Zoro’s First Black Blade In Elbaf, Explained

This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.

Key Takeaways

• Zoro aims to be the greatest Swordsman and needs power-up.
• Zoro can blacken his swords for a major strength boost.
• Sandai Kitetsu could be Zoro’s first blackened blade.

Zoro is one of the most skilled swordsmen in the world of One Piece. Having set out on the journey to find and defeat Dracule Mihawk to claim the title of the World’s Greatest Swordsman, Zoro has made great progress for himself ever since. Right now, Zoro is on a Yonko crew, which means the standards are quite high for him. And, given the fact that he’s the second strongest in the crew behind Luffy, it implies that Zoro is among the strongest characters in the world.

That said, Zoro is far from his peak, and still requires more power. While strength can be achieved by training the body, Zoro can also strengthen not only himself but also his swords. Curiously enough, the concept of strengthening one’s swords was introduced in the Wano Country arc, and fans know that there is a way for Zoro to get even stronger if he does manage to achieve the power of Blade Blackening.

The Concept Of Blade Blackening In One Piece

• Black Blades Are Very Rare in One Piece
• Zoro Could Gain Access To Black Blades

Black Blades are quite special in the One Piece world. Fans were introduced to a black blade for the very first time when Dracule Mihawk made his debut. During the Baratie arc, Zoro fought against Mihawk, and while the latter did not utilize his main blade during the battle to deliver the final blow, he finally unleashed the blade that he called the World’s Greatest, Yoru. Yoru is pitch black from top to bottom, and at the time, fans did not pay attention to this detail. However, knowing Oda, fans were not surprised when this became a major plot point, somewhere around the Thriller Bark arc. During this arc, the zombie of a legendary samurai named Ryuma was introduced in the story, and it was clearly mentioned that Ryuma, too, carried a black blade, just like Mihawk.

As an honor, I will use this black blade to deliver the final blow. – Mihawk

This black blade was Shuusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. Shusui is said to be incredibly sturdy, much of which was down to its blackening. This blade came into Zoro’s possession in the Thriller Bark arc, and lasted all the way up to the Wano Country arc, where he returned it to the people of the land in exchange for Enma. Of course, this was a personal loss for Zoro, but, not so much in terms of power, when considering the fact that Zoro received an even stronger blade and one which helped him tap into the powers of Conqueror’s Haki, along with letting him access the advanced form of Armament Haki as well. Enma ended up becoming a massive tool for Zoro to progress in One Piece.

While Enma itself was an upgrade, Oda also set up a future power-up for Zoro in the form of Black Blades. According to Kozuki Sukiyaki, black blades are quite special in One Piece and any blade can be turned into a black blade. This doesn’t necessarily imply Haki Imbuement turning a blade black temporarily. The idea being spoken of here is the permanent blackening of a blade. Constant imbuement with Armament Haki, and potentially even Conqueror’s Haki, might allow one to turn their sword black. Once that happens, the blade is strengthened tremendously, and more than that, it rises in rank as well. This was confirmed in the Wano Country arc, and it essentially means that a blade is strengthened tremendously when one achieves Blackening.

Why Zoro Will Blacken His Swords Soon

Zoro’s Swords Need A Major Power Boost

One Piece is finally in its Final Saga, and that means all the Straw Hats must be getting close to their peaks now. Luffy has already become a Yonko, and while he isn’t l at the peak of his powers, he is quite close. The same can be said for the remaining Strawhats. All of them should be close to their peaks right now, which means Zoro should also be close to reaching a level where he can defeat Mihawk. Zoro has already tapped into the power of advanced Conqueror’s Haki as well, and not much is left for him to reach the same level as the likes of the Admirals and, eventually, the Yonko.

Any blade can become a Black Blade. – Mihawk

One great power-up the Zoro could be receiving soon is gaining a black blade. However, Zoro has three blades in One Piece and not just one. This means these power-ups can come gradually, one after the other. Zoro could potentially blacken one of his swords soon. In the Elbaf arc, Zoro could go on to blacken his first blade, and this would be a major power-up for him. Zoro blackening a blade would reveal quite a lot of exciting details to the fans, such as how this process improves the sword, and how it even happens in the first place.

Fans are also eager to know how blackening improves a Swordsman, and whether or not it can improve the overall power as well as efficiency of the blade. There are a lot of questions that are unanswered at this point in time, and they will be only tackled once Zoro does go on to blacken his first sword.

Which Sword Will Zoro Blacken First?

Zoro Could Blacken Sandai Kitetsu First

Right now, Zoro is wielding three incredibly powerful swords. His most precious blade is Wado Ichimonji, which is one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. Enma belongs to a similar rank and is his strongest sword by far. And, then there is the Sandai Kitetsu, which is the weakest of all the blades that Zoro carries. Given that all these swords are very powerful, it is likely that the blade that Zoro will go on to blacken first is the weakest one. This would keep the stronger power-ups for later. The Sandai Kitetsu could be the first blade that Zoro blackens, and if that truly ends up happening, then Zoro would have a very mighty blade at his disposal.

Right now, fans don’t know how much of an upgrade a blade gets in rank when it’s Blackened. At the very least, fans should expect the Sandai Kitetsu to become one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. If that truly happens, then all three of Zoro’s blades would be of the same grade and it would ensure that he levels up in terms of strength. Perhaps, blackening of the blades would also allow Zoro to to wield Haki better and not waste it as much as he usually does. This could be the boost that Zoro needs in order to maximize the usage of the King of Hell style, and hopefully, it will allow him to grow even stronger than he is currently.

On top of that, blackening a blade means Zoro’s cutting power will grow dramatically overall, and he would then be able to deliver even more deadly blows. Hopefully, the challenges that Elbaf poses for Zoro will be enough for him to be pushed to the extreme and blacken one of his mighty blades.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1131, is set to be November 11, 2024.