Ever since the introduction of the three forms of Haki, and greater exploration into this power system in Eiichiro Oda’sOne Piece, fans have spent countless hours speculating on which characters can use each of these abilities. The debate often grows ever more intense when itcomes to the case of Conqueror’s Haki, where it is said that only one in several million people is capable of using it. Possessing this rare and desired form of Haki means that an individual has the qualities of a king, and opens up even more doors for their ascent up the ranks of the strongest pirates currently roaming the seas. The introduction of Advanced Haki forms, and most notably, the act of infusing Conqueror’s Haki into an attack, has further highlighted the importance of this skill, when going up against the might of the New World inOnePiece.
Luffy’s right-hand man and the Straw Hats' swordsman Roronoa Zoro has long been a fan favorite character for his iconic three-sword fighting style, immense dedication to his goal, loyalty to his crew, and the devastating strength he possesses. As such, he is also one of the prime candidates rumored to have Conqueror’s Haki, although this was not shown until very recently. Zoro barely struggled against any opponent he met after the time skip, showcasing how his skills had advancedafter training with Dracule Mihawk, the “Strongest Swordsman in the World” — a title that Zoro himself aspires to obtain. Although he had been wielding Shusui, the blade of Shimotsuki Ryuma, a legendary samurai in Wano, he was later given Enma, the sword of the late Kozuki Oden, by his daughter Hiyori, in exchange for Shusui — which was returned to the people of Wano. A temperamental and demanding yet extremely powerful weapon, Enma gradually dragged out the full extent of Zoro’s power when fighting against Kaido, the leader of the Beasts Pirates, eventually unlocking his Conqueror’s Haki.
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A Blade Like No Other
Ranked among the 21 Great Grade Swords crafted by the legendary swordsmith Shimotsuki Kozaburo, who hailed from Wano, Enma was used bynone other than Kozuki Oden, the former daimyo of Kuri and the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, who also sailed with the Roger Pirates to Laugh Tale. Over 20 years before the events of the Wano Country Arc inOne Piece, Oden used the sword alongside Ame no Habakiri to clash with both Whitebeard and the Pirate King himself, Gol D. Roger. While it may appear as a standard Shobu Zukuri-style katana, Enma is one of the best swords in world, said to be capable of “cutting through to the bottom of hell,” in the words of Kozuki Sukiyaki. The sword is notorious for extracting a user’s Armament Haki in excessive amounts, as seen when Zoro first used it.
In trying to cut down a tree, Zoro accidently sliced off a massive chunk of Wano’s coastline instead, leaving his arm emaciated from expelling so much of his Haki. However, Zoro was also able to quickly reclaim it, indicating that he is among the few actually capable of wielding this revered blade.Enma is feared by many, including Kin’emon, the leader of the Nine Red Scabbards, who were Oden’s retainers. It is likely that no one apart from Oden could actually use the sword, which is a testament to his strength and mastery of Haki in all its forms. The man who forged the sword, Kozaburo, has also stated that he considers Enma to be his masterpiece, superior to even Wado Ichimonji, which has been in Zoro’s possession since the start of the series.
Taming The Beast That Wounded Kaido
Aside from enduring clashes with the Supreme Grade Swords Ace and Murakumogiri, Enma, alongside Ame no Habakiri, were the only weapons to have ever wounded Kaido, said to be the Strongest Creature in the world. Kozuki Oden, the one responsible for giving Kaido the massive cross-shaped scar on his chest, did so while the captain of the Beasts Pirateswas in his full dragon form, attesting to the immeasurable power that could be channeled through Enma. This is but one of the many incredible feats that Oden performed with Enma in hand, which began with the day he used it to bisect the massive Mountain God — in an incident that was instigated by his future vassal Kin’emon.
Zoro found an uphill task in taming the sword, which freely consumed all the Armament Haki in his body, to a point where it severely hampered his endurance and ability to persist in battles that dragged on for extensive periods. Whenever Zoro was tired out, Enma would begin indiscriminately sucking out all of Zoro’s Haki and life force, which would prove to be a considerable problem in fights. Thefirst fight against Kaidoon the rooftop of Onigashima depicted this, where Zoro was unable to draw out enough power from Enma on the first try. As the battle grew ever more intense, he slowly began to understand the true meaning behind Enma’s behavior, and finally succeeded in inflicting a serious wound on Kaido, who remarked that Zoro was the first to injure him since Kozuki Oden himself. Both Big Mom and Kaido also noticed what they perceived to be “a strange Haki” emanating from Enma, with a flame-like aura that aided them in recognizing the blade as belonging to Oden. The pair also noted that Zoro had been using Conqueror’s Haki — a statement that perplexed the swordsman himself.
An Opponent Worthy Of Its Power
On being knocked down to the Live Floor after sustaining grievous injuries at the hands of the two Emperors, Zoro spent a good deal of time recovering with the assistance of the Minks' miracle medicine. The arrival of King,Kaido’s second-in-command, prompted Zoro to jump back into battle once fully healed. This time, he had a much clearer understanding of how to use Enma after testing against the overwhelming power of Kaido. Finally faced with an adversary whose strength could draw out its full power, Zoro realized that Enma had simply been testing him all along to see if he was worthy of its power as a swordsman.
With a renewed spirit and now, aware of what he needed to do to defeat King, Zoro began attacking once again. In this case, it was quite evident that Enma,in extracting every shred of Armament Hakiin Zoro’s body, had also drawn out his Conqueror’s Haki, which he had not awakened till that point. On realizing that he now possessed it, Zoro was able to exert his will and knock innumerable numbers of the Beasts Pirates who surrounded him, allowing his focus to rest solely on King. Combined with his skill with coating himself in Armament Haki, Zoro was able to infuse his attacks with his newly-awakened Conqueror’s Haki, enhancing the destructive force of his three-sword style to yet unseen heights, his blades now radiating streaks of black lightning. This was one of the most important advantages he gained to aid him in taking down the lunarian, which is Zoro’s greatest triumph inOne Piecetill date.
