One Piece: Zoro Didn’t Kill Mihawk, but Will He Do It in the Future?

Roronoa Zoro and Dracule Mihawk have a very complex relationship in One Piece, a relationship that far surpasses what you’d typically expect from such a bond. Of course, Zoro wants to surpass Mihawk, who is the strongest swordsman in the series, and having said that, you can assume that the two of them have or will clash in the series. In this article, we will tell you about the nature of their relationship, as you will find out whether Zoro will kill Mihawk in the future.

Mihawk considers Zoro his potential rival, and while he has been able to defeat him easily the first (and so far only) time they fought, he saw a lot of potential in him and even accepted to train him during the time skip. Zoro views Mihawk as the only obstacle on his journey to become the strongest swordsman in the world, so a future clash is basically inevitable, but it is not known whether Zoro plans on killing Mihawk or not.

The rest of this article will chronicle the relationship between Zoro and Mihawk as we will explain the nature and history of their relationship. Zoro and Mihawk have fought once, but a rematch seems inevitable at some point in the future, which is why this topic is so important and why we have decided to dedicate a whole article to it. What is going to happen? Well, we shall see, based on our evidence, and we will give you our honest assessment of the situation. Some spoilers will, of course, be present, so be careful how you approach the article.

Zoro and Mihawk are (bitter) rivals and a new clash is inevitable, but we cannot know what the future holds for either of them

Fans of One Piece will know that Dracule Mihawk is the strongest and best swordsman in the world. This former Warlord of the Sea is absolutely invincible when it comes to sword-fighting, and we can only confirm that that is true; his rival, in the past, was Shanks, but when Shanks lost his arm, Mihawk did not consider him a rival anymore as he could not fight a handicapped person, although it is debatable how weaker Shanks was. So, when he initially met Zoro, Mihawk told him the following:

“My name is Dracule Mihawk!! It’s too soon for you to die. Discover yourself. See the world!! And grow strong, Zoro! However long it may take… I shall await you at the top. Strive with your whole heart and mind to best this blade, fierce one!!! Strive to surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!!!”

– Chapter 52, One Piece manga

So, what actually happened then and there? This, actually, refers to the events of the Baratie Arc, which is when Zoro and Mihawk first faced each other. While the Straw Hat Pirates are grappling with Creek and his men, Mihawk is intent on completing what he had been interrupted a few days earlier: sinking the Dreadnought Sabre.

As soon as Zoro recognizes him, he challenges him to a duel: Mihawk repels the attacks of all three of his opponent’s blades using a simple knife and, at the last moment, stabs him in the chest.

However, the member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea is impressed by the spirit of his rival and grants him the honor of seeing his black sword at work. Zoro prepares to perform the most powerful technique, but Mihawk, with a blow, manages to break two of his swords, leaving only the Wado Ichimonji intact.

Zoro admits his defeat and prepares to be stabbed by the enemy, showing him his chest as a back wound is a disgrace for a swordsman. Mihawk grins and cuts him right in the chest but holds back long enough to spare his life. Then, he challenges him to join him on the throne of the best swordsman in the world. Soon after, Mihawk decides that the time has come to return to the Grand Line. However, Creek tries to attack him, but the swordsman with his sword slashes at his ship, cutting it in half.

So, as you can see, at this point, Mihawk and Zoro had established a certain relationship, which, however, is quite complex. Officially, the two of them are actually listed as enemies as Mihawk saw a lot of potential in Zoro, i.e., he saw Zoro as his future rival, a replacement for Shanks. Of course, when the two first met, Zoro was not ready to be Mihawk’s rival, but that is why Mihawk challenged him and told him to become better so that in the future, at some later time, the two of them could fight on equal terms. And Zoro did exactly that.

Zoro’s promise to his childhood friend that he would become the best swordsman in the world was his driving force, and to become the best, he would have to surpass the best, i.e., Mihawk. His loss to Mihawk showed him the difference between them. As the years passed, Roronoa Zoro worked hard on improving his skills and has gradually been becoming better and better, mastering more techniques and becoming more skilled with each new battle.

In fact, when the group temporarily disbanded during the two-year time skip, Zoro went straight to Mihawk, asking the Warlord to train him. Mihawk initially refused, citing Zoro’s failures as the reason for his refusal, but Zoro proved him wrong, confirming that he has become better in the meantime.

Realizing that Zoro was telling the truth, Mihawk ultimately accepted and decided to train Zoro during the time skip, making him a significantly better fighter in the end; interestingly enough, one of Mihawk’s tasks included teaching Zoro how to imbue his swords with Armament Haki, and to make him do it, Mihawk forbade Zoro to drink alcohol during that time, i.e., until he completed that portion of his training.

So, what does the future hold? Zoro has become even better than he was after Mihawk’s training in the meantime, and since he has not given up on his goal, a rematch between the two of them seems inevitable. Will it happen? Well, probably… we don’t really know how Oda plans on resolving Zoro’s story, but an epic duel between Mihawk and Zoro to determine the best swordsman in the world seems like the right way to go, really, as the two of them are ideal for such a duel.

Will Zoro kill Mihawk? Knowing Zoro, he won’t do it unless he will have to do it, and also, knowing Zoro, he will try to find a way to avoid it. As we’ve said, we don’t know how Oda plans on resolving this rivalry, but we do hope that both of them will come out alive in the end.