Shimotsuki Ryuma

Ryuuma is a samurai from the New World who died and was made into a Zombie General by Dr. Hogback. He is the same Ryuuma from Oda's previous one-shot comic, Monsters. His corpse posessed Brook's shadow to animate him during the current arc.

Appearance
Ryuuma is slightly shorter than Brook. He has several bandages covering part of his skull face. He has no eyes and no nose. Ryuuma wears a samurai gi with intricate designs. According to Hogback, Ryuuma's flesh is apparently special.

Personality
Ryuuma has the same personality as Brook from Brook's pervertive nature to Brook's own distinct laugh of "Yo ho ho". This similarity has been noted by several characters. This is because he has Brook's shadow. Though Ryuuma has Brook's personality, because of being under Moria's control, Ryuuma posesses a slightly different outlook of things than Brook. Since he is under Moria's control, he has abandonned his past of being Brook's shadow and everything connected with it. Thus while Brook cherishes his afro, Ryuuma sees it only as an eyesore.

Fighting Style
Ryuuma is a great swordsman of sorts. Possessing Brook's shadow, he is able to perform all of Brook's techniques. The way Ryuuma performs them however have been noted by Brook himself to being used differently than how he normally uses them. This is because of his body that was stitched together by Doctor Hogback. While he knows Brook's techniques, his body itself is strong having being trained by the real Ryuuma in life. This thus makes Ryuuma a formidable foe to be reckon with.

Weapon
Ryuuma uses a sword called Meitou Shuusui, one of the 21 Great Swords. It is distinguished by its black blade and flower-shaped guard. After Zoro defeats Ryuuma, Ryuuma gives the sword to him in hopes of satisfying the sword.

Life before death
According to Hogback, Ryuuma hails from the Wano Country in the New World. He is apparently famous for killing a dragon.

Zombie Ryuuma
After his death, Doctor Hogback came to own his body. Five years ago, a skeleton named Brook came to Thriller Bark. He was captured and with the use of Moria's Devil Fruit powers, his shadow was stolen and implanted into Ryuuma's corpse. Ryuuma then became a zombie under the command of Absalom and foremost Moria. After Brook was set adrift at sea, he returned to the island in search for his shadow. After causing some problems on the island, Brook came across Ryuuma who posessed his shadow, and while they shared the same techniques, Ryuuma had the stronger body and was able best Brook at his own fighting style. Knowing that he couldn't kill Brook, Ryuuma let Brook go with a broken skull. Ryuuma then continued his duties as a Zombie General for the next five years. While Brook trained himself during that time in order to defeat Ryuuma, Ryuuma grew as well in strength since he posessed the skeleton's shadow.

The Arrival of the Straw Hats
While apparently doing his rounds on the night the Straw Hats came to Thriller Bark, Ryuuma decided to chase after Usopp, Nami, and Chopper after they were chased out of Hogback's room by a Jack in a box. He caught up to them while they were peeking on Hogback making his latest creation in his lab. He then knocked them inside with what appeared to be slash.

Ryuuma was then ordered by Hogback to do away with the three. He then knocked Usopp, Nami, and Chopper away with a single move that was so fast that they didn't even realized they were attacked. Only when Ryuuma walked 10-feet away to converse with Cindry and the three try to escape did they realize the attack.

Current Events (Spoilers)
Later, while sitting down and drinking tea in Hogback's lab, Ryuuma is confronted by Brook. The skeleton then challenged Ryuuma to a duel. After several bone shattering strikes, Ryuuma easily defeats Brook with his own style. Ryuuma then grabs Brook's afro and decides to cut it off as a final blow towards the skeleton. However just before Ryuuma could cut off the afro, the entire island suddenly shakes and makes Ryuuma lose his grip on the afro. Franky then arrives in the lab to tend to Brook. Ryuuma, upon regaining his balance, attacks both Franky and Brook. However before it hits it's mark, Zoro blocks Ryuuma's attack and challenges to fight Ryuuma himself in Brook's stead.

After a pre-battle dialouge between the two, in which Zoro plans to take Ryuuma's sword, both Ryuuma and Zoro begin battling against each other. As the battle rages, Ryuuma performs a thrusting technique with his sword which blasts a hole in the wall like a gun.

Some time during the battle, Ryuuma knocks Zoro off the roof of the mansion along with part of it. Ryuuma then stands high above on the roof staring at Zoro. While he stands, he is covered in flames. It was recently proved that Zoro unleashed a new attack which set Ryuuma in flames and made him fell off the rooftop from which they were battling evenly from. Accepting defeat, Ryuuma gives Zoro his sword, evaporates and his shadow returns to Brook. Zoro then says that he wanted to have known Ryuuma while he was still alive and that he'll pretend this fight never happened.

Major Battles

 * Ryuuma vs. a dragon
 * Ryuuma vs. Brook (1st battle)
 * Ryuuma vs. Brook (2nd battle)
 * Ryuuma vs. Zoro

Pre-One Piece Ryuuma
Ryuuma's character design, past, and even name appear to be based on a character from one of Oda's earlier works, Ryuuma the King. The Ryuuma of this earlier work was a samurai who resembled Zoro and the main protagonist of the one-shot comic.

In this comic, Ryuuma had traveled to a town. Ryuuma unfortunately had at the time no money for which to pay for food. He had gone for five days without food and his starvation was starting to get to him. Luckily he was saved by a kind waitress of the Restaurant Gèrard, Flare. For giving him food, Ryuuma decided to repay his debt to the red haired girl. Unfortunately for him, she was at the time talking to a Mihawk like swordsman, Shirano, and thus ignored him. Just as Shirano was leaving, his sword sheath accidentally touched Ryuuma's. Ryuuma took this as sign for a duel to the death and decided to fight Shirano. As the two swordsmen engaged each other, Ryuuma slashed a copper budha easily in half. Just before the fight could escalate, Flare asked Ryuuma to stop. This he did much to shock to everyone in the restaurant.

Later, Ryuuma learned from the restaurant's owner of the story of Flare's hometown that happened seven years ago. Ryuuma learned that the town was attacked by a dragon and the only survivors were Flare and Shirano. Later after eating, Ryuuma decided to continue traveling. As he was walking, Ryuuma's sheath was touched by another. Instinctively, Ryuuma thought of it as a challenge. However before he could do anything, the swordsman, D.R., was apparently stabbed. D.R., seeing that he was stabbed, decided to blow the Dragon Horn he alledgedly stole and suposedly summoned a dragon to come to the area. He did so in order take the whole town with him. He then broke the horn so no one could stop the dragon and then apparently died. This caused an uproar in the town and Ryuuma was blamed for it.

Ryuuma, not understanding the situation at all, decided not to take responsiblity despite the townspeople and Flare's anger towards him. Shirano however confirmed that the horn was real and asked everone to leave so that he can deal with the dragon. Flare, feeling bad, decided not to go. Ryuuma, being in debt, decided not to leave as well. Flare, fearing that Shirano might die, decided to stop him. Ryuuma decided to follow her and try to stop her. However just as they got to a certain location, Ryuuma tried to stop Flare from looking in a certain direction. He unfortunately failed and she saw that Shirano was helping D.R. loot the town. It turned out that Shirano and D.R. were incohoots from the start. Shirano had told D.R. of thing with Ryuuma's sheath so that they could stage a scene with a fake Dragon Horn. They did so in order to scare everyone so they could steal from the town. It was then revealed that they too were responsible for the attack that happened seven years ago.

D.R. had summoned a dragon with a Dragon Horn that Shirano stole from his own surbordinates to attack Flare's hometown. While in the chaos, Shirano found Flare and killed her father while she was unconsious. Shirano then decided to use Flare in order to gain some prestige for his name. Learning of this new info, Ryuuma told Flare to leave as a dragon was still comming to destroy the town. She however didn't and cried. Ryuuma then decided to confront Shirano and D.R. Upon meeting up with Shirano with D.R., Shirano merely mocked at Ryuuma and attacked him. Ryuuma however dodged Shirano's attack and killed him with one stroke. D.R. frightened by this, pleaded for his life by saying that only he could stop the dragon from comming with the real Dragon Horn. Ryuuma however instead slew the villain.

Just as the dragon arrived, Ryuuma lept from a building and with one mighty swing, slew the beast. Afterwards, Ryuuma decided to leave town. As went, he left Flare with some encouraging words and told her that she owed him one as he fought for her twice. Later when the townspeople came back and discovered everthing, it was learned that Ryuuma was called "The King". It was a name that was given to him by people he had saved. Ryuuma despite his fame, however doesn't know this himself and even plans to fight this "King" one day. Ryuuma, despite it all, however simply travels off to his next adventure.