One Piece: Here’s How & When Zoro Got His Chest Scar!
Roronoa Zoro is one of the most popular characters in One Piece. Over the years, this member of Luffy’s crew had proven himself to be a great addition and one of the most loyal and authentic characters in the series. Due to his immense fighting experience, Zoro has accumulated an impressive amount of scars, among which the one on his chest stands out. In this article, we will tell you how and when he got it.
Zoro’s body is filled with scars, but the largest and most noticeable one is the one on his chest, which spans from his left shoulder to his right hip and is visible whenever he is shirtless or whenever his chest can be seen. This is also his most “impressive” scar. How did he get it? Zoro got this scar in Baratie when he faced Dracule Mihawk, who cut his chest during the battle and left a permanent scar on his chest. This was, of course, their first duel, where Mihawk observed something in Zoro and decided to declare him his future rival.
The rest of this article will tell you a bit about the relationship between Mihawk and Zoro since that is actually the core issue of this article. This is actually relevant to the story of how Zoro got his (in)famous scar chest. In this article, we will bring you the whole story and then explain the context in which it happened and how it relates to the nature of the relationship between Zoro and Mihawk. Of course, the article will have some spoilers present, although from the earlier arcs, so we advise you to be careful when you read it.
Zoro got his chest scar when he was fighting Mihawk in Baratie
We all know who Roronoa Zoro is and how important he is in the story of One Piece. That much is completely clear in every aspect. So, we’ll start off this article by explaining, in detail, Zoro’s visual appearance.
Zoro is of average height, with a muscular boy and tanned skin. With him, he always has his three blades, which are tied with a light green sash around his waist on his right side so that he can easily take them with his left hand in case of need. He sports three completely identical golden earrings on his left earlobe and a black bandana, which is tied around his left bicep and which, when engaged in serious combat, he uses to tie around his head.
Zoro also has some scars that were inflicted on him during his battles, including the one that extends from the left shoulder to the right side, acquired at the hands of Dracule Mihawk in Baratie, and those on his ankles, which he inflicted himself in an attempt to break free from Galdino’s wax structure in Little Garden.
Another important element of Zoro’s appearance is his green hair, which is why Sanji calls him “moss head” due to the resemblance. Like his male companions, Zoro wears the same outfit for most of the series. His trousers are always black with green edges, while his upper garments usually change as the sagas change. After the time skip, Zoro got a new scar over his left eye, which he always keeps closed. His neck looks thicker and stiffer, and his hair is slightly longer.
As you can see, aside from his trademark green hair, Zoro also has a lot of scars, which are, in a way, the most important aspect of his appearance. Now, a lot of these scars have a story of their own, but the most important one is the scar on his chest, which we have mentioned above. It goes from his left shoulder down to his right hip, and it can be seen whenever he is shirtless or has his chest revealed. As we’ve said, he got the scar after fighting Mihawk in Baratie, but here is the whole story for you.
Mihawk arrives determined to do what he had been interrupted in a few days prior: sinking the Dreadnought Sabre as the Straw Hat Pirates struggle with Creek and his men. Zoro challenges Mihawk to a duel as soon as he recognizes him. Mihawk successfully fends off all three of his opponent’s blade assaults with a single basic knife before stabbing Zoro in the chest at the last second.
However, the Seven Warlords of the Sea member is moved by his rival’s spirit and gives him the privilege of witnessing his black sword in action. Zoro is about to use one of his most powerful moves, but Mihawk manages to destroy two of his swords in a single strike, leaving only the Wado Ichimonji intact.
Zoro concedes defeat and positions himself to be stabbed by the adversary, exposing his chest in the belief that a back wound is an embarrassment for a swordsman. Mihawk grinned and stabbed him in the chest, but he resisted long enough for him to survive. Then, he challenges him to ascend to his position as the greatest swordsman in the world. Mihawk quickly makes the decision that it is time to head back to the Grand Line. Nevertheless, when Creek tries to attack the swordsman, the swordsman’s slashes split the ship in half.
And that is, basically, the whole story. As you can see, there is not much to it in terms of details – Zoro saw Mihawk, Zoro challenged Mihawk to a duel, Zoro lost the duel, Zoro got his chest sliced by Mihawk, which left him with a permanent scar on his chest.
Mihawk is, indeed, so powerful, and it should not surprise fans that the Warlord of the Sea was able to inflict such an injury on Zoro in that aspect. And that is all there is to it. It’s not an overly long story, but we have tried to provide you with as many details as possible.
Of course, this battle had a lot of consequences for the relationship between Zoro and Mihawk, as Mihawk finally recognized Zoro as a potential rival, and it also indirectly led to Zoro training with Mihawk during the two-year time skip.
The scar serves as a reminder for Zoro, who, whenever he sees it, can remember the embarrassing defeat he experienced at the hands of Mihawk in Bariatie, but also as a motivation, as it can help him to actually become better. His goal is to become the best, and in order to become the best, he will have to surpass Mihawk and the large scar inflicted by him can, thus, serve as a constant reminder of his goal and of how much better he has to become. And that is why this scar, in particular, is so important, and why we have told you this whole story.
