One Piece novel ZORO is an ongoing novel written by Jun Esaka (江坂 純, Esaka Jun?) and illustrated by Nakamaru (なかまる?). It began in One Piece Magazine Special Feature: The Wings -Zoro & Sanji- 018, and focuses on Zoro's past before he joined the Straw Hat Pirates.[1]
While originally described as being written "under the thorough supervision of Eiichiro Oda" (尾田栄一郎氏による徹底監修のもと?),[2] that statement was removed on April 30, 2024, as an error.[1]
Publication History[]
The novel is currently being serialized in One Piece Magazine, beginning in the eighteenth volume.
Chapter Release Dates[]
Chapter | Magazine Vol | Release Date |
---|---|---|
1 | One Piece Magazine Special Feature: The Wings -Zoro & Sanji- 018 | June 4, 2024 |
2 | One Piece Magazine Special Feature: Laid-Back One Piece ~Laugh & Moff~ 019 | December 4, 2024 |
Short Summary[]
Chapter 1[]
Chapter 1 is titled Prologue: Sasakaze (序章 笹風, Joshō Sasakaze?).
In his village, a few years after Kuina's death, Zoro searchs for a mysterious killer that could be Mihawk. After finding the truth and winning the duel, he decides to start his journey to find stronger opponents.
Long Summary[]
Chapter 1[]
A few years after Kuina's death, on the anniversary of the event, she is now kind of a legend about which many rumors circulate, such as that if someone visits her grave, he will improve his swordsman level. Zoro watches her annual funeral procession and reminisces on his childhood with Kuina before going to do his training.
After finishing his personal training, Zoro hears some children singing a song about Mihawk: “Mihawk, the master swordsman. A man with hawk eyes. His withering slash is so fast, he slips out of your sight. Silently, he appears before you. And before you know it, you are already dead.” It is a song that children learned from a traveler who visited the island years before, and now they love to sing it while playing.
A girl from the town inn, named Himari, arrives to tell Zoro that Kuina's Fire Float has been cancelled because of some recent attacks that had taken place in the town. A certain person had been sneaking into the swordsmen's houses at night to kill them. Zoro says that there is nothing to fear from someone that is so cowardly as to only attack when his target is asleep. Himari tells Zoro that it is rumored that the true identity of the attacker could be "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk, and that the incredibly powerful dojoyaburi who has challenged 2,000 dojos in the area could also be him. Assuming that the current attacker is a mere copycat, Zoro does not pay much attention to the case. However, Himari is worried because she knows Mihawk's name from the song the other kids sing and she says that although Zoro is the strongest in the village, he is just like a mantis that feeds on weaker insects. Once Zoro leaves town and meets stronger fighters, he will be finished, like he encountered a bear. Zoro gives Himari a small knife that he uses to help the old women in the village cut fish, and tells her she can defend herself with it, but she says she cannot fight because she is a girl.
That night, Zoro performs the Fire Float ritual himself for the first time in many years, as the rest of the people stay inside their homes for fear of Mihawk. He makes a rough boat out of bamboo leaves, places a candle inside, and puts it in the water to sail down the river, but it sinks and he gives up.
Then, Zoro notices the presence of someone among the leaves near the river. It is a tall man carrying a very long sword. His movements are soft and silent, as if he was a night hawk. Zoro thinks he might be the night attacker and follows him. That mysterious man was heading to Koushirou's house to take his head, but Zoro arrives there first. He wakes up his teacher and asks Koushirou to let him deal with the murderer. Koushirou accepts the proposal and returns to bed. While waiting, Zoro is nervous at the prospect of facing Mihawk, the man known as the best swordsman in the world. If he wins, he can keep his childhood promise to Kuina.
Zoro confronts the murderer by asking him about his identity. The assassin responds that he was there to challenge the dojo master, and Zoro notices that the assassin's voice was that of a very young person. The assassin asks Zoro if he is the master of the dojo and Zoro says yes but Koushirou, who was behind him, says that the real owner of the dojo is him. Then Zoro says he is the strongest swordsman in the village and begins to fight with the assassin. After they exchange blows, both of their swords are covered in red, and they have ended up outside. Zoro receives a few superficial cuts and gets to see the killer's face for the first time. Just as he thought, the enemy was a completely different person. Narrow and nervous, nothing like the one he had seen on the wanted poster for "Hawk Eyes." The assassin explains that he simply enjoys fighting strong opponents. Zoro asks him then why he does it in such a dishonorable way. The assassin replies that a victory is a victory, no matter how it is achieved. He tries to scare Zoro by talking about his supposed 2,000 victories, but Zoro reveals that it was him to have achieved that result. With a single strike, Zoro kills the assassin, marking it as his 2001st victory.
As Koushirou watches the scene, he thinks to himself that this is a goodbye and remembers the growth Zoro has had over the years. Having been stronger than Koushirou for several years, Zoro began travelling to nearby towns, searching for new opponents. However, by now, Koushirou believes that there are no longer any swordsmen in the area who can satisfy Zoro. Knowing that Zoro was resolved to leave the village after he matched Kuina's win streak, Koushirou asks him to wait until the morning, to allow the townspeople to have a chance to say goodbye to him. However, Zoro decides that he will leave immediately, and bows to his teacher as farewell to him. Before leaving, Zoro turns around and asks Koushirou to give a message to Himari, telling her that he is the bear.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "6月4日(火)発売!『ONE PIECE magazine 特集 両翼-ゾロ・サンジ- 018』". [Released on June 4th (Tuesday)! "ONE PIECE Magazine Special Feature: The Wings -Zoro & Sanji- 018"]. One-Piece.com (in Japanese). (April 29, 2024) Retrieved May 20, 2024. Originally accessed April 29, 2024. Edited April 30, 2024.
- ↑ "「ONE PIECE magazine 特集 両翼-ゾロ・サンジ- 018」6月4日発売決定!". ["One Piece Magazine Special Feature: The Wings -Zoro & Sanji- 018" will be released on June 4th!] (in Japanese). Manga Watch. (April 29, 2024) Retrieved May 20, 2024.
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