One Piece: What does Aokiji’s Lazy Justice mean?

❘ Published: 2023-04-25T08:31:17

An image of former admiral Kuzan from One Piece

Crunchyroll

In One Piece, though Marines are considered to be an antagonistic organization, they all have their own sense of justice. Former Admiral Aokiji’s Lazy Justice is a reflection of his personality and his beliefs.

One Piece’s exceptional storytelling is incomplete without relaying the underlying moral message on which the plot is built. With its complex web of characters and ideologies, the series thoroughly explores the theme of justice in various ways.

Donquixote Doflamingo is the only character to have questioned this twisted sense of justice in the series. The series follows a main character whose actions are more just than the supposedly good marines. However, the concept of justice is openly explored only within the ranks of the marine admirals.

They all have their personal sense of justice, and every notion guides their actions. And as a consequence, each admiral impacts the story in a very different way. Kuzan, formerly known by his nickname Aokiji, is a mysterious character whose actions are always unclear. Here’s what Aokiji’s Lazy Justice really means for him.

How is Aokiji different from his fellow Admirals?

Despite acting as an antagonist to Luffy and his crew, Aokiji has more or less helped save him countless times. Each time he creates trouble for them, the series reveals him acting justly to help them as well. This duality in his personality makes him one of the few “grey characters” in the series whose actions remain unclear. Compared to the current Fleet Admiral Akainu, Aokiji isn’t inflexible with his concept of justice.

Akainu is aware of the flaws in the system of the World Government but blindly follows it since it is his “duty.” He ignores the cries of the innocent and only lives to serve the authorities. On the other hand, Kizaru wouldn’t even take the smallest decision for himself. He is more than willing to accept orders from his subordinates.

Fujitora is so hell-bent on his sense of justice that he tries to uphold it by caring for innocent people – even if it means insubordination. If it had been anyone else during the Ohara incident, Robin and Saul might not have survived. Aokiji even goes as far as indirectly protecting Luffy in the Marineford War, something that even Fujitora wouldn’t do.

What does Aokiji’s Lazy Justice mean?

Aokiji is probably the only Marine to have changed his concept of justice within the course of the story. As a former believer in “Burning Justice,” Aokiji used to put his blind trust in the Marines. This is why he unhesitantly followed the instructions to obliterate Ohara. However, upon his arrival, he sees his close friend ready to give up his life to save the people there and a traumatized eight-year-old girl who has just lost everything.

Pondering over these facts and remembering the cries of the people in Ohara, he changes his perspective on justice. Aokiji’s Lazy Justice directly resulted from his witnessing the brutality of the organization he believed in. However, the question still remains: how can justice be lazy? Aokiji claims that “justice” changes its shape depending on where the person stands.

He is typically the last person to act and is unconcerned about everything going on around him. Even when he first encounters the Straw Hats, he takes his time attacking them and even lets them escape, which is unbecoming of an Admiral.

That said, while he does follow “Lazy Justice,” he understands his rank’s obligations and does not hesitate to follow orders, albeit reluctantly. He despises Sakazuki’s sense of justice and never hides it from anyone. One Piece’s chapter 1081 reveals his true thoughts over the incident of Ohara and how it changed him completely.

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