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Discover 4 One Piece swordsmen who almost defeated Zoro and 4 others who were easily defeated by the Pirate Hunter.
Zoro is a crucial character in One Piece and assists Luffy on his journey to becoming the Pirate King. Along with this, Zoro also dreams of becoming the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating powerful enemies.
Due to this goal, Zoro has faced various battles in the series, a few that ended easily and others that nearly took him out. Here’s a look at 4 swordsmen who nearly defeated Zoro in One Piece and 4 who were defeated with ease.
4 One Piece Swordsmen Who Almost Defeated Zoro
Across his epic journey, Zoro has come across all kinds of pirates, with many proving to be difficult opponents. Rather than staying down, however, they motivated him to grow stronger. 4 One Piece swordsmen who gave Zoro the battle of a lifetime are:
1) Dracule Mihawk –
Zoro’s very first major fight in One Piece was against the current strongest swordsman in the world, Dracule Mihawk. They had first met at the Baratie, where Zoro was overwhelmed by his opponent’s aura.
Nevertheless, he still wished to take a big step towards his path and was resolved to fight against him. Mihawk, on the other hand, did not consider Zoro to be a serious opponent and beat him with nothing but a small dagger. He then proceeded to use his main sword, Yoru, to break Zoro’s swords. This left a lasting impression on Zoro, where he made a promise to train harder and never lose again.
2) King –
The Wano Arc in One Piece features several intense battles for the sake of freeing the oppressed population. Among these, Zoro and King’s battle stands out for its fluid animation as well as showcasing Zoro’s growth as a swordsman, where he was able to defeat one of the strongest members of the Beast Pirates.
This victory was hard-earned, as King had pushed Zoro to his very limits. With his fire manipulation and offensive ability with the sword, the Lunarian seemed to be dominating for a long time. Despite sustaining multiple injuries, he refused to back down and unveiled his new King of Hell Three Dragon Sword Technique.
Combining his Three Sword Style with his Haki control and new sword, Enma, Zoro was able to gradually chip away at King’s armor before finally taking down his opponent. This significantly helped the Straw Hats’ goal of freeing Wano while Luffy was facing Kaido.
3) Ryuma –
Ryuma is a zombie whose original form was renowned to be the Sword God who slayed a dragon. He faced Zoro in the Thriller Bark Arc after defeating Brook with ease.
Despite being opponents, the two swordsmen were filled with respect for each other, being warriors from different eras. Ryuma was wielding his legendary sword, Shusui, and was evenly matched with Zoro at every clash. However, since he was only a shadow of his previous self and not the man himself, Zoro barely emerged victorious before collapsing on the ground.
Impressed with Zoro’s perseverance, Ryuma bestowed his legendary sword on his opponent. This helped Zoro create a reputation as a strong swordsman for defeating a great fighter from the past while also adding an iconic weapon to his collection.
4) Mr. 1 –
During the Arabasta Arc, Zoro faced the Baroque Works Agent, Mr. 1, also called Daz Bonez. As a fighter who could turn his body to steel and use it to cut his opponent, he was brutally beating Zoro.
As the battle progressed, Zoro learned to feel the rhythm of his steel and the manner in which he had to cut it to win. Abandoning his three swords, Zoro picked up one sword while going for a decisive clash with his opponent. With his inhuman focus, the swordsman was finally able to slash Mr. 1 and achieve victory, though the result could have been the opposite at any point.
4 One Piece Swordsmen Who Were Easily Defeated by Zoro
We have seen many swordsmen and capable warriors who beat Zoro down and significantly contributed to his growth. At the other end of the spectrum, there are also several swordsmen who were easily defeated by the character.
Right during his introduction, Zoro was an infamous figure known for hunting pirates. This naturally meant that he always possessed strength, and it was only his opponents who kept getting more and more powerful. Hence, let us take a look at the other end of his battles as we explore 4 swordsmen who posed no threat to Zoro in One Piece.
1) Tashigi –
Tashigi is an honorable marine who considers Zoro to be her rival and frequently faces the swordsman. However, the latter admires her spirit but never puts in much effort to defeat her.
In the Loguetown Arc, Tashigi had met Zoro and believed him to be a normal swordsman. Resultantly, she had helped him pick renowned swords to refine his skills. After finding out about his reputation, she regrets this and immediately interrupts him. Demanding to recover the swords, Tashigi gets into a battle with Zoro.
Unfortunately, Tashigi was a novice in the field, while Zoro was a seasoned veteran in battle. With nothing but a few swings, he easily overpowered her and left with his weapons.
2) Hyouzou –
In the Fish-Man Island Arc, Zoro faced an octopus merman known as Hyouzou. Wielding multiple swords with his tentacles, Hyouzou was feared as the best swordsman in Fish-Man Island.
Due to this, fans had high expectations when the antagonist finally had his altercation with Zoro. Surprisingly, Zoro was able to casually break all of Hyouzou’s swords with a smirk on his face. Even after using poison and a steroid to take Zoro by surprise, the swordsman was never phased and swiftly disposed of his opponent.
This battle showed fans how far Zoro had come since the Pre-Time Skip period and the immense growth in his swordsmanship ability.
3) Hatchan –
Similar to Hyouzou, Hatchan was an octopus Fish-Man Zoro met early in the series. When Luffy was fighting the Arlong Pirates to avenge Nami, Zoro was assigned to face the Fish-Man using multiple swords at the same time.
Since this was prior to his fight with Hyouzou, Zoro was taken aback by Hatchan’s unorthodox fighting style and sustained some damage. However, he soon adjusted and beat him with his Three Sword Style technique.
This altercation took place after Zoro’s battle with Mihawk, where the swordsman’s heart was still wounded by the loss. At the same time, since he had made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t lose again, Zoro’s determination to stick to his word was shown through this fight.
4) Cabaji –
During Luffy’s meeting with Buggy’s crew, Zoro had to battle an acrobatic swordsman named Cabaji. With his theatrics and flair, Cabaji had also taken advantage of Zoro’s injury from a previous fight to land a few blows.
In spite of this, Zoro never fell for any of Cabaji’s gimmicks and was focused on becoming the best swordsman. Recognizing that he shouldn’t be facing any difficulties against opponents like Cabaji if he wished to achieve his goal, he slashed through his opponent with an Oni Giri.
Conclusion
The above entries highlight the struggles as well as successes faced by Zoro on his path of assisting Luffy and chasing his own dreams. As we enter the final arcs of One Piece, where the stakes keep getting higher, we are sure that there are several more thrilling battles waiting for the swordsman.
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