Summary
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In theOne Pieceseries, Roronoa Zoro stands out as a swordsman with a range that continues to awe fans of the series. Among his arsenal of techniques, the Nine Sword style is perhaps one of the most powerful due to the powerful adversaries he has used it against. This style is unlike any typical swordsman skill because it transcends physical limitations by creating an illusionary form with additional arms and heads, thus allowing Zoro to wield nine swords simultaneously.
In this way, he triples his usual three-sword Santoryu’s damage output. Although this style is rarely seen inOne Piece, Zoro’s usage of the Nine Sword Style in dire times and his ability to harness the attack shows his versatility and resilience on his journey to become the greatest swordsman in the world.
What Is The Nine Sword Style?
The Making Of Asura
The nine sword style, or Asura, is a unique technique developed by Zoro.This style is an extension of his Three Sword Style, a manifestation of Zoro’s spiritual energy. Zoro creates the illusion of two additional heads and four more arms, each holding a sword, resulting in a total of nine blades. This technique always amplifies Zoro’s offensive abilities and exudesa fearsome aura reminiscent of Asura, a demon god.
The Straw Hats' first faceoff with the World Government was in Enies Lobby during the abduction of Nico Robin. Zoro first unveiled the nine sword style, also known as Asura,in Enies Lobbyin the battle against Kaku of CP9. Zoro faced an opponent with the ability to transform into a giraffe-human hybrid, and he found himself pushed to his limits, especially with Usopp’s constant interference. During this dire situation, he tapped into his latent power and manifested the style to execute the Asura attack. This powerful move overpowered Kaku and led to Zoro’s victory in the fight.
The Nine Sword Style Is A Milestone In Zoro’s Journey
The Refinement Of The Swordsman Style
Zoro’s ability to employ the Nine Sword style is a remarkable leap in his combat capabilities. He can overwhelm his opponents with speed and great agility when he creates multiple illusions of himself holding a sword. Zoro’s ability to adapt under pressure shows that beyond his strength, he can evolve and innovate new styles to counter his enemies, just like he did with Kaku. In other words, it symbolizes his willingness to push beyond limits when he has to protect someone he cares about.
Beyond its practical applications in battle, the nine sword style is also significant forZoro’s character development. This is because he improved the style during the series' pre- and post-time skip. Following its debut, Zoro has employed the Asura technique sparingly and always reserves it for battles where he faces powerful foes.
Asura Ichibugin:This style of Zoro’s Nine Sword style usually makes Zoro attack his enemies at great speed and assault them with nine swords at once. This is the same assault he used against Kaku at Enies Lobby, and even with his powerful devil fruit, he could not counter it.
Asura Makyusen:For this stance, Zoro still resembles someone with two more heads and four more arms, attacks his enemy with the swords, and his stance at the end of the attack usually resembles a wheel shape. He used the attack againstPacifista PX4 in Sabaodyduring the aftermath of Luffy punching a celestial dragon.
Asura Bakkei: Moja no Tawamure:However, during the two-year time skip, Zoro trained with Mihawk, and he improved his combat prowess. He learned to infuse haki with his swords, which made him more deadly during battle. This attack was used on Kaido duringthe Onigashima raid in Wano. In that moment, even Big Mom told Kaido to dodge Zoro’s deadly attack. However, Kaido, known for his offensive attacks, did not dodge it, and Zoro slashed his torso deeply. Kaido’s skin is hard to penetrate with any form of attack, and the only man to ever inflict a scar on him wasKozuki Oden. Hence, Zoro’s ability to create an attack capable of penetrating through Kaido’s hard skin is commendable, and this moment solidifies Zoro as a swordsman who can stay on par with a powerful foe.
