Shusui

Shusui is one of the 21 Great Grade swords and a "Black Blade" (黒刀) that was once wielded by the legendary samurai Shimotsuki Ryuma. It is prized as the national treasure of the Wano Country. After his death, the katana was buried with Ryuma, until his grave was robbed by Gecko Moria 23 years ago.

Ryuma appeared as a zombie on Thriller Bark, who had been given Brook's shadow. After his defeat, Ryuma bequeathed the sword to Roronoa Zoro, and said he was satisfied with Zoro as the sword's master. The sword then replaced Zoro's Yubashiri which was destroyed by Marine Captain Shu at Enies Lobby. It was then stolen by Gyukimaru and returned to Ryuma's grave. After that, Zoro agreed to leave Shusui behind to replace it for the offered Enma by Kozuki Hiyori.

Appearance
Shusui is a black blade that has as distinct white (reddish-purple in the anime) reverse wave hamon (hardening line) that is of a Kanemoto style and its tsuba (handguard) has flower-like edges in the shape of an octofoil. It also has no accessories on the hilt, being wrapped with black silk. Kashira, tsuba and kojiri end cap are golden, and the sheath is black, decorated with dark red circles split into even thirds.

In descriptive terms, Shusui is a Hira Zukuri katana with a black blade. Shusui has a solid hilt with a samegawa wrapped around it. The kashira is identical to the kojiri found at the end of the sheath. The crossguard is in the shape of a flower, with the sides being dark gold but the edge is normal gold. There are two half-circle holes on each side of the blade. A saw hamon pattern adorns the sides of this blade in a shining dark magenta while the hamon of the blade is colored purple, though it is equally as dark as the black bo-hi. Shusui has a traditional sheath, but a pattern of circles in their thirds can be found stretching across it.

After the Thriller Bark Arc, Zoro wrapped a sageo rope around the upper part of the sheath, although this was not shown in the anime until after the timeskip.

During the Dressrosa Arc in the manga, Shusui's hamon was changed to red, most likely to match its anime color.

Abilities


As one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, Shusui is one of the finest swords in the world and the national treasure of Wano. It was most known as the signature sword of the legendary Samurai, Shimotsuki Ryuma, which became a permanent Black Blade. As such, Zoro commented such a trait makes Shusui durable, to the point where even if a Dinosaur stepped on it, the blade wouldn't bend a millimeter. In the past, Ryuma was most known using it to behead an enormous Dragon that appeared over Wano with little effort. Zoro believed requiring Shusui would be absolutely necessary for him to win against Kaidou and the Beast Pirates in the upcoming Onigashima Raid.

In addition to being much heavier than Yubashiri, Shusui has the distinct trait to increase its wielder's destructive power. As shown when the modified Zombie Ryuma, in addition to his strong body empowered Brook's Fencing Sword Style, making it much stronger and destructive than a Gentle Blade. Zoro noted that if their fight continued then Shusui would've broken Sandai Kitetsu and Wado Ichimonji, both swords created by some of the best Wano swordsmith. In Zoro's hands, Shusui could deflect the Zombie Oars' punch when wielded horizontally, then made a giant flying slash after using Hyakuhachi Pound Ho, absorbing the flying slashes produced by his two swords, thereby increasing its already destructive power.



Although, Shusui can deal extremely powerful and heavier strikes, there's some major problems that comes with it. The most notable being that it turned out to be a "problem child", no different from Sandai Kitetsu, causing too much destruction when cutting. Another being that it was heavier than his previous sword, all of which makes the sword much harder to control.

After training with Dracule Mihawk for the next two years, Shusui is noted as having become Zoro's favored blade and has overcome its negative attributes. In conjuncture with his improved strength and skills, Shusui enhances the effectiveness of Zoro's One Sword Style much greater than Wado Ichimonji or Sandai Kitetsu. His first notable feat being cutting a massive galleon ship in half moments before reuniting with the Straw Hat Pirates, and then decapitated Dragon Number Thirteen, mirroring Ryuma's legendary feat. During their battle at Dressrosa, this, Sandai Kitetsu, and Wado Ichimonji, could cut apart Pica's stone golems without much effort. As a testament to this, all three hardened swords could cut the Executive Officer, who had assumed a size surpassing an Ancient Giant; then again after Pica completely hardened himself using Busoshoku Haki and holding back the Torikago, which could cut through meteorites without being damaged.

Past
The sword originally belonged to Shimotsuki Ryuma, and was buried with its original master in Wano Country upon his death, where it was prized as a national treasure. It was said that Shusui was not always a "black blade", and it became one after many battles alongside its master.

23 years ago, Gecko Moria stole both the sword and Ryuma's body, and Wano Country was brought to its knees in shock.

Thriller Bark Arc
Ryuma wielded Shusui once again when he was revived as a zombie, and later bequeathed it to Zoro upon his defeat.

Punk Hazard Arc
Upon seeing it, Tashigi was awed.

Dressrosa Arc
After he saw it, Kin'emon became determined to challenge Zoro so the sword could be returned to Wano Country. While at a restaurant in Acacia, Shusui was stolen by a dwarf named Wicca. Zoro caught the dwarf and reclaimed his sword.

Wano Country Arc
Due to his possession of the sword, Zoro was accused of being behind a series of attacks and was sentenced to commit seppuku, while Toyama Tsujigiro, a corrupt magistrate, took Shusui for himself. Zoro managed to identify the magistrate as the real culprit and struck him down, regaining Shusui.

Shusui was later stolen by Gyukimaru, who returned it to Ryuma's grave.

In order to have Shusui remain in Wano Country, Kozuki Hiyori offered her own Great Grade sword, Enma, to Zoro as a replacement for Shusui, a proposal that Zoro accepted.

Trivia

 * In SBS Volume 92, Oda drew Zoro's swords personified as humans. Shusui took the form of a man with a long face and a prominent chin, with neck-length light hair and a thin dark mustache.
 * In Chapter 599, Zoro's Shusui was shown with a different sheath strongly resembling that of Trafalgar Law's nodachi, Kikoku. Although Oda did not write anything about it, it could be taken as a mistake as Zoro is then seen holding Shusui with its traditional sheath with no comments about the change. This error is fixed in the anime episode that adapts this scene from the manga.
 * In Chapter 937, Gyukimaru states that Shusui "became" a black blade in the hands of Ryuma. In Chapter 955, Kozuki Sukiyaki states that by becoming a black blade, Enma could raise in rank into a Saijo O Wazamono, which means that before becoming a black blade, Shusui could have been a Ryō Wazamono.
 * Despite Ryuma's sword being generic in the Monsters one-shot, the ONA adaptation appears to use Shusui.

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