, compromises must be made. Pirates have inflicted the greatest harm on the world. We need to eradicate them first, and then gradually address everything else!"
This response hinted at a deeper truth—Akainu harbors rebellious thoughts against the Celestial Dragons.
And why wouldn't he?
As Fleet Admiral, Akainu is no fool. He knows the true nature of the Celestial Dragons better than most. With the proximity and frequency of his interactions with them, it is impossible for him not to grasp just how vile they are.
The problem is...
Akainu lacks the courage to resist.
He doesn't dare defy them.
All his talk of eliminating the biggest threats first, and fixing everything else later, is nothing more than an attempt to justify his weakness, his cowardice, and his subservience to the Celestial Dragons.
Kaido saw through it all in an instant.
With a mocking grin, Kaido continued, "Change things slowly? Do you even believe that nonsense? How, exactly, do you plan to change anything? With your pitiful ability? If you dared to make a move in the Holy Land, you wouldn't survive ten minutes. You know that, don't you?"
"You joined the Navy just to be the Celestial Dragons' obedient dog.
You fear them. You are terrified of them.
But you refuse to admit it.
So, you hide behind the façade of justice. You convince yourself that the tasks given to you by the Celestial Dragons are righteous. You tell yourself that eliminating pirates is the top priority and that the Celestial Dragons, despite their flaws, can change—eventually."
Kaido's voice became sharper.
"But deep down, you know the truth, Akainu. You are just a cowardly, evil dog serving the Celestial Dragons.
They are the worst beings in existence.
Over the last 800 years, they have slaughtered islands, cities, and entire nations. And you, a Fleet Admiral—haven't you read the internal reports? Don't tell me you haven't heard of these atrocities."
Kaido's words tore into Akainu's psyche like daggers.
"The Revolutionary Army stormed the Holy Land two years ago, caused chaos, and escaped without a scratch. But that's only because they fought from the shadows, with plans to retreat at any moment.
If they had confronted the Celestial Dragons head-on, you wouldn't last ten minutes.
The Knights of God would tear you apart.
And that's not even considering the other trump cards the Celestial Dragons hold."
Kaido leaned in closer, his grin widening.
"Whether you admit it or not, you fear the Celestial Dragons. And fear is why you won't resist them."
Even a strong figure like Akainu cannot suppress every personal desire.
He is filled with frustration and bitterness.
He bowed to the Celestial Dragons, yet his pride refuses to let him admit it. He dreams of resistance but lacks the courage to act. At most, he might argue with them—nothing more.
Even now, Lucci of CP0 can openly oppose him, leaving Akainu fuming in silence, swallowing his rage.
If this continues, his mind will spiral into darkness.
Akainu is deceiving himself.
He tells himself that the Celestial Dragons are mostly good, with only a few flaws.
He convinces himself that their orders are justified—that those killed were villains who deserved it.
In the end, Akainu has become lost in his own lies.
After all the terrible deeds he committed in service to the Celestial Dragons, he still dares to call himself the embodiment of absolute justice.
Where is the absolute in that?
He knows of the atrocities committed by the Celestial Dragons but chooses to ignore them.
Where is the justice in that?
Akainu called Kaido a villain.
But in truth, Akainu is just as guilty—an accomplice to a greater evil.
For 800 years, the Celestial Dragons have ravaged the world with impunity, annihilating entire civilizations. And yet, Akainu, with all his knowledge, still has the audacity to claim pirates are the greatest threat.
Now, Kaido stands before him, tearing away the mask of justice Akainu has hidden behind for so long.
Exposing the hypocrisy at Akainu's core.
It is difficult to confront one's true self after years of self-deception.
Kaido ripped off Akainu's mask, forcing him to confront the darkest truths of his existence—truths he could not bear.
Akainu snapped, shouting in frustration:
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!!! I am not an accomplice! I am not a servant of evil! Everything I do is for peace and justice!!!
For the sake of the greater good, I am forced to make sacrifices—again and again. Do you think it doesn't tear me apart? Do you think I have a choice?
You pirates know nothing of the burden I carry!"
But Kaido was relentless.
"You know the truth, Akainu. You just don't have the guts to do what's right. If you truly believed in peace and justice, why not join the Revolutionary Army? Why not fight against both pirates and the Celestial Dragons?
But you won't.
You're too scared of living as a fugitive, too afraid to defy 800 years of oppression.
So, you cling to the Navy, where life is easy. With the backing of the World Government, you enjoy power and security. And you comfort yourself with the delusion that you are righteous.
But killing pirates is not justice.
Even if you wipe them all out, what will change? The Seven Warlords will still plunder, and the Celestial Dragons will continue to massacre at will.
Your so-called justice is an illusion—a joke."
Akainu trembled with rage. His pride, his sense of duty, and the truth Kaido had laid bare were tearing him apart.
"Shut up!!" Akainu roared. "Who can resist the Celestial Dragons?! Who can challenge the World Government?!"
He glared at Kaido, veins bulging in his forehead.
"Were you not at the Valley of the Gods, Kaido? Did you not witness the terrifying power of the Celestial Dragons? Don't pretend you don't know what they're capable of!
I may be a dog under the Celestial Dragons, but at least I've tried! I've killed pirates! I've fought for peace!
And you... What have you done?"
"You shameless pirate, you have harmed so many people!!
I am countless times nobler than you!!!!!"
Finally, Akainu's true thoughts were brought to light.
He didn't just hate Kaido—he hated the Celestial Dragons but feared them.
For years, he ignored that hatred, lying to himself, burying it under the guise of justice. But deep down, Akainu knew the truth.
He was nothing more than a dog of the Celestial Dragons.
Yet even with this self-loathing admission, he clung to the belief that he had contributed to peace and justice. Who was Kaido to judge him?
Hearing Akainu's inner conflict slip through his words, Kaido grinned, baring his teeth.
"Akainu, I've been waiting for you to admit this," Kaido said. "You've finally accepted the truth: the Celestial Dragons are evil, and your so-called 'absolute justice' is nothing but hypocrisy."
He leaned closer, his grin widening. "Now that we've cleared that up, let's get to the real point."
"You ask what I've done and what right I have to talk down to you?" Kaido continued, his voice deep and menacing. "I'll make it clear for you now."
"I will kill my way to the Holy Land, destroy the Celestial Dragons, and end their eight-hundred-year reign. I'll find the ONE PIECE, become the Pirate King, and bring the Great Pirate Era to a close."
Kaido's gaze burned with conviction. "Celestial Dragons and pirates alike will disappear. All of them. Under my rule, freedom will reign over this world."
He threw his arms wide as if proclaiming his destiny to the heavens. "I will become the Sun God and liberate every slave—freedom will shine over every corner of the world. That is my purpose."
Then, Kaido's eyes sharpened, his voice becoming cold and resolute. "And the first step is to destroy the Navy."
The sheer audacity of Kaido's declaration left everyone present stunned.
Whitebeard, Garp, Sengoku, Kizaru, and Aokiji stared in disbelief.
These words were coming from Kaido?
This was the same Kaido who enslaved Wano, sold weapons, and caused endless suffering? Was this truly Kaido, or had someone else taken over his mind?
Even Akainu was taken aback, though his surprise quickly turned into a sneer.
"You're more hypocritical than I am," Akainu growled. "Even if, for argument's sake, what you said is true—you don't have the strength to do it."
Akainu's gaze sharpened, filled with contempt. "You were there, Kaido. You were at the God Valley incident. Do you think I need to remind you what kind of monsters protect the Celestial Dragons?"
He clenched his fists. "This is nothing but suicide."
Kaido chuckled but did not engage in further argument. Instead, he stared down Akainu with a look of cold pity.
"The Celestial Dragons have you trembling in fear, Akainu. That's why you deserve everyone's scorn."
Kaido's voice lowered into a chilling promise. "When I finish my mission, I will place the heads of the Celestial Dragons—and the heads of the Five Elders—before your grave."
His smirk deepened. "So you'll finally understand: I had the courage to do what you couldn't."
"You'll see how pitiful and cowardly you really are."
For a moment, Akainu stood frozen, the words cutting deeper than any blade.
Because Kaido was right.
Was he truly just a coward, too terrified of the Celestial Dragons to even try resisting them?
After a long silence, Akainu finally raised his head, a look of grim acceptance on his face.
"I'll be waiting," Akainu muttered, his voice hollow. "For the head of a Celestial Dragon."
Akainu had made his peace. He was ready to die.
And Kaido granted his wish.
[Side Quest Reward: Eliminate a Admiral– Completed]
[The reward has been received and can be opened at any time.]
Akainu was down.
The sight of his lifeless body sent a wave of horror through the battlefield.
A Navy Admiral—one of the strongest in the world—was dead.
This war was far crueler than anyone had imagined.
Kaido turned slowly, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. His eyes landed on the two remaining Admirals. Then he looked at Garp and finally locked eyes with Sengoku.
"Sengoku," Kaido called out, his voice carrying across the chaos. "What I just told Akainu goes for you, too."
He took a step forward, each word a challenge. "What do you think?
Do you want to join me?
Do you want to march with me to the Holy Land and overthrow the rule of the Celestial Dragons?"
The question stunned everyone.
Even Whitebeard's eyes twitched, his face twisting in disbelief.
This wasn't just idle talk—Kaido wasn't simply toying with Akainu.
He was serious.
He had actually just asked the Navy's highest-ranking officers to betray the World Government.
Kaido was truly fearless.
This was beyond reckless—it was unprecedented.
What a bold and unpredictable move.