With the highly awaited One Piece 1092, soon to be released this week. Many fans in anticipation are left wondering on what if Luffy joined the Marines and became an admiral. While this topic has never been new in the community, the surge in popularity it has received after Luffy has finally been teased to fight an admiral is overwhelming. So on this special occasion, let us dive into this theory and work out if it is feasible.
Why is One Piece 1092 Sparking this Debate?
In the recent narrative, the Straw hats are in a desperate struggle to escape the relentless chase of the marines, right as when Admiral Kizaru shows up in Egg Head Island and swiftly defeats Sentomaru and takes over the Mark III Pacifistas. But just as when things are starting to go downhill, Luffy surprisingly makes a quick recovery and directly confronts the Admiral, even stating that he has far surpassed even Kizaru’s expectations over the last 2 years.
This encounter has ignited numerous discussions, including debates about Luffy’s current strength compared to that of an Admiral, whether Kizaru still holds authority over Luffy, and the hypothetical scenario of Luffy joining the Marines from the beginning and potentially rising to the rank of Admiral.
Can Luffy become an Admiral?
Yes! Considering his current growth in the series and his rank as Yonko, it’s not dismissive to believe that Luffy could easily rise up to the rank of Admiral in the Marines. Even if we considered that under the Marines he would not have gone through the same experiences and training that propelled him to the level he is at right now, this argument would have been met with approval before the arrival of Gear 5th which completely changed the mythos behind Luffy’s devil fruit and It’s base potential.
But even if dismiss Gear 5th, Luffy as a character has always been about ambition and getting stronger. He is the quintessential Shonen Protagonist who would never stop pushing himself regardless of the situation he faces himself in, so if we apply the typical Shonen logic to him, Luffy would still reach his peak regardless.
Would he be a Good Admiral?
No! The entire point of the Marines is order and discipline, two qualities that Luffy can never demonstrate due to his headfirst and immature personality. This is not detrimental to his writing as a pirate because Luffy’s character embodies the freedom that the new age of Piracy inspires, but once he turns to the Marines his entire character identity would be questioned and he won’t be able to make any impact other than just being comic material.
Another point we would make is the fact that Luffy has no respect for his superiors and is known to outright piss off anyone he meets unintentionally due to his airheaded and unruly attitude. He will never even make it as Vice Admiral due to his consistent insubordination which would likely jeopardize any mission he has been sent out on. So in order to even make him a decent Marine, Luffy’s character would require a complete rewrite, which is just not feasible when it comes to fan fiction.
Conclusion
While Luffy undoubtedly has the capability, strength, and willpower required to become a Marine Admiral. His innate personality bars him from any such endeavors regardless of how feasible it seems, because of his inherent insubordination and immaturity. Luffy as a character is written to be a pirate, he is the embodiment of freedom both thematically and literally considering his recently revealed Devil Fruit power.