The world of One Piece owes a lot to a mysterious Wano samurai who bears such a striking similarity to Roronoa Zoro that it can’t be a coincidence.
As the One Piece anime approaches some of the most epic moments of the Wano Raid arc, episode 1048 highlights one pivotal sacrifice and the man who may share a shocking connection to Roronoa Zoro. The episode dedicates much of its run time to Yamato battling their father, Kaido, and reflecting on the memory of Oden’s execution and how it changed their life forever. Seeing the tragic moment sparked a significant change in the young Yamato, whose new behavior caused Kaido to lock them up with a few of the Wano’s most powerful prisoners. Ultimately, these actions would save One Piece’s world years later.
The impression Oden left on the young Yamato before he died was inspirational enough to cause them to emulate the identity of one of Kaido’s biggest threats from One Piece. Because of this, Yamato was thrown into a prison with three of Wano’s most dangerous samurai and enough food for one person. One of these men, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, approached the young child with a sword raised. When it came down, the child of Kaido was not only still breathing but offered the entirety of the food with a severed corpse of a bug lying next to it. This action would save the One Piece world.
Three Samurai Ensured Yamato Lived To Fight Kaido
Ushimaru and his fellow samurai not only chose to spare the child of their sworn enemy, but also entrusted Wano’s future to them. After reading Oden’s journal and the prophecy of Wano’s saviors 20 years in the future, the three powerful swordsmen provided all the food and wisdom they could until they broke free to die in battle rather than in confinement. This choice ensured One Piece‘s Yamato would return to fight Kaido after Luffy was thrown off of the levitating island of Onigashima. Without Yamato’s presence, Kaido would have had the opportunity to kill Luffy’s allies while he recovered.
The Shimotsuki Clan Has Saved Countless Lives In One Piece
The blue-haired samurai not only left a strong impression on the young Yamato, but he also bared enough similarities to Zoro that viewers were suspicious of Ushimaru’s relation to the Straw Hat’s swordsman. One Piece‘s mangaka Eiichiro Oda addressed the reader’s curiosity regarding Zoro’s parentage in an SBS on Volume 101 of the manga. While Oda confirmed that the former Daimyo of Wano’s Ringo region is not Zoro’s father, he did specify that he was unsure if he would commit to revealing the deceased samurai’s bloodline in the manga. He isn’t secretly Zoro’s father, but the One Piece theory remains that Ushimaru could somehow be related to him.
The parentage of the Straw Hat crew members has been an ongoing mystery for most of the world-famous pirate crew. Chopper, Usopp, and Sanji are the only members of the team who have had their biological parents revealed. Not every main character of the series may be the spawn of some legendary characters from One Piece‘s rich history. Still, Zoro’s exceptional sword skills and resemblance to Wano’s Shimotsuki clan members would be a fitting origin for One Piece’s greatest swordsman.
Src: screenrant.com
