One Piece has lots of characters that have ridiculous devil fruit powers that can easily cause unfathomable amounts of damage with a single punch. However, it also has some good old-fashioned swordsmen that can cut down their enemies using only their skills and their trusted swords. Some use western-style swords, such as Dracule Mihawk, while others use traditional Japanese katana, such as Zoro.
Speaking of Zoro, the man is known throughout the blue sea as a swordsman who wields three swords at the same time. That being said, he is not the only swordsman who uses more than one katana. Another notable figure that dual wields his sword is none other than the rightful heir to the throne of Wano Country, Kozuki Oden. The names of his twin swords are Enma and Ame-no-Habakiri, and this is the real Japanese mythology behind those swords.
Oden’s Twin Swords
Since his younger days, Kozuki Oden has always wielded two swords at the same time. And just like Zoro, he mainly uses his own unique sword style, rather than following any traditional style that was taught in Wano. It’s unclear when he received his iconic katana or how many different katanas he has used before, but one thing for sure, his most notable katana are called Enma and Ame no Habakiri.
Both Enma and Ame no Habakiri belong to a rare group of swords called the "21 Great Grade Swords". This is the second most powerful and valuable group of swords in the entire world, just under the “12 Supreme Grade Swords”. The reason why a sword is able to attain that ranking is not only due to the quality of the craftsmanship, but also due to what the wielder has done with it.
In the case of Enma and Ame no Habakiri, Oden has used them for decades to cut down all kinds of opponents, be it human or otherwise. When Oden imbues his Haki into these swords, there’s hardly anything that he can’t cut down. As a matter of fact, Enma and Ame no Habakiri are the only known weapons that can leave a deep and permanent scar on Kaidou’s incredibly tough dragon body.
The Mythology Behind Enma
In One Piece, Enma is a katana that was made by one of the best swordsmiths in Wano Country, Shimotsuki Kozaburo. As one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, Enma has a peculiar characteristic. This katana loves to absorb its wielder’s Armament Haki, and imbued it into itself in order to produce a monstrous and uncontrollable cutting power. This is pretty much what happened to Zoro when he tried to use Enma for the first time. Thankfully, Zoro managed to force his Haki out of Enma, but any ordinary swordsman would’ve been sucked dry by this sword.
In Japanese mythology, Enma is the name of a deity who rules over Hell. According to the myth, humans who have lost their lives would have to pass through hell first in order to be judged and punished for the crimes and the sins that they have committed in life. The one who is responsible as the judge is none other than Enma himself. Depending on Enma’s decision, a soul can either enter the circle of reincarnation, or be doomed to suffer in Hell for eternity.
In the story of One Piece, Enma is also known as the Sword that can cut through to the bottom of Hell, so the connection to the myth is clearly there. Furthermore, the unique nature of Enma who likes to absorb the power of its wielder and use it as a way to judge whether the swordsman deserves to use its power is actually quite similar to the real myth of Enma. After all, if Enma decided that the wielder is worthy, then it will grant an absurd power to the swordsman, but if it says no, then the wielder may lose their lives, just like the option between reincarnation and Hell in the mythology.
The Mythology Behind Ame no Habakiri
In One Piece, Ame no Habakiri was created by Kozuki Sukiyaki, Oden’s father who also happens to be one of the greatest swordsmiths from Wano. If Enma is a sword that can cut through Hell, Ame no Habakiri is known as a sword that can slice through Heavens. At the end of the Wano Country Arc, Enma is given to Zoro in exchange for his Shusui, a katana that turns out to be Wano’s national treasure. Ame no Habakiri, however, is wielded by the new shogun of Wano, Kozuki Momonosuke. Unfortunately, since Momonosuke mainly fights in his dragon form, we don't get the chance to see this sword’s unique power or characteristic.
In Japanese mythology, Ame no Habakiri is the name of one of the Totsuka swords that belongs to the Storm God, Susanoo. According to the myth, Susanoo used this sword to slay the legendary eight-headed serpent monster called Yamata no Orochi. Other than Ame no Habakiri, this particular sword is also known by other names, such as Worochi no Aramasa, or Futsushimitama no Tsurugi. Interestingly enough, this sword is now enshrined as a holy artifact at the Isonokami Shrine.
In the story of One Piece, Orochi is the name of the man who usurped the throne of Wano and acted as the country’s cruel shogun for decades. Furthermore, he is also a devil fruit user. As it happens, his power allowed Orochi to turn into an eight-headed serpent. It would’ve been poetic if Orochi is killed by Ame no Habakiri, but unfortunately, the treacherous man meets his demise in the hand of Denjiro, one of Oden’s Red Scabbard, instead.