What makes a defender great? Does it only lie in his ability to defend or guard? Or is there a more subtle and elusive component that is required to make them great? Whatever the components are, Sentomaru believes he has them. And he rightfully claims to possess the defensive abilities of a world class guard. Sentomaru is a principled man who readily displays the qualities expected of a guard and goes above and beyond to show his resilience. He is dedicated to his duty and relishes his ability to protect.
With his grand introduction completed, lets get into who Sentomaru is. Sentomaru is the guard for Doctor Vegapunk, a skilled scientist and inventor in the One Piece universe, whom he casually refers to as Old Man Punk. When Sentomaru was young, he was saved by Doctor Vegapunk, and Sentomaru sees the noble act as a debt to be paid. He chooses to be his bodyguard to ensure the safety of Vegapunk. Sentomaru is very unique and special and here’s what we know about him.
Who is Sentomaru in One Piece?
Sentomaru is a well-rounded man, at least physically. His round, protruding belly is a feature characteristic of his already towering physique. He has a muscular build and a scar on his left cheek. Sentomaru wears a red chef-like apron that carries a three-peat symbol on the front. Only Oda knows what it means for now, and he had his left hand and elbow covered in bandages. Sentomaru wasn’t always with the Marines as he only joined them after the Timeskip. When he joins the Marines we see him wearing the Marine overall signifying his full-fledged affiliation with them.
He also removes the bandages on his hand and elbow. Sentomaru carries a huge axe, almost the size of his body. The axe looks quite heavy enough to slice concrete as easily as slicing bread. This shows that he has considerable strength to support his fighting style and he has gone up against a number of formidable opponents coming out on top most of the times.
Tyrant Turned Protector
During Sentomaru’s childhood, he was ousted from his village by his townsfolk for his trouble-making expertise. And, troublesome does not even begin to describe the menace he was. After his banishment, he lived in the mountains and survived on his own. Regardless of the solitude, he was tenacious and lived off of what he could find. Learning to survive on his own was an additional perk that would prove helpful to his development as an individual. Later on, Doctor Vegapunk and Borsalino–who is recognized as Admiral Kizaru in the future, visits the town Sentomaru was in to tackle some wild animal issues. They were looking to investigate wild bears in the mountains and develop a machine or piece of equipment to drive them away.
During their exploration and probing, they come across young Sentomaru. He was very hungry and weak from using Sumo techniques on wild bears. The wild bears were like his little pets, that he played with, very violently. Vegapunk, who is impressed by his tenacity, offers to help Sentomaru and proposes a job as a bodyguard to him. Sentomaru accepts and considers Vegapunk’s action as a dignified act he would eventually pay back. As a child, Sentomaru was fascinated by Borsalino’s abilities–light ability, and he sought to train under him to become a strong enough individual capable of defending Doctor Vegapunk.
Ironically Tight and Sealed
In One Piece, characters have a certain uniqueness to their behavior and abilities. In Sentomaru’s case, he claims to have a tight lip. He very much ascertains that he is a man of few words, albeit in long epistles. However, the beautiful irony in this is that he actually talks more than he thinks. This makes him firmly believe he does not give too much information away, but he unconsciously or subconsciously gives said information away quite easily. He often starts answering questions, not because the person asking asks or is curious, but because he chooses to give them away freely.
Sentomaru is a loyal individual to the Marines, and he holds no grudge against pirates. However, he takes on his responsibility as a Marine with the utmost dedication and serious efficiency. As a world-class guard, he is the head of Marine Science’s department, and with his connection to Doctor Vegapunk, he shows great promise and impeccable insight in leading the department.
The Might of a Guard
Sentomaru is a guard who prides himself on his defensive ability. By defensive, it does not mean blocking shots recklessly or caressing dangerous attacks. It means regardless of the attack, he can defend himself to a certain degree. This does not suggest a deficiency in his attacking ability but stands to further boost his endurance and capability. As much as offensive ability is important, his ideal revolves around protection and defence. The Pacifista are directly under Sentomaru’s control, amongst a few others and they are weapons created by Doctor Vegapunk. They are outstanding humanoid weapons of mass destruction that were modelled after Bartholomew Kuma. At some point, Sentomaru states that the finances required to build a Pacifista are close in comparison to the funds needed to construct a marine battleship. After the Timeskip, the Pacifista were remodelled and the newer models were called the Mark III which were far stronger.
Sentomaru’s fighting style is quite similar to that of a sumo wrestler. He possesses Busoshoku Haki, also known as Armament Haki, that allows him to imbue his attacks and defenses with invisible armor to boost his abilities on the battlefield. This power allows him to damage Devil Fruit users easily and level the playing field. He reinforces his open palm technique with Haki and thrusts it in sumo style to damage opponents without having to touch them. This is seen in his altercation with Straw Hat Luffy. He also possesses Kenbunshoku Haki, also known as Observation Haki, which grants him a sort of sixth sense ability to be able to sense presence, emotions, and a kind of overview of the environment. Sentomaru uses his large axe against much tougher opponents. Although he is seen smacking Demaro Black into the ground with it for posing as Monkey D. Luffy.
Sabaody Archipelago Arc
In this arc, Admiral Kizaru is sent to the Sabaody Archipelago following the assault on the World Nobles by Monkey D. Luffy and his crew. Sentomaru contacts Admiral Kizaru on the Den Den Mushi, a communication device in One Piece, and after having a funny discussion he informs him about the pirates. This leads him to conclude that the pirates will be finished off by the Pacifista he has sent. However, he subsequently informs Admiral Kizaru that the pirates he should look out for are Eustass Kid, Trafalgar Law, and Monkey D. Luffy. And as Sentomaru could envisage, Monkey D. Luffy and his crew members defeat the Pacifista-PX-4 in no time. However, Sentomaru came prepared as he brought along a Pacifista-PX-1, and although he refuses to reveal his identity, he drops it casually while emphasizing his self-proclaimed status of having the strongest defense in the world.
Before their altercation, Monkey D. Luffy orders his team to be split into three groups. Sentomaru goes after Luffy’s group and as Luffy tries to attack him but he is blocked and countered by Sentomaru, who uses Haki to injure and send him flying backwards. Borsalino also arrives to join the battle, and Luffy, realizing that he and his team are no match for these opponents, decides to close shop and orders his team to run for their dear lives. Sentomaru is hot on Luffy’s heels and strikes him for good measure, but this time around, Chopper transforms into his monster form, and as he holds Sentomaru at bay, Luffy grabs that window of opportunity to escape.
Sabaody Archipelago Part 2
After the Timeskip, Sentomaru is now a full-fledged Marine official. Upon hearing the return of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, he is all too happy to confront him. He displays his readiness and says he is on a whole new level. Also, he does not underestimate Luffy, as he realizes that he must have gotten much stronger after two years. He deploys the PX-7 and PX-5. While the Pacifista’s are having a fun time hunting down pirates on the island, Sentomaru decides to accost Straw Hat Luffy. To his surprise, he is confronting an impostor, Demaro Black. The best the impostor is able to achieve is ineffective intimidation using Luffy’s reputation. Unflinched by the impostors’ shallow threats, Sentomaru pulls out his big axe and plasters Demaro Black into the ground.
Sentomaru orders the Pacifista to reveal the impostor’s identity, and as the PX-5 scans him, his identity is revealed. Sentomaru also insults Demaro Black’s followers for falling for the obvious disguise. The real deal appears not too long after, and Sentomaru orders the Pacifista to target him. Luffy dodges PX-5’s laser easily and proceeds to destroy the Pacifista with a Haki technique, much to the shock of many. The Pacifista was an opponent with great threat last time around. Luffy defeating the Pacifista showed his growth, and this earned him Sentomaru’s respect. Luffy is in a hurry, and despite the pleas made by Sentomaru, he does not wait behind to exchange blows. Sentomaru informs the higher-ups of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew’s growth over the years and warns them of their intentions to enter the New World.
Protecting Dr Vegapunk at All Costs on Egghead Island
In Egghead Island Arc, CP0 agents are tasked to put an end to Dr Vegapunk’s life. Also known as Cipher Pol, they intelligence agents working for the World Nobles. Upon receiving their order, they arrive on Egghead Island to destroy Dr Vegapunk and his creations. When the agents stealth mission is uncovered, one of Vegapunk’s six satellites, Shaka, mobilizes the Seraphim-special models of the Pacifista and places them under Sentomaru’s control. Confused as to why the CPO agents are attacking Vegapunk’s laboratory, Sentomaru is left with no choice but to wipe out the CPO under the orders of Vegapunk. Owing to his debt, Semtomaru is pressured into eliminating the CPO agents and relaying with the Straw Hat Pirates to ensure Vegapunk’s safety.
The CPO agents decide to take out Sentomaru to halt his control over the Seraphim. In doing so, Rob Lucci finds a window of opportunity to stab Sentomaru and send him to the ground. Luffy tries to apologize, but Sentomaru barks that he was aware of the attack and had readied his defenses, even if to a certain degree. Luffy proceeds to wipe the floor clean with Rob Lucci and urges Vegapunk to leave the island. Sentomaru collapses from the injury to his chest, and this allows the CPO to take over Seraphim. When he wakes up, he realizes the Marines have labeled him a rebel and are disrupting his communications with Vegapunk. To aid Luffy and Vegapunk in their escape, he activates fifty Pacifistas on Egghead Island.
Sentomaru vs. Admiral Kizaru
Later on, Kizaru appears in Egghead, where Sentomaru awaits with the readiness to defend. As soon as Kizaru arrives, Sentomaru orders the Pacifista to attack the Marine fleet. He readies himself to block an attempted attack from Kizaru as they both begin to fight. Kizaru instructs Sentomaru to surrender, but Sentomaru reminds Kizaru that his very life was saved by Doctor Vegapunk in the past, and he is ready to do his best to return the favour. The battle gets tougher as Sentomaru finds himself unable to land a hit on the Admiral. Being unable to land a critical hit despite his best efforts, the admiral is able to blast him into the ground with a laser beam, rendering him unconscious.
The Pacifistas, under Sentomaru’s command at this time, are now taken over by Kizaru. After Sentomaru recovers from his injury, he calls Kizaru to stop the attack on Sea Beast Weapons. He reminds Kizaru of their history with Vegapunk and that the research on Pacifista lasers was aided by his abilities. However, in this case, Kizaru replies that his hands are tied and he has little or no choice. Kizaru is a strict Admiral who follows orders to the letter and he decides for himself what justice is. Although he regrets attacking Egghead because of its value, he claims he is just following orders from the higher ups.
The World-class Defender
Sentomaru is an astounding character that shows dedication to his duty and respect for his opponents. He prides himself on being the best guard and does his best to prove it. He is loyal and reliable. Despite his injuries after battling the strong Admiral Kizaru, he is still capable of saving Bonney’s life and tells her to go while she can. He is found by the Marines later on, suffering from wounds and in an unconscious state. Asides from Sabaody Archipelago and Egghead Island Arcs, Sentomaru has little screentime in some other scenes.
In Marineford’s bay, over an hour into the Summit War on Marineford, Sentomaru arrives with a fleet of Pacifistas and follows the orders of Admiral Sengoku to target the pirates regardless of the risk to the Marine battleships. Here, he also questions Boa Hancock about the destruction of a couple of Pacifistas and is left dumbfounded by her response. During the Wano Country Saga, Sentomaru was present again with his weapons of mass destruction when he orders the Pacifista to apprehend the pirates who were attending the Pirates Festival as he enters Delta Island.
