Highlights
- The Straw Hat Pirates faced their toughest challenges in the Wano Country arc, with each member having to improve and create new techniques to defeat their opponents.
- Zoro received the legendary sword Enma in exchange for his previous sword, Shusui. However, he initially struggled to control Enma's power and was at a disadvantage in battles.
- Although Zoro managed to temporarily tame Enma during his fight with King, he has not fully mastered the sword yet. However, he has time to continue training and bring the sword under his complete control, which will greatly enhance his stamina and strength.
One Piece anime is nearing the end of the Wano Country arc. It has been an incredible journey for the Straw Hats, who have grown both mentally and physically. At the beginning of the arc, they were far from being a crew that could challenge a Yonko. But they kept pushing and persevered through the many adversities. In the Wano Country arc, the Straw Hat Pirates faced their toughest challenges to date.
All the members had to improve and create something new to take down their opponents. Luffy developed Gear 5th, Sanji created Ifrit Jambe, and Robin created a technique with the help of Fish-Man Karate. Even the mighty Roronoa Zoro needed some help to take down King, the strongest All-Star of the Beasts Pirates. The Straw Hat Pirate was knowledgeable about Haki, but he needed much more to make a difference in Wano.
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The New Weapon
Roronoa Zoro arrived in Wano with three swords: Wado Ichimonji, Shusui, and Sandai Kitetsu. Out of the three, Shusui was the one that drew the most attention. The sword belonged to Shimotsuki Ryuma, one of the greatest swordsmen of all time. After his death, the sword was buried with him in Wano. But Moria robbed the grave containing the corpse and the sword. The Shichibukai used his Kage Kage no Mi to attach Brook's shadow to Ryuma's body. The zombie used Shusui to beat Brook, leaving the latter to roam the waters without a shadow.
Things changed when Zoro went to the Thriller Bark with the rest of the Straw Hats. He faced Ryuma's corpse and managed to overwhelm him. Ryuma realized that he had been bested, so he gave away Shusui as a sign of respect. Zoro was more than happy to accept the sword. He continued to travel with Shusui until he reached Wano, where he was hounded by the locals. They could not tolerate that their national treasure was in the hands of a stranger.
Zoro managed to fend off all attempts to take Shusui from him. As the arc progressed, Hiyori offered Enma to Zoro in exchange for Shusui. Enma was wielded by the legendary Kozuki Oden, so Zoro had massive shoes to fill. The Straw Hat accepted the exchange and received Enma as his new blade.
Early Problems
When Zoro initially wielded Enma, he could not get it under control. He was unable to figure out how to control the sword's power. Despite the confusion, Zoro used the sword to fight Kaido and then King. Against Kaido, Zoro showed off some impressive strength, which was Enma's doing. This caused his stamina to drain quickly, leaving him incapacitated. He needed Miyagi's miracle drug to recover and get back on his feet.
When Zoro went toe-to-toe with King, Enma caused the former all sorts of problems. Zoro was unable to maintain his composure or manage the flow of Haki. King took full advantage of Zoro's shortcomings, so things became increasingly bad for the hero. King's impenetrable defense, along with Enma's wild nature, left Zoro with his back against the wall.
Mastering The Blade?
In the middle of the fight with King, Zoro started to remember his past and how he met Shimotsuki Kozaburo. This gave him the inspiration to overcome the problematic Enma and tame it temporarily. Zoro channeled his Haki with more freedom, allowing him to cut through King's ultimate attack. With the All-Star's defeat, Zoro could finally relax. However, this left a lot of questions in the fans' minds. The biggest of which was whether Zoro had mastered Enma or not.
The short answer is no. Zoro has not subdued the blade completely. He has better control over it, but Enma is not fully under his command. This is hardly surprising, considering that it is not an ordinary sword. Kozuki Oden wielded Enma and Ame no Hibakiri and used them to give Kaido a massive scar across his torso.
The good thing is that Zoro has plenty of time to master Enma. The Final Saga of One Piece is about to begin, and there will be many more enemies that Zoro will have to face. These challenges will provide Zoro with the conditions needed to bring the sword under his control.
How It Will Affect Him
By gaining full control over Enma, Zoro will be able to avoid the unnecessary loss of stamina. He also won't have to fear that his Haki might be drained every time he wields the sword. Both of these things will enable him to fight for prolonged periods without any problems.
Furthermore, imbuing Enma with Haki over and over again will allow Zoro to increase its grade. At the moment, the sword falls into the O-Wazamono category. If Zoro blackens it, Enma will become a Saijo O-Wazamono grade sword. This will make it one of the best blades in the entire world. Doing so will increase Zoro's strength and bring him one step closer to becoming the greatest swordsman in the world.
