Every way One Piece foreshadowed Zoro vs Nusjuro before Egghead

One Piece chapter 1117 will be officially released on Shueisha’s MANGA Plus website and app on June 17, 2024. Txhe new installment promises to be nothing short of amazing, as it will feature one of the most anticipated confrontations in the series. As per the spoilers of One Piece chapter 1117, the Five Elders attack the Iron Giant to stop the broadcast of Dr. Vegapunk’s message to the world.

However, one of the Elders, Saint V. Nusjuro, is stopped by the Straw Hat crew’s Roronoa Zoro, with the two immediately starting a fierce battle. According to the leaks, Zoro and Nusjuro fight on equal terms as both unleash their Haki and special techniques, countering each other. Their tremendous clash generates massive black lightning all the way around.

The Five Elders are fighters as strong as the Admirals, if not the Yonkos, and V. Nusjuro seems to be the second-strongest member of the group. Fighting Nusjuro is the perfect test to see how strong Zoro is now, especially as Sanji couldn’t last more than a few seconds against the same opponent. To make things even more interesting, the battle between Zoro and Nusjuro was set in stone from the start.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1117.

Every hint of Zoro vs Nusjuro even before One Piece chapter 1117, explained

1) Specular roles

The Straw Hat Pirates and the Five Elders (Image via Toei Animation)

Due to his fighting strength, fearsome reputation, and dominant attitude, Roronoa Zoro stands out as the number two of the Straw Hat Pirates. He is the second strongest Straw Hat after Monkey D. Luffy and has always been emphasized as the crew’s unofficial but factual first mate.

A master swordsman who aims to become the world’s strongest, Zoro has been the loyal right-hand man of Luffy from the very beginning of the story. Essentially, Zoro can be considered the new generation’s version of “Dark King” Silvers Rayleigh, the former right-hand man of Gol D. Roger.

Taking into account his feats and portrayal, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro is clearly depicted as one of the strongest among the Five Elders. In all likelihood, he is the second-strongest member of the group, only below Saint Topman Warcury.

Both Zoro and Nusjuro are insanely powerful swordsmen who hold prominent roles in their respective groups, which makes their battle kind of an obvious and foregone conclusion. In fact, throughout the One Piece story, Zoro is always seen interacting and fighting with the number twos of the other groups.

2) Same sword

Nusjuro's sword is most probably the Shodai Kitetsu (Image via Toei Animation)

Zoro is renowned for his trademark Three Sword Style, which involves him using three swords at once, even though, depending on the circumstances, he can choose to employ only one or two of them. One of Zoro’s weapons is the Sandai Kitetsu, a cursed blade created by Kozuki Sukiyaki, the father of Kozuki Oden.

The Sandai Kitetsu is a remarkably sharp sword that Zoro obtained from Ipponmatsu, the owner of a shop in Rogue Town. Impressed by Zoro’s prowess and resolve, Ipponmatsu decided to give him the Sandai Kitetsu plus another sword, the Yubashiri.

Since his introduction in the One Piece story, Nusjuro has been shown to wield a sword that heavily resembles the Sandai Kitetsu. Considering that the Sandai Kitetsu is in the hands of Zoro while the Nidai Kitetsu lies in the Wano Country, Nusjuro’s sword is most likely the Shodai Kitetsu, the most powerful Kitetsu.

The Shodai Kitetsu is one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades, making it the perfect weapon for a top-tier-level fighter like Nusjuro. The fact that Nusjuro wields such a powerful sword, which is also a relative of Zoro’s long-dated weapon, created a narrative connection between these two outstanding swordsmen, foreshadowing their inevitable fight.

3) Fascinating coincidences

Nusjuro showing off his tremendous power (Image via Shueisha)

V. Nusjuro’s abilities were first revealed in the very same chapter, in which Zoro showed off his strength by annihilating Rob Lucci. While it might be just a coincidence, it really seems as if One Piece author Eiichiro Oda wanted to tease the narrative link between Zoro and Nusjuro, especially considering that the latter’s ominous powers had never been shown before.

Just as Zoro defeated Lucci with a quick and lethal sword attack, Nusjuro unveiled his transformation into the Bakotsu, a skeletal horse enveloped in unquenchable flames. Upon turning himself into a hybrid between a human and the demonic Bakotsu, Nusjuro started moving at blazing speed.

Within a few seconds, he single-handedly ran across Egghead, neutralizing the countless Mark III Pacifista present on the island. Interestingly, Nusjuro cut the cyborgs but didn’t destroy them. His intent was to disable the Pacifista, so he didn’t use his blade to bisect them but only employed it as a medium to freeze the cyborgs with the Bakotsu’s special ability.

While Nusjuro has demonic powers, Zoro now goes by the name “King of Hell” and wields a blade named after Enma, which is the Buddhist ruler of the underworld. It should also be noted that Zoro has always been likened to a demon in human form, and many of his techniques evoke demonic imagery. This creates another intriguing parallel between Zoro and Nusjuro.

4) Both are exceptional Haki users

Zoro has now become the "King of Hell" (Image via Toei Animation)

At this point in the series, Zoro has become one of the most powerful Haki users in circulation. He can use all three types of Haki, which is a very uncommon feat in the One Piece world. The green-haired swordsman is quite skilled with Observation Haki and can use the advanced version of Armament Haki and even Conqueror’s Haki.

Even before upgrading his powers in Wano, Zoro’s Armament Haki was already strong enough to seriously damage Kaido and withstand the latter’s tremendous attacks. Upon unleashing his natural-born Conqueror’s Haki, Zoro immediately learned how to use it to coat his techniques, which is an ability that only the strongest One Piece characters can achieve.

Zoro then created the King of Hell Style, which merges the advanced versions of both Armament and Conqueror’s Haki, granting him an insane peak of power. Whereas Zoro is a formidable Haki master, Nusjuro is just as good, if not even better, which makes their fight absolutely thrilling.

Nusjuro can turn himself into a fiendish horse to freeze or bite his opponents, but his most prominent asset is his Haki-enhanced swordsmanship. He can cut the entire Egghead laboratory in half with just a casual, nameless slash. His full strength must be tremendous, considering that his Conqueror’s and Armament Haki are implied to be outstanding, and he can use them to amp up his sword.

5) The shared connection with Wano

Wano was the "Land of Gold" (Image via Shueisha)

At the beginning of the series, Nefertari Vivi used to call Zoro “Mr Bushido.” Later in the story, it was revealed that Zoro is a descendant of “Sword God” Ryuma, a legendary, undefeated warrior who lived in Wano several centuries before the present One Piece narration.

Not only does Zoro display the integrity and selflessness typical of the samurai, but he even comes from a bloodline of Wano, a country based off the feudal era of Japan. Things get even more interesting as he once met Ryuma’s reanimated corpse. Upon beating the weakened zombie of the “Sword God,” Zoro was granted the samurai’s iconic Shusui blade.

During Zoro’s time in Wano, it was stated that both his aesthetic appearance and fighting style resemble those of Ryuma. One Piece author Eiichiro Oda also drew a cover to emphasize the narrative link between Zoro and his illustrious forefather.

Ryuma single-handedly repelled all the invaders from Wano (Image via Shueisha)

Nusjuro also might have a connection with Wano, given that he wears keikogi and a pair of geta, both of which are traditional Japanese garments. While it is yet to be confirmed, many One Piece fans speculate that Nusjuro fought with Ryuma in the past. This is not impossible, as the Five Elders are immortal, or, at the very least, don’t age like regular people.

It was stated that Ryuma single-handedly repelled all the pirates and nobles who tried to seize Wano and its gold. Nusjuro should be particularly interested in gold, given that he holds the title of “Warrior God of Finance.” Furthermore, Ryuma was stated to be a hero comparable to Joy Boy, of whom the Five Elders and Imu-sama are known to be archenemies.

Ryuma remained undefeated and died of illness. However, there was a scar on his left eye. Perhaps the all-powerful “Sword God” defeated Nusjuro, but the latter still managed to wound the former, leaving him with a permanent scar. So far, this remains a theory, but its foundations are pretty solid.