SUMMARY

One Piece fans were surprised to learn that Aokiji switched sides after the two-year time skip in the story.
It was disclosed that Aokiji had teamed up with Blackbeard after quitting the Navy.
According to One Piece speculation, Aokiji would betray the Blackbeard Pirates, and the series’ author, Eiichiro Oda, has already hinted at this betrayal.

Before the time skip in One Piece, all the admirals from the Navy were hated by One Piece fans except for Aokiji Kuzan. He was the only admiral who did not have a crude sense of justice like Kizaru or Akainu. However, One Piece fans were shocked to find out that Aokiji changed sides after the two-year time skip in the story.
Aokiji – One Piece
It was revealed that Aokiji was recommended for the position of Fleet Admiral after Sengoku retired. However, he had to fight Akainu for the position. Their battle was one of the biggest fights going on for 10 days, but in the end, Akainu came out to be the winner. This led to Aokiji leaving the Navy and joining hands with Blackbeard.

However, because of Aokiji’s kind-hearted nature, fans believe that Aokiji has some ulterior motive to join the Blackbeard Pirates, and a One Piece theory even suggests that Aokiji will betray the Blackbeard Pirates, and Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, has already hinted at this betrayal.

One Piece Theory Suggests Aokiji Will Betray the Blackbeard Pirates

According to a theory posted by @writingpanini on X(Formerly Twitter), Aokiji is a double agent who is trying to get into the good books of Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard). This might be the reason why he defeated Garp. His actions are similar to those of Professor Snape from Harry Potter, who also killed Dumbledore to gain the trust of the antagonist, Voldemort.

Another aspect that hints at Aokiji’s betrayal is his unique Devil Fruit abilities. His Devil Fruit, “Ice-Ice Fruit,” provides him with the power to control ice at will. Ice has a unique trait of phase transition that allows it to change its state. According to the theory, Aokiji’s solidified loyalty towards Blackbeard might melt away in the future.

Aokiji with Blackbeard Pirates
The character of Aokiji is inspired by Japanese actor Yusaku Matsuda, who is famous in the industry for playing morally enigmatic roles that battle with loyalty and moral dilemmas. Just like Matsuda, Aokiji might battle with loyalty for Blackbeard and betray him when he gets a chance.

Aokiji’s Actions After Resigning From The Navy

After his defeat at the hands of Akainu for the role of the Navy’s fleet admiral, Aokiji had quite an exciting lifestyle. Chapter 1081 showed that after losing to Akainu, Aokiji was targeted by the Blackbeard Pirates, but he easily defeated all of them, except for Teach. After being convinced by Blackbeard, Aokiji decided to accept his freedom and join the Blackbeard Pirates.
Monkey D. Garp impaled by Aokiji in One Piece
Since then, Aokiji has made quite a name for himself as the Tenth Titanic Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. He joined Van Augur and helped him capture Charlotte Pudding on Whole Cake Island by defeating Cracker. He even defeated Monkey D. Garp, who went to Hachinosu to save Koby from the clutches of Blackbeard Pirates.

Although his actions indicate that Aokiji has completely changed sides, there are also some underlying hints. The biggest one is that Aokiji had the chance to kill Garp and eliminate him permanently, but he still chose to keep him alive. There is a strong chance that Aokiji could defeat Blackbeard and once again change the course of One Piece.