Admirals are one of the greatest weapons of the World Government and the backbone of the Marines. Among the Marines, their rank is only below the Fleet Admiral, meaning they are the second highest rank within the organization. In this article, we’ll discuss one such Admiral: Admiral Ryokugyu, his history, powers, and some interesting facts about him in One Piece.
Admiral Ryokugyu is the last introduced Admiral of the series, making a proper appearance in the Levely Arc. He also plays an important role in the aftermath of the Wano Arc which we’ll discuss in detail further down this article. But before we do that, we’ll issue a spoiler alert for those readers who are not caught up with the manga yet.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about Admiral Ryokugyu in One Piece:
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Admiral Ryokugyu in One Piece
In the Marines, there are usually three Admirals, led by a Fleet Admiral. Before the timeskip, the three Admirals were Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru, with the Fleet Admiral being Sengoku. After the Marineford War and during the timeskip, Sengoku retired with Akainu and Aokiji being nominated for the position of Fleet Admiral.
After a long and tenuous battle, Akainu won and became the Fleet Admiral of the Marines and Aojiki resigned following his defeat, leaving two empty positions of Admirals. The positions are eventually taken by Issho and Aramaki, making a trio of Admirals along with Kizaru.
As an Admiral, Aramaki is given the codename “Ryokugyu” and this is how he is normally addressed. Ryokugyu is the last Admiral to make an appearance in the story and is the only Admiral to not have met any member of the Straw Hat Pirates. The first time he is mentioned in the series is in the Dressrosa Arc and he makes his first appearance in the Levely Arc. His most important role till now is at the end of the Wano Arc where he arrives in the aftermath of the defeat of Kaido and Big Mom.
History
Ryokugyu’s history and past have not been revealed in the story yet. However, Eiichiro Oda has given his readers a hint about what sort of life the Admiral may have lived before joining his position. In One Piece Volume 106 SBS, he reveals that the tattoo on the chest of Admiral Ryokugyu alludes to his sad and painful past.
The said tattoo says “Shinagawa Shinjuu” which is the name of a famous Rakugo play that ends in a tragedy. The play is about an aging and destitute courtesan planning to commit suicide but is too afraid to do it alone. So, she lures a young man into committing a double suicide with her. The young man agrees at first but when he chickens out at the last moment, the courtesan pushes him off the bridge.
But as she is about to jump off herself, a messenger comes to inform her that money has finally arrived. Now that she’s not going to be destitute anymore, she discards the idea of suicide.
Ryokugyu’s tattoo and its link to his past can mean one of two things: either he was betrayed by someone in the past or he is the betrayer who backstabbed someone he cared about.
Powers and Abilities
As an Admiral, Ryokugyu is one of the strongest characters in the series. He’s had very little chance to show off his powers, but whatever he has shown is enough to hint at how powerful he is. Like the other Admirals, he is a Devil Fruit user.
Devil Fruit
Ryokugyu’s Devil Fruit, Mori Mori no Mi, translated as the Forest-Forest Fruit, is a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allows him to manifest and manipulate plants. Like other Logia users, he has the ability to transform himself into a forest.
The plants Ryokugyu manifests have a set of diverse powers that make him a formidable opponent who can easily take on strong characters like King and Queen. His Devil Fruit abilities include:
- The plants he manifests can be controlled by him to move in any way. He can use the plants to trap or stab someone.
- His plants can also absorb the fluid in a person’s body, leaving them dangerously dehydrated and completely weakened.
- He can also conjure a whole forest to launch a large-scale attack.
- Unlike most other Logia users, Ryokugyu transforms into something tangible. This makes it easier for people to attack him. However, like other Logia users, he’s completely safe from non-Haki attacks and can regenerate himself. The only way to physically harm him is by Haki-infused attacks.
- Ryokugyu can conjure certain parts of a plant to use a certain way. For example, he conjures up a huge flower to use it as a propellor and fly.
- Other than offensive powers, Mori Mori no Mi also offers Ryokugyu a wholesome ability. Plants can be born again in his wake even in the most infertile lands, like it do in Udon.
Haki
As an Admiral, there is no doubt that Ryokugyu is a very proficient Haki user in One Piece. He’s confirmed to be able to use at least two Haki, expectedly in their advanced forms.
- He’s shown to use Busoshoku Haki while hardening the tips of the branches he conjures to make them more lethal.
- Ryokugyu is then shown to be able to use Kenbunshoku Haki when he detects Shanks miles away in the sea when the Yonko unleashes his Haoshoku Haki. It’s unknown whether he can use the advanced Kenbunshoku Haki and see into the future.
- There is no hint of Ryokugyu being able to use Haoshoku Haki yet.
Interesting Facts
- Like the other Admirals, Ryokugyu also has an animal in his codename in One Piece. Ryokugyu contains the Japanese kanji “牛” which can be translated as cow, bull, or ox. His animal motif is that of an ox.
- Eiichiro Oda stated that he had a different design for Ryokugyu in his mind in which the Admiral had a pair of ox horns.
- Ryokugyu is set to have survived three years without any food because he found eating bothersome. A fan theorized that he might have been able to do so because he could get nutrients through photosynthesis because of his Devil Fruit. Oda later confirmed that the theory is true.
- Every Admiral has a certain philosophy of justice. Ryokugyu’s philosophy is “Determined Justice.”
- Unlike Fujitora, Ryokugyu has no sympathy for pirates or anyone associated with them. He admires Sakazuki for his extremist ideals on justice.
Watch Ryokugyu’s Fight against King & Queen
Conclusion
Here ends our discussion on Admiral Ryokugyu in One Piece. As an Admiral, he is set to play the role of a major antagonist further down the series. Fans are already very excited to see him in action. Surely, he will get his time to shine in the future. Until then, enjoy One Piece and keep reading Otakus’ Notes.
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Anamika loves words and stories and putting them to pages. She also loves anime, manga, books, movies and everything fantasy. She has been a fan of anime since childhood and her admiration for it only grew with years. Her passion for writing is even more elevated by writing about the things she loves.
