Episode 1062 of the One Piece anime, titled Three Sword Style of the Supreme Ruler! Zoro vs King concludes the clash between Roronoa Zoro, the second strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates, and King, the most powerful subordinate of Kaido.
Factoring in his Lunarian powers, King could endure Zoro's attacks, despite them packing enough power to hurt even Kaido. As one of his swords, Enma, started reacting uncontrollably, Zoro understood that the blade was testing him. Gaining awareness of his "kingly ambitions," the Straw Hat revealed himself as one of the few natural-born Conqueror's Haki users who can even unleash the advanced version of this power. Thus, in a exciting moment, Zoro ascended to new heights as a master swordsman.
Zoro vs King ends in episode 1062 of One Piece
Two powerful right-hand men clash in Onigashima
During the raid on Onigashima, the five strongest Supernovas - Luffy, Zoro, Law, Kid, and Killer - challenged Kaido and Big Mom. As the battle raged, the two Emperors launched a devastating combined attack. Zoro blocked the hit, protecting the others but suffering grievus injuries.
As Kaido knocked out Luffy, Zoro gathered the last of his strength and used his Nine Sword Style: Ashura to fight the Emperor. In the ensuing clash, the green-haired pirate inflicted a large cut on Kaido's chest, leaving him with a scar. However, this wasn't enough to defeat him.
With no energy left, Zoro collapsed shortly after. Chopper injected him with a medicine that would instantly heal him but at the cost of subsequent repercussions. King tried to kill Zoro while he was still receiving medical treatment, but Marco managed to block the strike.
As the medicine kicked in, Zoro recovered. He hit King with Three Sword Style: Purgatory Oni Giri, but the latter got up unfazed. As such, the two right-hand men started clashing. King used a special mechanism to disarm Zoro from his swords and tried to punch him, but the latter managed to block the strike.
King then employed his Ancient Zoan Fruit to turn himself into a human-pteranodon hybrid. Unleashing a barrage of flying slashes, he blasted Zoro out of the Live Floor. He then charged him with Imperial Archer while Zoro performed his Three Sword Style: Ultra Tiger Hunt.
Although Zoro broke part of King's helmet, he was blown away with tremendous force through the Skull Dome's outer wall. King attempted to push Zoro off Onigashima with another strike, but the latter used his Two Sword Style: Clear Lance to move in mid-air and return on the island.
Propelling his head forward at extreme speed, like a slingshot, King performed Imperial Deep Pride Stake, a destructive move which the Straw Hat barely dodged. In response, Zoro unleashed his Three Sword Style: Black Rope Dragon Twister, a technique strong enough to cut through Kaido's tough dragon scales, wounding him.
Shockingly, King completely blocked the attack, declaring that his durability surpasses even that of dinosaurs and dragons. The two right-hand men coated their swords in Armament Haki and clashed once more, with King prevailing. Suddenly, one of Zoro's swords, Enma, started draining his Haki.
King then created a massive explosion, but Zoro used his Armament Haki to protect himself. He then performed One Sword Style: Death Lion Song, cutting King at such speed that the latter couldn't even react. Nevertheless, he instantly recovered from the strike, appearing undamaged.
As Enma resumed draining Zoro's Haki, King exploited the issue to hit him with a powerful blow. Collecting back his swords, Zoro recalled how he obtained them. He also remembered his childhood meeting with Kozaburo Shimotsuki, an old swordsmith who taught him that each blade has its own personality.
To properly wield a sword, one must adapt to its will. Kozaburo's best creation was Enma, the blade that tests the wielder by draining away his Haki. Someone lacking in power would fail the trial. Realizing that Enma had been testing him, Zoro figured out what to do to master the sword, like Oden Kozuki.
The moment when Zoro reached a whole new level in One Piece
Surrounded by a group of lower members of the Beasts Pirates, Zoro unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, causing them to pass out instantly. King asked Zoro about his "kingly ambitions," to which he answered that he must fulfill them to honor his promises to his captain and best friend.
Realizing that when King deactivates his flames, his speed increases and his outstanding durability decreases, Zoro wounded him with a well-timed strike that exposed his face, revealing his Lunarian traits. Enraged, King killed his henchmen who spoke of the reward the World Government would offer anyone with information on a Lunarian.
Coating his swords in Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, Zoro unleashed his "King of Hell Style." After remembering the day, Kaido recruited him as his right-hand man and gave him a new name, the formerly called Alber dodged Zoro's King of Hell: Three Sword Style: Purgatory Onigiri, a projected slash.
King retaliated with Imperial Flaming Wings, a serpentine dragon of flames with the same properties as magma, but Zoro dodged as well. The Lunarian tried to disarm Zoro off his swords, but the latter stopped his attempt by pushing him back with a Haki barrier.
As King temporarily dropped his flame to boost his speed, Zoro tracked his movement and counterattacked him with a Conqueror's Haki-enhanced One Sword Style: Bird Dance. Sliced through his chest, King understood that Zoro had obtained the power to seriously hurt him now.
Taking flight high in the sky, King unleashed his strongest move, Extra Large Imperial Flaming Wings, an enormous dragon created out of his Lunarian flames. In response, Zoro coated his swords in Armament and Conqueror's Haki and dashed towards King.
The green-haired swordsman jumped into the air and performed a devastating technique called the King of Hell: Three Sword Serpent: Dragon Damnation. With his chest deeply cut, one of his wings sliced off, and his sword was broken in half, King lost the clash and was completely annihilated.
After remembering his promise to Luffy, Zoro declared himself the "King of Hell". He then performed Clear Lance to return to Onigashima. As the repercussions of the Minks medicine caused him to suffer double the injuries, pain, and fatigue from the previous battles, Zoro lost his senses.
Zoro vs King with regards to One Piece's power levels
Combining his Lunarian powers with his Ancient Zoan, King showcased durability even greater than Kaido's. A testament to this, King didn't even shed a single drop of blood after being struck with Zoro's slashes, despite them packing enough power to wound Kaido multiple times.
To overcome King's immensely resilient Lunarian body, Zoro had to understand the former's powers and improve his own destructive abilities even more, coating his attacks with Conqueror's Haki in addition to Armament Haki. Until then, Zoro was unable to damage King and lost most of their clashes.
Granted, the instant medicine healed the damage that Zoro's body suffered against the Emperors but didn't replenish his Haki. Additionally, Enma started testing him during the battle, causing him to waste a lot of energy and leave himself open to King's attacks. Despite such nerf, Zoro held his own decently.
After upgrading his Haki powers, Zoro countered or straight up overpowered anything his foe tried to do. Completely outclassed by Zoro's overwhelming might, King ended up slaughtered, with his sword broken and one of his wings torn off.
The Advanced Conqueror's Haki boosted Zoro's strength on a whole different level. Characters who can use this ability are inherently among the mightiest fighters by the mere virtue of possessing such a power, which Kaido described as the signature skill of the absolute strongest.
Broadly speaking, a superior Haki equates to a stronger character. In One Piece, the most resolute fighters have greater willpower, which results in a more powerful Haki, allowing them to potentially overcome any foe.
Merging Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki to create the King of Hell Style, Zoro became strong enough to annihilate Kaido's strongest subordinate, a fighter of the same caliber as Marco and Katakuri.
This game-changing power-up allows Zoro to eclipse even the most powerful Commander-level fighters, as his strength is now approaching the realm of Admirals and Emperors. Such a major status is only fitting for the future World's Strongest Swordsman and right-hand man of the future Pirate King.
Zoro's dream to become the World's Strongest Swordsman comes from his "kingly ambitions" as a natural-born Conqueror. The World's Strongest Swordsman is indeed the king of all swordsmen, i.e., the one who surpasses them all, sitting at the top of the One Piece world as the most powerful.
Why Zoro vs King was one of the best fights in One Piece
Zoro and King went blow for blow relentlessly until the green-haired swordsman unleashed his newfound Haki powers to crush his foe. The two right-hand men fought with commendable determination to honor their captains, making the battle one of the best showdowns ever featured in One Piece.
Tapping into his memories, Zoro gained awareness of the enormous power that lay dormant within him and fully unleashed it to fulfill his promises to Luffy and Kuina. He then reaffirmed his resolve to become stronger, surpassing any foe on Luffy's behalf.
Since their first meeting, when Kaido recruited him as his right-hand man and gave him the name "King" in recognition of his power, the formerly called Alber followed his captain loyally, considering him to be the legendary Joy Boy who would change the One Piece world.
He sincerely regarded Kaido as the absolute strongest. Even in his final moments, King thought of his captain, remembering that he promised him to never lose in battle until Kaido would become the Pirate King.