Summary
The latest arc ofOne Piece, Egghead Island, is seemingly reaching its end with the Straw Hats getting closer to escaping the island. Though this arc isn’t concluding in a classicOne Piecestyle that sees the straw hats dispersed and fighting their own individual opponents, the latest chapter of the series may have also hinted at Roronoa Zoro’s opponent for the final battle of the series: Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro of the Five Elders.
Zoro’s narrative in this arc has been relatively subdued due to the focus on the series' lore, asOne Pieceis gradually uncovering long-held secretsabout the world’s history. However, Zoro is seen clashing his sword against the swordsman of the Five Elders, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, inOne PieceChapter #1117, “A”, for a moment.
Though there were suspicions among the fans about Zoro’s battle with the only swordsman present on the island, the impending conclusion of the Egghead arc will likely delay this battle until the right time comes. Hence,Zoro’s next big battlehas the potential to eclipse all his previous fights.
Zoro’s fight Against Nusjuro In the Final Battle ofOne PieceWill Make Much More Sense
Eiichiro Oda Likely Postponed Zoro’s Fight Against Nusjuro for a Reason
Since the Straw Hats are on a journey that incidentally goes against the rulers of this world, their path is bound to be crossed by the Five Elders and Imu. Assuming that the final battle ofOne Piecewill see straw hats going against the Five Elders and Imuin the classicOne Piecestyle, Zoro will likely match up against Nusjuro, another swordsman who is also likely one of the strongest contenders for World’s Strongest Swordsman.
One PieceChapter #1117 sees Zoro clashing his swords against Nusjuro, with a revelation thatthe blade held by the Elder is one of the legendary Kitetsu. Fans know that this series of swords was created by legendary swordsmiths of Wano Country, and that they are divided into three grades, depending on the quality. Zoro has a Sandai Kitetsu - the lowest grade - while a Nidai Kitetsu - the middle grade - was seen in Wano. It’s entirely possible, thus, that Nusjuro possesses the legendary, highest-grade Shodai Kitetsu.
Famous blades in the world ofOne Pieceare called “meito” and they are divided into four grades, according to their quality:
- 50 Skillful Grade Blades
- Grade Blades (unknown number)
This underscores Nusjuro’s knowledge and skill as a swordsman or possibly confirms a theory about how Nusjuro might be from Wano. While this is still speculation, and he could have acquired the blade somewhere else, the fact remains that Zoro’s clash with Nusjuro in this chapter is far from casual, and the two seem to have at least a connection. This could be a simple but effective way for Eiichiro Oda to tease who, among the Five Elders, will be Zoro’s opponent when the Straw Hats go against the elite of the World Government inwhat has been teased as the “final war”.
Fans ofOne Pieceare used to the classic style of fights where each of the Straw Hats takes on an elite member of an enemy crew or group, while Luffy battles the “boss” (in this case, possibly Imu). It’s possible that a similar situation will arise with the Five Elders, even if, besides Zoro, Sanji, and Jinbe, none of the Straw Hats seems to be strong enough to face these seemingly unbeatable enemies. Still, the connection betweenZoroandNusjurois truly intriguing, and hopefullyOne Piecewill explore it further.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
