Kuzan, better known by his epithet Aokiji, is a former Marine admiral and the first one to be revealed. He was nominated by Sengoku for the position of fleet admiral. However, after losing the position to Sakazuki, he resigned from the Marines and affiliated himself with the Blackbeard Pirates. He is a minor antagonist of the Long Ring Long Land Arc, and along with the other Marines, he is one of the major antagonists of the Marineford Arc.