How strong are the 9 Red Scabbards in One Piece? Are they underrated?

The 9 Red Scabbards have been instrumental in the Wano arc because of their bond and connection with Kozuki Oden. These samurai are the late Oden’s strongest followers, said to be worth 100 men in battle.

The original 9 retainers included Kinemon, Ashura Doji, Denjiro, Inuarashi, Kikunojo, Nekomamushi, Kanjuro, Kawamatsu, and Raizo.

Some people believe that the Scabbards are underrated and deserve a chance to redeem themselves like the Tobi Roppo. But it’s not like Oda hasn’t shown us how capable some, if not all, of the Scabbards are.

Let me break down why they deserve at least as much respect as the Beasts Pirates’ Tobi Roppo and the Lead Performers.

How Strong Are The Scabbards? Can They Defeat The Tobi Roppo And Calamities?

Collectively speaking, the 9 Scabbards are stronger than the Tobi Roppo, and are as strong as the Lead Performers or the Calamities.

Due to their incredible Haki mastery and swordsmanship, they were actually able to cut Kaido, and mark him with the same cross that Oden left on him 20 years ago.

Of course, the weakest Scabbard isn’t going to be stronger than the strongest Tobi Roppo, and even the strongest Scabbard might not be an even match against King.

But the Scabbards are known for their teamwork and collaborative skills in combat, without which they would never have been able to penetrate Kaido’s scales; nobody apart from Oden has been able to deal this much damage to Kaido, and just the fact that they could fight the way that they did against Kaido up on that roof, proves their power.

The Scabbards are capable of using advanced Armament Haki or Ryuo, as it is known in Wano. This is how they were able to cut Kaido.

But then again, being able to use advanced Armament Haki shouldn’t really be considered something that only strong characters can use, because we have seen weaker characters like Boa Marigold use it, too.

What makes the Scabbards stand out is their experience and sheer number, not to mention their willpower and loyalty (except Kanjuro) towards Oden.

Their grudge against Kaido and their determination to crush Orochi and avenge their leader is what ultimately drives them.

When we saw them last in the Wano arc, the Scabbards decapitated Kurozumi Orochi by cutting off all 7 of the usurper’s heads – even though he was in his Zoan-form.  

When it comes to taking on the Calamities, i.e., King, Queen, and Jack, Oda made it explicitly clear that Inuarashi and Nekomamushi in their Sulong forms, and Ashura Doji, are stronger than Jack.

In fact, even without their Sulong forms, Inu and Neko are easily on Yonko commander 3-level, i.e., Jack’s tier.

In the final fight, Inuarashi single-handedly defeats Jack using a move called Oden One Sword Style: Inu Spire, and straight-up impales Jack, rendering him unconscious.

Ashura has been portrayed as a monster since the beginning. Kaido himself sought to recruit him. Ashura easily wounds Jack, and is the one who actually cuts through Kaido’s skin.

Denjiro probably has more training than the other Scabbards, and was able to go toe-to-toe with Zoro, who himself defeated King. Now, of course, this doesn’t mean the Denjiro is as strong as King, not even that Zoro is as strong as King.

It would probably take all 9 of the Scabbards to successfully slam King in a 10-round match.

Still, I’d say Denjiro and Zoro may be at the same level. Denjiro and Zoro both slice ships in half, akin to Mihawk, pointing to their skill as imminent swordsmen.

Denjiro and Ashura are the two who are actually able to hold to Kaido on their own, and are also the ones who Kaido personally remembers.

They are also the only two who have individual lives and stories of their own, with Denjiro adopting the name of Kyoshiro and becoming a yakuza boss, and Ashura assuming the leadership of the Mt. Atama Thieves under the title Shutenmaru.

Jack himself mentions that the three Scabbards that he fought – Ashura, and the Minks – Inu and Neko, are far stronger than the Tobi Roppo, even at the brink of death.

They are able to defeat Jack, and I think they could take on Queen too, but they would most likely lose to King – unless all 9 of them (replacing Kanjuro with Izou) fought him together.

Is Kinemon The Strongest Scabbard?

Despite being the leader of the 9 Red Scabbards, Kinemon is not the strongest Scabbard.

Denjiro is the most powerful among the 9 Scabbards with Ashura, Kawamatsu, and Inuarashi and Nekomamushi (in their Sulong forms) close behind.

Kinemon himself admits that Ashura, along with Kawamatsu and Denjiro, are the strongest of the Scabbards. Kinemon is still important in that he is the one that keeps the band together.

The power of the Scabbards is in their number, and Kinemon knows this. He also knows that fighting without their full power would be useless while going up against the Beasts Pirates, and makes sure that they get Ashura to rejoin the Scabbards.

Conclusion

Although Kinemon can counter any fire move, which would help him in a battle with him, he isn’t much of a threat alone.

Ashura Doji, Denjiro, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi have proven themselves with multiple feats, and have been portrayed by Oda to be the strongest of the 9 Red Scabbards.

They could easily take on any Tobi Roppo and beat the least powerful Calamity, Jack. They could also most likely defeat Queen, but it would take the collective force of all 9 to win against King.

All in all, the Scabbards deserve our respect for being crazy strong and keeping true to their goal of avenging Oden.

About One Piece

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.