Something that defines One Piece is how it has built its world and characters since the beginning of the series, letting us know their character and dreams as soon as they appear in the story, Zoro being the first mugiwara whose character we knew.
His dream? To be the best swordsman in the world, and to achieve it he must defeat Dracule Mihawk.
In the present day, zoro fought a seraphim created by Vegapunk who has Mihawk’s genetic memory, which begs the question:
Can Zoro beat Mihawk? Get ready, and let’s sail.
Zoro vs Mihawk
The two characters’ history seems to be constantly intertwined, as they became one of the most important early battles, and during Zoro’s weakest moment, Mihawk was forced to train him using the baboons on his island.
Also, in the recent Egghead arc -spoilers ahead-, a seraphim with Dracule’s appearance and abilities appeared, which Zoro managed to deal with very enthusiastically.
Zoro even mentions that the seraphim is more human than Mihawk, which may imply that Mihawk gave up his humanity to be the best or it is simply a power comparison, in which he states that the seraphim would not stand a chance against the real thing.
Although on several occasions we have seen Mihawk fight, such as the occasion at Marineford, it should be noted that he rarely feels the need to exert himself in battle, so he is most likely more powerful than we are shown.
Criterias for battle assessment
We will explore all these possibilities below, using the following categories:
–Strength.
-Speed.
-Power (destructive capabilities).
-Endurance.
-IQ.
-Battle IQ.
-Haki.
Can Zoro beat Mihawk in terms of strength?
The ability to fight with swords often has nothing to do with strength, but with the technique used by the swordsmen, however, it should be noted that it requires great strength to lift or even carry Yoru on your back.
Zoro is no slouch, most of the time he is either training or sleeping, sometimes both.
Also, Zoro seems to have more body mass than Mihawk, so Roronoa wins this one.
Can Zoro beat Mihawk in terms of speed?
In their first encounter, Mihawk doesn’t even make an effort to slow down Zoro’s constant attacks, even now even if Zoro can stand up to him, Mihawk will most likely beat him in this category.
Especially since we don’t know what hidden abilities he may have, plus, his gaze seems to hide a great ability to predict moves.
Point for Mihawk.
Can Zoro beat Mihawk in terms of power (destructive capabilities)?
Both have been able to destroy large ships, and Zoro defeated Pica, being one of the biggest opponents, while Mihawk cut down the frozen tsunami with no problem.
Which would imply that the two are tied in destructive capabilities.
Can Zoro beat Mihawk in terms of endurance?
We have yet to see how long Mihawk could last in a battle, and with his attitude of not wanting to waste his potential, we can assume that he likes to end his battles as soon as possible.
However, with Zoro in his prime, they’ll most likely want to show off their skills, and they’ll most likely both be evenly matched.
Which makes it a draw.
Can Zoro beat Mihawk in terms of IQ?
Mihawk is a character who has traversed most of the One Piece world, though we don’t entirely know his intentions – even if he has joined Crocodile and Buggy to form Cross Guild – he has been a pirate and fought on behalf of the Marines.
Surely possessing secrets from both sides that he has yet to share with the rest of the world, being a calculating character, makes Mihawk a winner this time around.
Can Zoro beat Mihawk in terms of battle IQ?
We haven’t seen Mihawk in enough battles, however, we have to assume that he is a ‘works smart’ type, so he would take strategic actions at the time of the battle, while Zoro is more about brute force.
So Mihawk wins.
Can Zoro beat Mihawk in terms of haki?
Up to this point we know that Zoro has the three types of haki, which makes it more likely that Mihawk has them too, the difference would be how each one takes advantage of these abilities, so let’s explore the possibilities:
–Conqueror’s Haki: we have rarely seen Zoro make use of this and neither has Mihawk, however, in a fight of wills Zoro most likely has the upper hand as he promised himself never to lose again, and after the timeskip, he has fulfilled it to the fullest.
–Armament Haki: Zoro usually uses armament haki quite normally, especially when he is a persistent opponent like King, and although Mihawk most likely has it perfected, it does not seem his style of combat, so Zoro certainly uses it more.
–Observational Haki: In this type of haki is where Mihawk probably has the advantage over Zoro, both because of his eyes and his nickname, it is most likely that this ability is the most developed in him.
This implies that Zoro possesses the qualities to win in haki, although Mihawk could have surprises up his sleeve.
Conclusion
Mihawk’s unknown potential makes him win the battle, although after being able to face Mihawk’s seraphim this could represent that he is ready to face the original as well.
I think that Zoro still has a lot of potential to exploit and most likely he will do it in the arcs to come, so he will be a worthy opponent for the best swordsman in the world of One Piece.
Do you think Zoro is ready to face Mihawk?