Garp vs. Kuzan Aokiji: Who Is Stronger & Who Won the Fight?

One Piece is an anime that certainly has its fair share of strong and powerful characters. While we usually use Luffy for these comparisons, this one will be a tad different. We know that Blackbeard is one of the biggest villains in the series and that he has an enormously powerful crew; a member of his crew is, among others, Kuzan, the former Marine Admiral who was named Aokiji, and who is going to be the first character in this comparison. On the other hand, Monkey D. Garp, Luffy’s grandfather, is known as one of the most powerful Marines in the whole story. In this article, we will compare Kuzan and Garp to see who would win in a fight.

Garp is stronger than Kuzan Aokiji, and due to that, he won a fight against him. Kuzan was one of the most powerful Admirals in the Marine before resigning and joining Blackbeard’s crew, but as their manga fight demonstrated, he is not stronger than Garp. Despite his Devil Fruit powers, Garp’s raw strength and experience are enough for Luffy’s grandfather to be victorious.

The rest of this article will further elaborate on the above-given answer, as we will compare Kuzan and Monkey D. Garp in more detail. Through several categories, you will see who the stronger of the two is and why our answer is like it is, i.e., why Garp was able to defeat Kuzan when the two of them actually faced each other.

Physical powers

Garp’s fists are incredibly powerful. In fact, they are so powerful that one punch of his was able to hurt Luffy and make him feel pain, and in the War, he managed to hurt Marco in his Phoenix form with a single punch. This is because he is an expert user of haki. Also, his alias “Garp the Fist” is due to this quality, and he calls it “Fist of Love.” He claimed to have crushed eight mountains during his training to face Chinjao.

In addition to his legendary strength, Garp has extreme stamina and an absurd tolerance for pain, as shown when Captain Morgan attacks him and can withstand the cut from Morgan’s ax without issue or pain. This can be attributed to him being asleep during the incident (he also did not wake up). Gol D. Roger said that he and Garp nearly killed each other on many occasions. The fact that Garp could fight Gol D. Roger implies that he is one of the strongest characters in the series.

Kuzan’s physical abilities are incredible, and he managed to effortlessly block the combined attacks of Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy simultaneously. His physical stamina is also very good, having managed to remain practically unharmed after receiving a kick covered by the armor’s Ambition from Marco. Also, even after being hit violently by Jaws and transformed into a diamond, he only sustained a flesh wound. He also possesses incredible speed, having frozen both Buggy and his followers who escaped Impel Down in moments.

Even during his encounter with Doflamingo, Kuzan managed to appear behind the pirate without the latter being able to notice and freeze him before he could further injure Smoker. He also has very acute hearing, as he was able to pick up the underwater activity of Whitebeard’s crew during the war for supremacy. Kuzan also remained impassive to a punch from Luffy in the stomach and managed to sustain an uninterrupted battle with Akainu for ten days.

There is absolutely no doubt that Garp is physically stronger than Kuzan. In that aspect, Garp is a complete beast and he clearly wins this one without a doubt.

Points: Garp 1, Kuzan 0

Devil Fruit

Monkey D. Garp is one of the rare characters that are on such a high level of power but don’t have any Devil Fruit powers. Monkey D. Garp never ate a Devil Fruit in his life, which is why, ultimately, we don’t have anything additional to say regarding this category, at least when Monkey D. Garp is in question.

Kuzan possesses the powers of the Logia-type Hie Hie no Mi, which allows him to turn into ice, create an infinite amount of this substance and manipulate it at will. In moments, he can create enough ice to cover a giant, a Sea King, or several square miles of ocean. He also could freeze the two tsunamis created by Whitebeard, despite their size exceeding that of Marineford’s main building. In battle, he uses his powers to incapacitate or immobilize enemies, freezing their bodies by simply touching them.

Kuzan is also immune to cold and able to transform into his own element and thus become intangible to avoid most physical attacks. He is so skilled at using his power that the climate changes permanently during a ten-day battle at Punk Hazard, turning half of the island into an ice-covered wasteland. Finally, by freezing the sea, he can move from one island to another, which he usually does by pedaling his bicycle.

Since Garp has no Devil Fruit and Kuzan has one, we definitely have to give this point to the former Admiral. Still, as the manga showed, and we must note it, Garp’s raw strength has been enough to neutralize Kuzan’s advantage here.

Points: Garp 1, Kuzan 1

Haki

Garp can use Haki because he is a Vice Admiral. Garp can use Observation Haki. Dr. Fishbonen advised Koby to ask Garp for help mastering Observation Haki when he awakens it, saying that he has sufficient knowledge to help others. Garp has proven to be a very skilled user of Armament Haki, as evidenced by his multiple injuries to Luffy despite the latter’s rubber body. Thirty years ago, he covered his fist with haki, which allowed him to defeat and even crush Chinjao’s haki-enhanced drill-like head, demonstrating his superior superiority over an Armament Haki user who was already quite strong.

During the Marineford War, Kuzan used Armament Haki and the other two admirals to block an attack by Whitebeard aimed at the gallows Ace was standing on. He is one of the few characters to have demonstrated the ability to use it to strike the target without direct physical contact, an indication of his skill with it. He can also use Observation Haki, but his proficiency with it is unknown.

Both of them can use the two same Haki, but it is quite clear that Garp is more efficient with them and that his Armament Haki was significantly more powerful than Kuzan’s, and that is why Garp wins this point.

Points: Garp 2, Kuzan 1

Weapons

Until now, Garp has been seen throwing cannonballs (including a gigantic one). His fists could also be considered a weapon, but that’s about it as far as his weapons skills are concerned.

Aokiji has no specific weapon other than an ice sword that he creates using his Devil Fruit power by blowing on blades of grass. He creates a similar sword spontaneously and pierces Luffy’s shoulder during the war in Marineford, plus he can also create spears or tridents that he can throw at his opponents.

Garp doesn’t really use weapons, and while Kuzan is definitely not Mihawk regarding his swordsmanship skills, he certainly surpasses Garp in this category.

Points: Garp 2, Kuzan 2

Monkey D. Garp vs. Kuzan: Who won the fight?

Meeting finally after many years, Kuzan and Garp engaged in a bitter duel in the most recent manga chapters. It was a truly amazing fight between two very powerful characters. And while the points were not that straightforward, the manga showed us that Garp is stronger than his former colleague.

Certainly, Kuzan definitely has a more versatile set of powers, especially due to his Devil Fruit powers. Still, Monkey D. Garp has once again shown why he is one of the most powerful Marines in the series, as his raw strength – as the manga leaks suggest – was enough for him to overpower Kuzan and defeat him. He probably did not kill him, and fans are still debating what the leaks mean for Garp’s post-battle fate, but as it seems, he will be able to defeat Kuzan and save Koby, as he intended from the very beginning.