Swordsman

Swordsman
Statistics
Japanese Name:	剣士
Romanized Name:	Kenshi
Official English Name:	Swordsman
First Appearance:	Chapter 3; Episode 1

A swordsman or swordswoman is a person trained in the art of the sword.

Overview

Due to the prominence of swords in the world, particularly katanas and sabers, nearly every crew and organization has a swordsman in it. A skilled swordsman is a valuable asset to a crew, and swordsmen are often found in positions of high respect, such as a first mate or officer, or even the captain.

Swordsmen from Wano Country are referred to as "samurai" (侍, samurai^?). Participants of Corrida Colosseum are known as "gladiators" (剣闘士, kentōshi^?), warriors trained in shields and swords. However, this only applies to participants who are actually trained as gladiators, as any other participants do not necessarily require a sword and shield to be referred to as "gladiators".

Not everyone who wields a sword, even as their primary weapon, is officially regarded as a swordsman; these fighters typically eschew the label themselves even if they show sufficient skill to be considered one. The exact qualifications for one to be truly recognized as a swordsman have not been specified and are often subjective, but it can be observed that classic swordsmen center their fighting style and training around their sword and its technique. Traditionally, swordsmen face their opponent head-on and utilize commonly practiced moves that suit their style, typically not relying on deception or employing other weapons in the midst of a clash as part of a swordsman's code. Individuals without the label are more likely to engage in such practices and utilize weapons or martial arts in addition to their sword for pragmatic purposes, with winning being the primary goal over upholding any values of honor. Zoro recognized that King of the Beasts Pirates never called himself a swordsman after the latter showed himself to employ multiple weapons and not follow an established fighting style during their duel.

Because the title of swordsman is so highly regarded by many, there is a prominent, albeit somewhat undefined, culture around swordsmanship. Dojos exist across the world which provide training in swordplay, and many swordsmen follow standards and guidelines on acceptable conduct in a duel; one tenet possessed by Zoro is that wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame, meaning it is taboo to run from a battle. The samurai of Wano are well-known for their strict code of conduct.

The title of "Strongest Swordsman in the World" (世界最強の剣士, Sekai Saikyō no Kenshi^?) is well-known around the Blue Planet, and many swordsmen aspire to attain this title by besting its holder, with Roronoa Zoro being among them. The current holder of this title is Dracule Mihawk.

Swordsmen

See also the associated category: Swordsmen.

Because the exact definition for swordsman remains ambiguous, all people who have been shown wielding swords in combat are identified as swordsmen.

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Abilities and Powers

Tashigi using her sword for projectile deflection, an example of quick, precise swordsmanship.

Just as there is a great variety of sword types, so too is there a large spectrum of swordsmanship abilities and techniques. In certain instances, objects or techniques which are not swords have been incorportated into traditional swordsmanship styles and duels because use of them is effectively equivalent to sword strikes. One such substitute is the Rankyaku technique, where the practitioner performs air slashes by kicking at high speed; Kaku thus utilizes Four Sword Style even though he only wields two swords, because he is also performing Rankyaku with his legs.

One of the most basic factors in swordsmanship is a swordsman's reliance on their physical strength; wielders who possess considerable might can win duels by using brute force to overcome their opponent's defenses as well as inflict large-scale structural damage; certain successfully performed maneuvers may even be capable of breaking the opponent's sword. Other swordsmen, physically weaker ones in particular, prioritize speed and precision in their strikes; swordsmen skilled enough in these aspects are capable of using their blades to deflect and redirect projectiles, even bullets. Generally, the best swordsmen in the world tend to be both powerful and precise, a prime example being the Strongest Swordsman Dracule Mihawk. Similarly, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro has also demonstrated balance between both styles.

Mihawk cleaving through a faraway iceberg with a single powerful slash.

With significant enough strength behind their moves, swordsmen are capable of performing flying slashes (飛ぶ斬撃, tobu zangeki^?), which can strike targets and structures many meters in front of them. The effects of Rankyaku are equivalent to a flying slash. Zoro makes heavy use of flying slashes, and has performed slash attacks resembling whirlwinds that cut opponents multiple times after he performs the move. Due to the massive strength of both combatants, Zoro and Ryuma's duel inflicted significant collateral damage as their powerful strikes would damage the walls behind the other; Ryuma could blast holes through stone with a force equivalent to gunfire by simply thrusting his sword. A particularly notable flying slash occurred during the Summit War of Marineford when Luffy dodged a horizontal strike from Mihawk; the slash would cleave through an entire frozen tsunami on the opposite side of Marineford. Flying slashes can be visualized, especially in the anime, but are not always done so, such as Mihawk's strike on Marineford and Zoro and Ryuma's duel. In either case, there is no indication that flying slashes are a by-product of Armament Haki.

When it comes to speed on the other hand, a notable swordsmanship technique is Iai (居合^?, literally meaning "Acting-Draw"), in which the swordsman unsheathes their sword, lunges at their target, cuts the target, and re-sheathes their sword all so quickly that a normal observer does not see it; to this observer, in the blink of an eye the swordsman appears behind their target and the effect of the cut is comparatively delayed. This technique was used by both Zoro and Ryuma in their duel; as Franky watched them, he could not tell that the duo had performed various slashes until their effects occured a second later.

Four Sword Style versus Three Sword Style.

Wielding multiple swords is a common practice, and the ability to wield more than two at a time can occur with Devil Fruit users whose transformations grant additional limbs or grasping methods, as well as select members of the fish-man race who possess more than two arms (like the octopi Hatchan, who wields six, and Hyouzou, who wields eight). The only person not in these groups to successfully wield more than two is Roronoa Zoro, whose Three Sword Style is a unique part of his skillset among swordsmen. While the swordsmanship of Hatchan and Hyouzou is highly regarded on Fish-Man Island, dual-wielding has not been indicated to be inherently advantageous, as evidenced by Mihawk who wields a single sword.

The ability to cut steel is a major milestone for swordsmen, one which appears to be uncommon in the world at large. Sheer physical power is not enough to attain this ability; rather, Zoro achieved this after becoming able to hear the "breath" of objects around him, including his swords. By achieving this mental attunement, swordsmen gain a special level of control over their cutting ability, and can both cut steel as well as fail to slice through paper depending on what they wish their blade to do. Given the portrayal of this ability as well as Hyougoro's description of the process, it is indicated to be related to Haki, atlhough not fully confirmed. After being struck down by Zoro, Daz Bonez made a comment about the swordsman learning to cut diamond next, indicating a different level of difficulty for such a feat. So far, no swordsman has shown the ability to cut through diamond.

Roger and Whitebeard clash using Supreme King Haki-imbued blades.

Swordsmen can imbue their blades with Armament Haki, which both improves their cutting power and makes the blade more durable, preventing it from chipping. Imbuement is frequently used in the New World where Armament Haki is common, and is highly recommended by Dracule Mihawk. The utilization of Armament plays a role in making a sword a Black Blade, and the Great Grade sword Enma has the notable quirk of drawing out the wielder's Armament on its own. Additionally, Supreme King Haki users who achieve the rare application of imbuing this Haki can also transmit this tremendous power to their blades; when Roger and Whitebeard dueled with Supreme King-imbued blades, their weapons did not even make contact with each other in this island-impacting clash.

Swordsmen have been known channel other elements into their swords via special equipment, Devil Fruit powers, or natural abilities like Electro. Notably, there have been a few instances in which, following a rapid strike, a swordsman sets their target on fire without using a flaming sword; how this works is currently unknown. The Foxfire Style is similarly capable of generating flames around the sword through unknown means.

Some swordsmen who don't personally wield Devil Fruit powers themselves may still utilize them indirectly by having their swords be imbued with the power, such as Spandam having his sword Funkfreed use the Zou Zou no Mi and Figarland Shamrock wielding the sword Cerberus which has the power of a Mythical Zoan.

Swordsmanship Styles

• One Sword Style (一刀流, Ittōryū^?): A style centering around attacks inflicted by a single sword. Since this is the default method of swordsmanship for most, it is not often referred to as a style; it is mainly utilized and referred to by Zoro to distinguish from his normal Three Sword Style. The only other known style that is referred to as a One Sword Style is Hyougoro's One Sword Style of the Flower.
• Two Sword Style (二刀流, Nitōryū^?): A style in which the practitioner utilizes two swords; traditionally holding one in each hand. The user is capable of performing multiple cuts simultaneously. Zoro invokes this style in attacks where he uses two swords, again to distinguish from his normal style. Kouzuki Oden also practiced this style, which he referred to as Oden Two Sword Style, and Kurozumi Orochi claimed to use a version of this style known as Orochi Two Sword Style.
• Three Sword Style (三刀流, Santōryū^?): A style exclusively seen used by Zoro, in which he holds a sword in each hand and grasps the third one in his mouth. Utilizing this style, Zoro can perform cuts from multiple angles simultaneously and in quick succession as well as unleash whirlwind type flying slashes.
• Four Sword Style (四刀流, Yontōryū^?): An unorthodox style used by Kaku where he wields two swords with his hands and performs Rankyaku slashes with his legs. Given the nature of Rankyaku, however, this means Kaku is only capable of attacking with four blades; he is left with only two that can defend and block attacks.
• Six Sword Style (六刀流, Rokutōryū^?): A fighting style used by Hatchan, an octopus fish-man who has six arms available to wield swords. In addition to incorporating a large number of blades, each sword is extremely heavy and allows Hatchan to easily overpower most opponents.
• Eight Sword Style (八刀流, Hattōryū^?): A fighting style used by Hyouzou, an octopus fish-man using all of his limbs to hold one sword each. With this style, Hyouzou can cut many targets in different areas simultaneously.
• Nine Sword Style (九刀流, Kyūtōryū^?): A highly unusual style used by Zoro in rare instances; using spirit projection abilities of unclear origin, he generates two apparitions of himself on either side, both of which wield three swords. The attacks he performs with this style can unleash simultaneous ninefold cuts on opponents.
• Foxfire Style (狐火流, Kitsunebi-ryū^?): A style in which the swordsman can generate fire from their sword, as well as cut through fire. It is used by Kin'emon and Zoro, the latter of whom learned it from watching the former.
• Kappa Style (河童流, Kappa-ryū^?): A style utilized by the samurai Kawamatsu. Its attacks center around brute force and circular motion.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Swordsmen have many advantages that most martial artists do not have. While a martial artist may try to break a wall with brute force, a swordsman can cut an opening with much less effort. When deftly used, swords can be invaluable for blocking projectiles like cannonballs and spears without getting hurt in the process. Advanced swordsmen can cut the very air to make powerful projectile attacks. It should also be noted that advanced swordsmen can use their swords to block flying cutting attacks as well as produce them. Powerful slicing attacks, physical and flying, can also be very effective at altering the terrain by destroying or breaking obstacles. This gives swordsmen an advantage both in hunting down fleeing or hiding foes and in evading or escaping tough situations, such as when Zoro got himself stuck in a chimney.

As for their weaknesses, offensively, swordsmen have problems with opponents that are resilient against cutting attacks. The offensive limitations of swordsmen are seen most often when dealing with certain Devil Fruit powers. Notably, the user of the Bara Bara no Mi is completely immune to all cutting attacks, as Buggy effortlessly pieced himself together even after being shredded by Dracule Mihawk, the strongest swordsman in the world. Defensively, swordsmen have to be wary of attacks that lack solid form, as well as weapon breaking abilities. A swordsman's power relies greatly on his or her swords, so weapon breaking attacks, are a problem. Notably, the Sabi Sabi no Mi, which can reduce any metal to rust, is a natural enemy of swordsmen. While less common, stealing a swordsman's swords (by force or by stealth), can also work. This technique would be most effectively used by Eustass Kid, whose Devil Fruit powers attract all metal objects due to magnetism.

Trivia

• While Sanji has currently eschewed the usage of swords due to his profession demands the preservation of his hands and kitchen knives solely for cooking, he was trained in swordsmanship during his childhood. Nevertheless, he retains the honing of his skills in using blades and made the exception to his refusal to wield blades in combat when his enemy was wearing an armor of ramen, demonstrating tremendous swordsmanship precision in cutting up the ramen without harming the wearer.
• Wano Country's propaganda expresses Kurozumi Orochi is a swordsman of extreme skills who defeated Kouzuki Oden and his retainers. However, this is falsified, as Orochi neither took part in the decisive battle nor showed said skills.