Eiichiro Oda sets up Zoro's Yonko level transformation

a piece Currently in the Elbaf arc, which lined up some of the biggest battles yet for the Straw Hat Pirates, especially the monster trio. Luffy pits himself against the King of the World, Nerona Emu, in the arc's climax, with Roronoa Zoro, the crew's swordsman, trying to fight against the Super Somers, who are powered by Emu's Akuma no Mi abilities.

As is the case with Luffy and Sanji, Zoro's fight is also going to upgrade his overall power level and take him closer to attaining Yonko level and the ultimate transformation that pushes him out – King of Hell: Nine-Sword Style Asura.

One piece officially sets up Zoro's King of Hell: Nine Swords style Asura transformation

Roronoa Zoro is one of the most powerful characters in the world a piece At this time. As one of the pirate king's wings, Zoro holds a big ball up his sleeve with ambition that ensures he continues to grow stronger. Zoro's goal is to become the strongest swordsman in the world, and this requires him to reach the level of Dracul Mihawk and even beyond. Now, he is strong enough to fight against any Yonko First Commander and defeat them in battle. The precedent for this was officially established in 2012 a piece Chapter 1035, which was released on December 20, 2021 in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issues #3-4. In this chapter, Roronoa Zoro is officially defeated by the King, one of Kaido's three right-hand men. In doing so, he also gains a great power-up, which he calls the King of Hell: Three-Sword Style or En Ou: Centaur.

“If it takes, I'll be the King of Hell!” – Roronoa Zoro, Acquiring the King of Hell, One Piece Chapter #1036

This ability was unlocked by Zoro when he obtained Nma and managed to understand its essence. Simply put, King of Hell: Three-Sword Style is Zoro's ultimate power-up in that he allows Enma to extract as much Haki from his body as possible and push his overall Haki output to the absolute maximum. King of Hell: In the Three-Swords style, Zoro is extracting the maximum amount of Armament and Conqueror's Haki from his body, pushing his offensive output to a much higher level. While the King of Hell: Three-Sword style is very strong, it is not the peak of his abilities.

“What do I do? I can only calm the sword if I go all out with my Haki? But it could kill me. No, it has to be this way. After all, I made a promise to my captain and my best friend.” — Roronoa Zoro taps into Enma's full power, One Piece Chapter #1033

from a piece In Chapter 417, released on July 3, 2006, we know that the peak of Zoro's ability is his Nine-Sword Style technique. He used this ability once again in One Piece Chapter 510 against a Pacifista on the Sabauri Archipelago, and then against Kaido. a piece In Chapter 1010, which was officially released in Shuisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #12 on April 12, 2021, he taps into this power again, calling it the best he can do in battle. Obviously, the Nine Sword Style is the pinnacle of his sword skill ability, but so far, he hasn't been able to combine it with his King of Hell. Putting two and two together, Zoro's final transformation into One Piece is coming via King of Hell: Nine-Sword Style Asura, which we can't wait to see.

Why Zoro's King of Hell: Nine Swords style makes him a Yonko-level threat

As things stand, Zoro is already there to reach Yonko's level. He is a very strong fighter who can hold his own against any Yonko's first mate and even fight against Yonko and hold his own. However, when it comes to seriously hurting Yonko or taking them down, he's not up to the mark yet. Zoro can gain full control of his conqueror's haki to reach that level, which is what Elbaf is here to do.

in a piece Chapter 1152, officially released in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #30 on June 23, 2025, Eiichiro Oda reprimands Scopper Gaban Zoro on how to properly control the Conqueror's Haki. By doing this, Oda said that only by controlling his Haki can he bring out his true power. This apparently sets up a significant Haki upgrade for Zoro as he learns to control his essence in this arc during his battle against Super Sommers, which was officially established in 1182 on May 10, 2026, in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #24.

“Absurd.. Haki is a power that needs to be controlled to be used properly. Your captain is one of the Four Emperors. How do you plan to help him without knowing?” — Scapper Gaban scolds Zoro in One Piece chapter #1152

Once Zoro learns to fully control his Conqueror's Haki, he can then significantly upgrade his Asura Nine Sword Style by combining it with the King of Hell, giving rise to the King of Hell: Nine-Sword Style. Considering he's already learned how to fight on equal footing against the likes of Yonko, Zoro should be strong enough to be classified as a Yonko-level pirate.

Eiichiro Oda sets up Zoro to surpass Yonko level in the final saga

No fan should be surprised when Roronoa Zoro reaches Yonko level at the end of Elbaf. This is because we know that his ceiling is very high, and he needs to get stronger after ascending to Yonko's level. His target is Dracul Mihawk, a Yonko-level enemy, and in order to defeat him, he needs to surpass the level of the average Yonko in the One Piece world. This level can only be achieved by the Straw Hat Swordsman by significantly upgrading his overall powers, and is likely to follow after the conclusion of the Elbaf arc.

“From now on, until the day I finally defeat him, I will never lose again. Is that okay with you, Pirate King?” – Roronoa Zoro announces his grand ambition, One Piece Chapter #52

For now, Zoro's strongest possible ability that could take him to the same level as the emperors is his King of Hell: Nine Swords style. After this upgrade, he's still going to grow, whether it's in terms of the blackness of his sword or by getting stronger blades in the first place. In any case, his growth will continue to follow Elbaf until he reaches the level of Sword Lord Ryuuma, surpassing Mihak.

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