The Journey of Roronoa Zoro, One of the Most Loyal 'One Piece' Characters

No matter which arc you’re in, everyone sees Roronoa Zoro as one of the most loyal characters in the world of One Piece. Monkey D. Luffy’s right-hand man, he is the first mate of the Straw Hat crew and traditionally carries the second-highest bounty in the pirate band. Formerly a bounty hunter, he made a living putting pirates behind bars in exchange for money, but now he has become one of them, serving as one of the wings that can help turn Luffy into the Pirate King. In this article, we’ll look back at the character’s journey.

Just as Luffy loves shouting to the world that he will become the Pirate King, Zoro also has his own ambition: to become the strongest swordsman in the world. That desire became even stronger in the anime’s very first saga, when he faced Dracule Mihawk for the first time. Considered the greatest swordsman alive, Mihawk had no trouble defeating Zoro, doing so with a blade smaller than his finger. After the humiliating defeat, Zoro vowed that he would never lose again.

As mentioned, that defeat only served to fuel Zoro’s ambition even more, since his unbreakable dream has been with him since childhood alongside Kuina in Shimotsuki Village. Zoro was trained by Kuina’s father, but he was never able to defeat the girl, even after more than 2,000 matches. Frustrated, he swore that he would cross the seas and become the most powerful swordsman of all. Zoro made his rival promise the same, but before she could begin her journey, she died in a household accident. To honor her, the Straw Hats’ first mate carries her family’s legendary sword, Wado Ichimonji. He currently wields the following blades:

• Wado Ichimonji is one of the 21 O Wazamono, the legendary swords of the One Piece universe. It has an extremely sharp and precise edge, and its market value is around 10 million berries.
• Sandai Kitetsu (or Third Kitetsu) He received the sword from a weapons seller in Loguetown. The Kitetsu swords are feared for being cursed, and the one in Zoro’s possession gives off a sinister aura. However, it accepted him as its new owner.
• Enma Another of the 21 legendary swords, it was once wielded by Kozuki Oden, the former ruler of Wano. It drains the haki of whoever uses it, requiring great power and control from its swordsman.

With his unique three-sword style, Zoro developed signature techniques such as Toragari, Onigiri, Tatsumaki, and Ushibari. These and other techniques have always helped him face his enemies, especially Daz Bones, Kaku, Ryuma’s zombie form, and King. On top of that, he is also capable of mastering all forms of haki.

Everything Zoro has done in the anime has been aimed not only at his personal goal, but also at Luffy’s. If he once wanted to become stronger only for his own sake, now the motivation behind his strength comes from his captain and his crewmates. He needs to be strong to protect the crew and ensure that Straw Hat becomes the Pirate King.

Zoro’s loyalty is always worth remembering, and if you’re a fan of the character, you can now wear him proudly on your chest during CCXP26 with the Saturday badge!