Episode 1060

"The Secret of Enma! The Cursed Sword Entrusted to Zoro" is the 1060th episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
As Zoro recalls his past involving an old man he once knew, the clues from his memory help him realize the secret necessary to truly master Enma.

Long Summary
Zoro retrieves two of his swords and proceeds to attack King. The two engage in an intense exchange of blows. King launches his Barizodon attack. Zoro senses Enma nearby and immediately lunges to retrieve it. As Zoro grabs Enma, it immediately drains his Haki, emaciating his arm. King attacks him relentlessly and he barely manages to block the Lunarian’s slashes. Zoro falls and Enma continues to drain him.

Zoro recalls how he learned of the battle cry, “Sunacchi” and how Momonosuke was prohibited from uttering such cry. He explained to the young daimyo that he learned it from an old man from his village a long time ago. He remembers the old man who was always on the seacoast. He also recalls Hitetsu explaining that his two swords, Wado Ichimonji and Enma were both forged by the legendary swordsmith, Shimotsuki Kozuburo.

Zoro remembers events in a village in East Blue, thirteen years ago. A young Zoro was training with Kuina, his childhood friend, at the Isshin Dojo. Kuina easily disarmed him and knocked him down. Determined to best his rival, Zoro went to the coast to train. There he saw an old man looking towards the sea. Sensing that Zoro was a bit down, the old man taught him of the battle cry, “Sunacchi,” which, according to him, was a good-luck word to uplift one’s spirit. Zoro told him that he had no use for such a weird word, but asked the old man if he was a samurai, since everyone at the dojo said so. Instead of answering, the old man told Zoro to pay the gossip no mind. He then told the young boy that the Marines would be invading their village soon, but he refused to tell him why and told him to go home. Instead of going home, however, Zoro started training, while the old man watched on.

After Zoro explained why he was training hard, the old man offered to give Zoro two of his swords that he forged himself. He explained they were blunt so Zoro could use them for practice. The old man explained that swords were made to kill. Every sword had a personality and that it was a swordsman’s job to tame them. He went on to say that a “cursed sword” is a fine sword and was simply called as such because the weak feared it. The old man recalled a sword that he forged when he was younger. He deemed it the greatest piece that he crafted in his life. Just by holding it, the blade would give the bearer chills, thus he dubbed it “the great king of hell.” Remembering all these, Zoro realizes that the aforementioned sword―the great king of hell―was none other than Enma.

Outside, Momonosuke accidentally grasps Kaidou’s Flame Clouds. He realizes that since he is also a dragon, he can also control and manipulate the clouds. He proceeds to try and divert Onigashima’s path.

Meanwhile, Zoro pieces together the clues to the history of his village. It was not a coincidence that the village was named Shimotsuki. Hitetsu mentioned that Shimotsuki Kozaburo, had left Wano more than fifty years ago. With all this information and his memories, Zoro deduces that the old man and Kozaburo are one and the same. He remembers Kozaburo explaining that it is the sword that chooses its wielder. With that, Zoro understood that Enma chose him and was simply testing him.

He recalls one night when he was younger and had challenged Kuina to their 2001st duel, all of which were won by the latter. Zoro cried in frustration, but Kuina told him that it is she who should be frustrated. Her father had told her that as a girl, she could never surpass a man as a swordsman. She envied Zoro for being a boy, since she, too, wanted to become the world’s greatest. Hearing Kuina utter those words angered Zoro since he was aiming to surpass her and saying that was insulting all the hard training he was doing. With this, the two made a pact to become the world’s greatest swordsman. The following day, Kuina died after falling down a flight of stairs. Distraught, Zoro begged Kuina’s father to give him Kuina’s sword, also promising to be so strong that his name reached her in heaven.

Back to the present, Zoro realizes that Enma was not draining him out of malice and admits that he was simply lacking thus unable to withstand the sword unlike Oden who had been using it with ease even though the sword took away so much of his Haki. Zoro tries to figure out how to control the flow of his Haki and keep it from being depleted and ultimately causing his death. Rather than fighting the sword's effects, he decides to let Enma take his Haki instead and “conquers” it, unleashing his Haoshoku Haki and rendering the nearby Beast Pirates unconscious. King notices and asks if he was trying to be a king. Zoro answers by saying that he just remembered his promise to Luffy and Kuina.

Anime Notes

 * The anime adds the following:
 * Momonosuke learning to take control of Kaidou's Flame Clouds is shown.
 * Apoo, X Drake, Inbi, and Zanki fighting off CP0.
 * A visual of Zoro's heart when he learns how to properly control Enma by stabilizing his Haki drainage.
 * Zoro's Haki being shown as green when he first uses Haoshoku Haki.
 * The anime extends the following:
 * King knocking Zoro down into the shed.
 * Momonosuke pulling Onigashima away from the Flower Capital.
 * Zoro's flashback.
 * Zoro using Haoshoku Haki to take down several Beasts Pirates members.
 * The anime omits the close-up shot of the effect that Zoro's Haoshoku Haki had on the Beast Pirates members.