Zoro is in his element, especially with the Wano arc going on, and a long awaited power-boost is due.
The audience feverishly consumes every single appearance of Zoro, and there is always a need for more.
As the fan-favorite, we have seen Zoro shockingly less in the last few hundred episodes and there is so much yet to be explained about Zoro, like his mysterious back story, training, and the scar across his eye.
While we have seen him quite a bit in the Wano arc, it is still not enough. Thankfully, it has just started, and it is assumed to be where Zoro shines the best.
How strong will he get by the end? Perhaps he might even become the world’s best swordsman sooner than we thought.
1. How Strong Is Zoro?
As a member of the Monster Trio and the “Worst Generation,” Zoro is immensely powerful and skilled, despite not possessing a Devil-Fruit.
With his monstrous physical strength, unique sword style, and authoritarian personality, he is often mistaken as the captain of the Straw Hats.
I. Pre Timeskip
Even before the time skip, Zoro was an extremely skilled swordsman. Thanks to years of extremely rigorous training, everything from his strength, agility, and endurance to battle techniques had developed monstrously.
As a three-sword user, Zoro was a master at both melee-type and long-range sword strikes.
Furthermore, despite not possessing haki or a Devil Fruit, he could pump his arms up with pure muscle and was strong enough to deflect a punch from Oars.
However, he could not effectively control his strength before the time skip, causing serious damage, despite the intention of holding back. With his brute strength and skill, Brook rightfully called Zoro, a user of “Power of Destruction.”
II. Post Timeskip
During the two years that the Straw Hats spent away from each other, Zoro trained under the world’s best swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
Due to this, his skills in all the three styles have grown so powerful that he could defeat the best swordsman of Fish-Man Island with a single strike.
In fact, during his very first post-time skip appearance, Zoro cut through a massive ship with ease and even defeated a Pacifista, which he was unable to do so before.
Like other Straw Hats, Zoro has become proficient in using Haki, especially Busoshoku Haki, which significantly increases his overall strength.
It allows him to defeat Logia users effortlessly and even proves to be enough to overpower Fujin and Raijin, two of Wano’s most elite ninjas.
Under Mihawk’s tutelage, Zoro also improved his control and versatility by a lot. Instead of being restricted by a sword in Wano, he was able to use a scythe as an improvised blade to perform Santoryu.
With such great progress, Zoro is closer to making his proclamation, a reality.
“Over the 9 mountains and across the 8 seas, there is nothing I cannot cut,”
Roronoa Zoro
2. Does Zoro Have a Demon Eye?
With Zoro seeing a massive improvement during the time skip, the limits of his strength have not been fully explored.
Especially in Wano, which is akin to a treasured land for him, fans are waiting for Zoro’s next significant power boost and hoping to finally get some answers about his closed eye.
Ever since the time skip, Zoro has featured a scar on his left eye, which has remained close ever since. Due to this, many theories have been going around, the main one talking about Zoro having a demon eye.
From Zoro’s techniques to the various forms it takes, Asura is the most impactful. Furthermore, whenever he fights or performs a powerful attack, some kind of red light appears from his left eye.
Due to this, it is assumed that his left eye possesses some kind of demonic power, such as the one residing inside his cursed sword Sandai Kitetsu.
Other theories relate the scar on Zoro to the one’s on Rayleigh and Shanks’ and suggest that it was self-caused so that he could heighten the ability to sense the things/people around.
Basically, losing sight might temper Zoro and act as a key to him becoming the best swordsman.
On the other hand, it is possible that Zoro simply got hurt during his training with Mihawk thanks to his own stubbornness and the latter’s rough training style.
Zoro might have a powerful demonic eye, or his scar and closed eye are just normal wounds with nothing special behind it.
3. Is Zoro Stronger Than Luffy?
Zoro and Luffy have always been similar to each other in strength, and none of their fights have ever seen a clear victor.
Furthermore, with no serious battles between them, and their entirely different fighting styles, it is difficult for fans to judge who’s more powerful.
However, the creator of One Piece has already given us an answer. Oda confirmed that Zoro was the vice-captain in the new Vivre Card and the second strongest member in the Straw Hats, right behind Luffy.
Zoro is not stronger than Luffy because he would never follow someone weaker than himself.
Furthermore, Oda confirmed that Zoro is weaker than his captain, i.e., Luffy, which makes sense because the man who will become the Pirate King cannot be weaker than his first mate.
However, with the Wano arc going on, Zoro is expected to receive a massive power boost, one enough to make him commander level. While he may not surpass Luffy by the end, he might not necessarily be any weaker.
4. Is Zoro The Strongest Swordsman?
Roronoa Zoro is one of the strongest members of the Straw Hat Pirates, and along with Luffy and Sanji, he is a part of the Monster Trio.
While Luffy wants to become the Pirate King, Zoro has the ambition of becoming the strongest swordsman in the world. However, to do so, he first needs to defeat the swordsman who holds that title – Mihawk.
I. Will He Defeat Mihawk?
Zoro will not defeat Mihawk as the latter has fought against the likes of Shanks, one of the Yonko, while Zoro still has to reach the level of a commander.
Furthermore, Mihawk is the one who taught him how to become a better swordsman, and it will take some time before Zoro can surpass him.
Currently, Dracule Mihawk is the strongest swordsman in the world. The last time he and Zoro dueled, the latter couldn’t even put up a fight.
While Zoro has polished his skills and grown a lot more powerful since then, it is too early for him to even think about defeating Mihawk.
However, we still haven’t seen the limits of Zoro’s strength, and it is a given fact that sooner or later, he will surpass Mihawk and take over the title of the world’s best swordsman.
II. Can He Defeat Shiryu?
With the Black Beard Pirates being set up as one of the primary antagonists, sooner or later, It is expected that the Straw Hats will have to face them.
Many theories are going around that talk about Shiryu becoming a significant obstacle in Zoro’s pursuit of his goal.
It states that Shiryu will kill Mihawk and steal the title from him, and in a final show of power, Zoro will take revenge for his master to ultimately end up as the world’s strongest swordsman. However, it won’t be as easy as it sounds.
Shiryu is a member of Blackbeard’s crew and one of the Ten Titanic Captains. He is a former Head Jailer of Impel Down, who joined the Blackbeard Pirates.
Shiryu has eaten the Suke Suke no Mi, a Paramecia-class Devil Fruit, which gives him the ability to turn himself and whatever he is holding invisible. With this fruit, he can cut opponents without being spotted, taking them by surprise.
This power of his might prove tricky; however, it is believed that Zoro’s scar might help counter Shiryu’s power.
In the end, as Luffy’s first mate, Zoro will definitely end up as the victor. However, that is still something that will happen later on in the series.
Zoro cannot defeat Shiryu as of now because he has not reached that level of strength. He still needs a lot of time and luck on his side to become powerful enough, and Wano might just provide him with an opportunity to do so.
5. 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, and has been collected into 95 tankōbon volumes.
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.”
Gol D. Roger, Pirate King
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.
With his diverse crew joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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