One Piece: How Zoro’s Next Power-up Will Put Him On Mihawk’s Level

This post contains spoilers for One Piece.

Roronoa Zoro was the first member to join Luffy’s journey to become the Pirate King. It took a lot of convincing, but Luffy eventually succeeded. Since joining the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro has been a valuable asset to the crew, primarily due to his incredible power. Before joining Luffy, he was famous throughout the East Blue as the Pirate Hunter.

Throughout the One Piece series, Zoro has consistently become more powerful, both in strength and willpower. He’s defeated many strong enemies, most recently King. Given his track record, it’s surprising to think he could still get even stronger and finally surpass his ultimate rival, Dracule Mihawk.

Zoro Was Humiliated By Mihawk

When the Straw Hat crew arrived at Baratie, they didn’t expect any trouble. They certainly weren’t prepared to encounter Dracule Mihawk, one of the world’s most powerful pirates and widely known as the greatest swordsman. Zoro instantly recognized Mihawk and challenged him to a duel, determined to fulfill his promise to Kuina and become the best. He understood Mihawk was a far more dangerous opponent than anyone he’d faced before, so he fought with everything he had from the start.

I Have Found That Fancy Titles Mean Nothing When It Comes To Fighting

Zoro attacked with everything he had, but couldn’t even scratch Mihawk. Mihawk repeatedly taunted Zoro during the fight, increasing his anger. Although Zoro couldn’t hurt Mihawk, he did manage to impress him. Just before defeating Zoro, Mihawk encouraged him to keep training and challenge him again in the future.

No matter how many times people rewatch the fight, it’s obvious that Zoro was thoroughly defeated by Mihawk. Mihawk used the opportunity to show just how much stronger he was. After such a decisive loss, Zoro realized he needed to improve, and he committed himself completely to getting stronger.

Zoro Was Trained By Mihawk

Zoro Had To Undergo Rigorous Training

After a tough defeat by Mihawk, most fans didn’t expect the two to ever team up. However, that’s exactly what happened when Bartholomew Kuma sent Zoro to Kuraigana Island. Zoro initially intended to quickly rejoin Luffy, but changed his mind after seeing a tattoo that proved his captain had been there. He then asked Mihawk to train him, a surprising request that highlighted Zoro’s incredible loyalty to Luffy. He wouldn’t have humbled himself before his greatest opponent for anyone else.

Mihawk was surprised when Zoro asked him for training, but he agreed. Zoro spent two years on the island, mastering both Armament and Observation Haki. He also created new fighting skills that would prove useful in battles. After his training, Zoro rejoined the Straw Hat crew and has been consistently challenging powerful enemies ever since.

Zoro’s Next Power Up Will Be A Big One

The One Piece manga is now centered around the Elbaf arc, where Luffy and his crew are battling Imu and two incredibly powerful Holy Knights. These three villains have been easily defeating the giants due to their overwhelming abilities. It initially appeared they would succeed in capturing the children and turning them into weapons. However, with Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Loki back in the fight, the situation has changed. Gaban’s recent discovery – that Conqueror’s Haki can prevent the Holy Knights from regenerating – gives the Straw Hats a crucial advantage.

During the Wano and Egghead arcs, Zoro demonstrated his ability to use Conqueror’s Haki, defeating King and Lucci with it. While these wins were significant, they required a lot of effort because Zoro isn’t yet fully proficient with this power. For the heroes to succeed in future battles, Zoro needs to master Advanced Conqueror’s Haki, ideally without depending on his sword, Enma. This will allow him to overcome opponents with regenerative abilities, like the Holy Knights, and significantly boost the overall strength of his attacks.

Zoro Will Fight Mihawk Again Before One Piece Ends

After leaving Elbaf, Roronoa Zoro and the Straw Hat crew will be on the path to Laugh Tale. However, they’ll encounter challenges along the way, and the Cross Guild is likely to be one of them. Buggy has publicly announced his ambition to find the One Piece, and his followers are enthusiastically supporting his goal.

Mihawk and Crocodile weren’t exactly thrilled with the decision, but they had no other choice.

Given that both the Straw Hats and the Cross Guild share the same goal, a confrontation between them is inevitable. When they meet, Zoro is destined to clash swords with Mihawk once more. Their rematch will undoubtedly be legendary, and when Zoro finally wins, he will claim the title of the world’s strongest swordsman.

Zoro Will Fight Even Stronger People

Zoro will fight an Admiral
Zoro could also fight against Jesus Burgess

Zoro’s journey is far from over. His crew absolutely needs to reach Laugh Tale, and even with the Cross Guild defeated, new dangers will emerge. The World Government will almost certainly send the Marines to stop them, and that likely means Zoro will face off against Fujitora, a highly skilled swordsman. They’ve battled before at Dressrosa, where Fujitora won, but their next fight will have a different outcome.

Fans are eagerly anticipating a battle between Zoro and Jesus Burgess, a powerful captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. Zoro often clashes with the leading members of enemy crews, making a fight with Burgess highly probable in a future arc. Burgess is a formidable fighter with a Devil Fruit ability that greatly boosts his strength, meaning he’ll be a serious challenge for Zoro. Overall, Zoro’s upcoming fights promise to be some of his most exciting and difficult yet, offering a thrilling experience for One Piece fans.

2026-02-24 16:37