Episode 1062

"The Three-Sword Style of the Supreme King! Zoro vs. King" is the 1062nd episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
As the battle between Zoro and King reaches its climax, Zoro, after figuring out the secret of King's abilities, uses his newfound power to create the King of Hell Three Sword Style. As King remembers his past, the two fight it out with Zoro emerging as the victor.

Long Summary
King had asked Zoro if he was trying to be a king, but Zoro tells him that he was simply remembering his promise to his captain and his best friend. King scoffs at this, saying that so long as he and Kaidou were around, Zoro’s promise will never be fulfilled. With that, the two continue their battle, exchanging blow after blow. Zoro is exhausted, but King is still unscathed. King mocks his attempts and tells him that his sword attacks will not work against him.

King is now on the offensive. Zoro tries to analyze their battle while he is parrying King’s attacks. He knows that he is slashing King, but his slashes are not affecting him at all. Zoro uses his Three Sword Style: Ultra Tiger Hunt attack while infusing his swords with Haoshoku Haki. The attack manages to make King bleed and also rips up the All-Star's mask. Zoro finally figures out that King’s durability and speed are directly linked to the flames on his back―that once the said flames go out, King’s speed increases, but his defense gets weaker.

A couple of Beasts Pirates see King without his mask and observe that he has black wings, white hair, and brown skin. They say that he is of a race so rare that the World Government awards 100 million to those with information about their existence. King overhears this and burns them to death.

King and Zoro continue their battle outside the Skull Dome. King finally acknowledges Zoro’s strength and the danger he poses. Zoro accepts the compliment and vows to end Kaidou’s and the Beasts Pirates’ reign. King rebuffs this and declares that Kaidou will the King of the Pirates. Zoro rejects this declaration and attacks with King of Hell, Three Sword Style: Rengoku Oni Giri.

King recalls the first time he met Kaidou on Punk Hazard many years ago. The younger Kaidou was a guinea pig of the World Government and had just escaped. While making his way out of the laboratory, he saw a young man engulfed by fire after undergoing a durability test. Kaidou surmised that he was a Lunarian, given his ability to withstand the raging fire. Kaidou told the young man that he was going to form a new pirate group and offered him a chance to make the not-so-fascinating world fascinating. The man accepted the offer after Kaidou guaranteed that he would change the world. After making their escape, Kaidou asked the man his name and he answered that it was Alber. After noting how strong Alber was, Kaidou told him that he should be named King instead. Kaidou promised King that he would never betray him and made him his right-hand man.

Back in the present, Zoro’s attack is ineffective and King counters with Imperial Flaming Wings, which sends magma-like flames onto Zoro. King then strikes Zoro using his burning sword which Zoro blocks. Refusing to lose any of his swords, Zoro releases a burst of Haki which sends the two of them flying. Zoro is unable to see King, suspecting that the flames on King’s back are out since the Lunarian is moving at an incredible speed. Knowing that King is not invulnerable at this state, Zoro attacks using Yakkodori, knocking King back.

King realizes that Zoro has figured out the mechanics to his strength, and Zoro finally sees a window to King’s defeat. Zoro uses his Ul-Tora Gari technique, but King blocks the attack despite having his flames on. Zoro taunts King for blocking his attack, but King retorts that Zoro is biologically incapable of defeating him. He then launches his Imperial Flaming Wings attack which sends a multitude of magma-like streams onto Zoro. The flames try to engulf Zoro, but he cuts them down while he makes his way towards King. Zoro attacks with King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation and King counters with his Extra Large Imperial Flaming Wings.

The clash sends a shockwave throughout Onigashima. King’s sword is broken, and his right wing is ripped apart. As King’s consciousness fades, he thinks of his captain. He had thought of Kaidou as the prophesized Joy Boy. Thankful for the life Kaidou gave to him, he asked his captain to remain the strongest. He also promised that he would never lose so that he can make Kaidou the King of the Pirates. At the same time, Zoro, too, recalls his vow to become the world’s greatest swordsman―a vow he made to Luffy, the man who he declared will become the Pirate King.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * King
 * Roronoa Zoro
 * Monkey D. Luffy (flashback)
 * Kaidou (flashback)
 * Dracule Mihawk (flashback)

Anime Notes

 * The anime adds the following:
 * Zoro's attack destroying King's mask.
 * Kaidou freeing King from his imprisonment in Punk Hazard during the flashback is shown.
 * The Marines in the flashback attempting to recapture Kaidou and King.
 * Zoro landing on the ground after defeating King is shown.
 * At the end of the episode, Zoro slashes the letter Z with his sword and the slash covers the background of the "To Be Continued" text. This could possibly be a reference to the Spanish character Zorro who occasionally slashes the letter Z in the air with his sword.
 * The anime extends the following:
 * Zoro's battle against King which also includes:
 * Zoro using Rengoku Oni Giri against King.
 * King using Karyudon against Zoro.
 * Zoro and King's finishing their battle with their final moves En-Ō Santōryū: Ippyakusanjo Hiryu Jigoku and Omori Karyudon.
 * King tearing off his mask, which happened before he attacked his subordinates in the manga, is moved to after Zoro questioning him about his race.
 * King's flashback of his first meeting with Kaidou.
 * Zoro and King's flashbacks after their battle had concluded.
 * The anime doesn't show King's transformation into his beast form, after he removed his damaged mask.
 * In the manga Zoro using Rengoku Oni Giri against King took place after the flashback, while in the anime the attack took place before it instead.
 * In the manga, part of King's right wing is shown cut off, while this does happen in the anime, the part of it that was cut off is not shown in the anime.

Trivia

 * During Zoro and King's fight, Haoshoku Haki sparks around Zoro spell out each letter of his name in English characters. Notably, for the third letter, it shows both the letters "R" and "L", likely due to the various translations used.