On March 28, 2022, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17, a piece Chapter 1044 left and officially made Luffy a god. In this chapter, Luffy's legendary Zoan Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, is officially awakened, and he is able to tap into a transformation called Gear 5.
Since then, Luffy has maintained his godly status and taken his overall power to the next level. However, the last saga of a pieceEspecially the Elbaf arc climax confirms to us that there are many other gods in the world with him. Among them, one of them is going to be Roronoa Zoro, the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates. Zoro doesn't have any Devil Fruit abilities, he will rise to godly fame based on strength as well as swordsmanship, just like Ryuuma who will officially become the next “Lord of Blades”.
One Piece is set to follow Luffy's ascension to godhood by making Zoro the Sword God
in a piece Chapter 1044, released on March 28, 2026, Monkey D. Luffy awakens Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika and taps into Gear 5. With the awakening of this Devil Fruit, Gorosei officially confirmed to us that Luffy had become the Warrior of Salvation and the Sun God. Up until this point in the story, God's existence had been largely denied by fans, although a fragment chapter 287 first mentioned their existence on August 11, 2003 in Shuisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump double issue #37-38.
“Sun god, rain god, forest god, earth god, please take this woman's blood and save our village from disaster.” — One Piece Chapter #287 introduces the 4 main gods
Following the events of Wano, Eiichiro Oda lined up several other gods, such as One Piece chapter 1138, which featured Harley for the first time. Since then, fans have been waiting for the appearance of figures like the Rain God, Earth God, Forest God, and the Serpent of Hell. One character Eiichiro Oda has already earmarked for ascension to godhood is Roronoa Zoro, the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Zoro is a man who aims to become the strongest swordsman in the world, and to do this he must defeat Dracul Mihawk, who is the current titleholder. Zoro's desire to become the strongest swordsman in the world comes from his promise to Kuina before he died and his desire to make Luffy the Pirate King. For both of these reasons, Zoro wants to become the strongest swordsman in the world, and at the end of One Piece, he will fulfill this goal and his ambition.
There is another storyline surrounding the character of Roronoa Zoro that Eiichiro Oda will explore in the future, and it directly connects him to Shimotsuki Ryuma, his direct ancestor through his grandmother Shimotsuki Furiko. for the a piece For fans who don't know, Shimotsuki Ryuma was officially confirmed as the Sword God, or Blade of the God, in One Piece Chapter 937, in Shuisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17, officially released on March 25, 2019. Shimotsuki Ushimaru's dog.
“After his death, he was granted the title of Sword God and buried alongside his beloved sword Shusui. They are the national treasures of the two countries!” — Onimaru explains how Ryuuma became a god, One Piece Chapter #937
It is said that Ryuma once stood alongside and was once revered and respected in Wano, and his achievements were such that his famous blade, Shusui, was named a national treasure of Wano. According to Onimaru, Ryouma's feat of slaying the dragon above the Flower Capital is only one of his many achievements. It was his strength alone that Wano was able to fend off any invaders long ago, when Wano was still known as the land of gold. Ryuma's position as the Lord of Blades must be passed to Roronoa Zoro before the end of One Piece. By giving this position to his direct descendant, Eiichiro Oda would officially make Zoro a god after Luffy.
Why should Roronoa Zoro rival Shimotsuki Ryuma's legacy?
Roronoa Zoro needs to rival Shimotsuki Ryuma's legacy due to the direct connection between them. For one, Zoro and Ryuma look alike, but more importantly, they share a blood connection. It is unclear what time period Ryuma existed, but what we do know is that the Shimotsuki family still existed in Wano, with Ushimaru as its last known daimyo. Shimotsuki Ushimaru's sister, Shimotsuki Furiko, was also a direct descendant of Ryuma, and she moved from Wano 55 years ago and settled in East Nilo. In East Blue, he married Roronoa Pinzoro, and with her he had a child named Roronoa Arashi, who then married Tera and had Zoro with her. This Zoro family tree was officially explained by Eiichiro Oda in One Piece Volume 105, and it links Roronoa Zoro directly to Ryuma.
“Ushimaru was a great swordsman and a direct descendant of the sword god Shimotsuki Ryuma. And this man was the one who finally turned Shusui back to Wano. It must have been fate, because Ryuma was also a one-eyed samurai.” – Kawamatsu Explains Shimotsuki Bloodline Linked to Zoro, One Piece Chapter #1023
In One Piece Chapter 1023, Hyogoro the Flower also confirmed that Zoro and Ryuma are like two peas in a pod, and in other words, Zoro also aims to unlock the same legacy for himself as Ryuma. For Zoro, it's a big dream to surpass Dracul Mihawk and become the strongest swordsman in the world, but if he wants to reach a level completely unexplored, he must go beyond that. He could only do this by doing what Ryouma had done in the past and becoming the 'God of Blades'. By mastering his sword skills to godlike levels, Zoro will become the strongest swordsman in existence in the One Piece world, and at the same time, become famous around the world, which is a development we can't wait to see.
Zoro's endgame status in One Piece World
In the final game of One Piece, Zoro is sure to rank among the strongest in the world. While Luffy may possibly be the strongest that exists due to his ability to surpass even Joy Boy in terms of strength, Zoro won't be far behind. Zoro will already be among the strongest characters in the entire universe, surpassing the likes of Dracul Mihawk. The Straw Hat Pirates, along with Zoro, are going to be Sanji's cook. The two have always been portrayed as equals by Eiichiro Oda, and this position will be maintained until the end. Likewise, the top three of the last game a piece The world is lined up to be Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.
“A first-rate chef who takes care of the crew's stomachs, and at the same time, he's also a fighter who fights with brilliant footwork. Although his reward is less than Zoro's, their powers are equally matched, worthy of being called wings.” — Eiichiro Oda confirms that Zoro and Sanji are equals in a One Piece mini magazine
While it may have been impossible to imagine at one point, the Elbaf Arc specifically lined up the Conqueror's Haki for Luffy's Wings and established a parallel between them. As all of the Straw Hat Monster Trio are kings in their own right, holding immense powers, they are destined for greatness and attaining God's powers in the final saga.
The latest One Piece manga chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda are available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
