‘He would be dead on spot’: Zoro’s Heroics Against Kaido Is Exemplary, but He’s Still Not Better Than Mihawk for a Simple Reason

SUMMARY

• For the past few arcs, Roronoa Zoro has shown exemplary growth in One Piece.
• There are many fans who believe that he might be on par with Dracule Mihawk.
• However he still has to grow a lot if he wishes to fight Dracule Mihawk in the future.

The swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, Roronoa Zoro, has shown unprecedented growth ever since the time skip. He has taken down every opponent he has faced and has yet to be defeated, just like he promised Luffy while fighting Mihawk. Not only that, he also managed to stand up against two Emperors of the Sea in One Piece.

Roronoa Zoro in One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

Wano was a special arc for Roronoza Zoro considering his connection to the mysterious place. While Eiichiro Oda didn’t really focus on his lineage or his past, he made it up by giving him one of the most dramatic and thrilling battles in the history of One Piece. His heroics in Wano have led many One Piece fans to believe that he might have surpassed Dracule Mihawk.

Mihawk is the current holder of the “strongest swordsman in the world” title, and he is the epitome that Zoro wants to reach in One Piece. And, while there are suggestions that Zoro has already reached his level, he is still not superior to Mihawk for one significant reason.

Zoro’s fearless feats during Wano in One Piece

The battle of Onigashima was one of the toughest battles for the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, considering the fact that they were fighting not one but two Emperors of the Sea and their crew. While all of the crew members performed well, the one who stood out the most aside from Luffy was Roronoa Zoro. He took on some of the greatest villains in the arc.

He was one of the Worst Generation members who stood against Kaido and Big Mom on the roof of Onigashima. He landed an attack on Kaido that managed to make him bleed, a feat that only Oden was able to accomplish. Not only that, he even blocked a combined attack from Big Mom and Kaido, which was something that not even the strongest One Piece characters could have done.

Kaido vs Zoro | Credit: Toei Animation

On top of all that, he unlocked his Conqueror’s Haki and even managed to use the advanced version of it. His growth during Wano was truly exemplary and has brought him one step closer to becoming the Strongest Swordsman in the One Piece world.

Zoro still might not be better than Mihawk

Zoro’s next-level growth in One Piece has given the impression that he might now be on par with his biggest rival, Dracule Mihawk. From defeating Ryuma during Thriller Bark to taking a combined attack from Kaido and Big Mom head-on, Zoro is truly proving himself, but he still has a long way to go before he ever surpasses Dracule Mihawk.

Dracule Mihawk | Credit: Toei Animation

This is because while his feats may look exemplary, they are not at the level that fans think. For example, during Thriller Bark, he didn’t actually beat Ryuma, but a corpse who had Brook’s shadow and a part of Ryuma’s soul.

Not only that, the attack that he blocked from Big Mom and Kaido was just for a few seconds until Law teleported him and saved his life.

Thus, he still needs to power up even more because Dracule Mihawk’s true strength is actually hidden. One Piece fans don’t really know what he is capable of, and once Eiichiro Oda brings him into the central narrative, fans will get a decent idea of where Zoro stands against him and how much he needs to grow to steal his title in One Piece.

One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Written by Tarun Kohli

Articles Published: 2100

Konichiwa! With a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a 2-year experience in Digital media writing, I am on my way to becoming one of the biggest anime content writers in my country. My passion for writing and Anime has helped me connect with Fandomwire, and share my love and experience with the world.