Chopper

History of Chopper

The people of Drum Kingdom were living in fear. Years of tyranny under the cruel King Wapol had reduced them to begging their liege for help in all medical matters. Drum Kingdom of Drum Island was often recognized as an epicenter of superior medical skills. What no one outside the island knew was that Wapol had a monopoly on the doctors living in the kingdom. Since the island was a winter-type island, it was covered by snow at all times. Citizens were often caught in avalanches, snow-drifts, had debilitating colds and the kind of serious medical dilemmas one might expect to show up in artic-like conditions. Doctors are so very important in such places and King Wapol was fully aware of it. That is why he took advantage of the situation and collected all the doctors of the kingdom for himself. Any doctors who refused to join him were chased away or killed. He called his 'army' of doctors the ISSHII 20 (“The 20 Docs”).

The doctors were given residence in Wapol’s castle where they continued their research or waited to be dispatched by Wapol. Citizens of the island could only receive medical attention if they groveled at Wapol’s feet and begged for his help. In this way, Wapol ruled his subjects by instilling a certain amount of fear and respect in them. But Wapol had not successfully gathered all of the doctors. Two so-called 'doctors' remained outside of his grasp, tirelessly hunted by Wapol’s guard, but always avoiding capture: Dr. Kureha the Master Doctrine and the quack Dr. Hiruruk. Dr. Kureha was a woman often regarded as a witch because of her extremely old age of 133 years and uncanny medicinal and surgical skills. However, despite her miraculous skills, Dr. Kureha employed unique methods. She only came to offer her services when they were absolutely necessary and her asking price for services rendered were usually extreme. Compared to her, the ISSHII 20 were still the best option.

And then of course there was 'Doctor' Hiruruk. This self-proclaimed doctor was more of a menace than an aid to the innocent people of Drum Kingdom. For reasons unknown to the villagers, Hiruruk always tried in vain to save the sick and physically ailing. He usually ended up killing people instead of saving them by administering the wrong treatments. People would beg him to leave them alone but he would persistently slip through their chimneys and try to treat them.

One night while returning to his hidden cave dwelling, Hiruruk came upon a figure lying in the snow drenched in blood. The doctor bent over the large body and realized that is was the Yeti villagers had recently reported sightings of. It appeared that they had shot him multiple times and he was on the verge of death. Hiruruk spoke kind words to the beast and offered to help him but the monster, frightened when he saw Hiruruk’s tranquilizer gun, beat him into the ground. As the beast painfully crawled away, Dr. Hiruruk managed to get up and completely removed all of his clothes. He stood naked in the freezing snow, raised his hands above his head and called out to the creature, promising not to harm him because he was a doctor. For whatever reason the creature trusted him and accompanied Dr. Hiruruk back to his home. The creature miraculously changed into a smaller humanoid version of himself and it became clear that he was really a reindeer! The reindeer said nothing for three days but listened intently to all that Dr. Hiruruk had to say, while graciously accepting Hiruruk’s aid in his recovery. Finally, to Hiruruk’s surprise, the reindeer began to speak. Hiruruk named the reindeer Chopper Tony Tony because his antlers looked like they could 'chop' down trees.

Chopper related the story to Hiruruk how he was treated as an outcast within his herd because of his unique blue nose. One day while searching for food, he devoured a strange fruit. He suddenly found that he had the ability to change into different forms, one of these the villagers mistook for a Yeti. The strange fruit he ate was the Hito Hito Fruit, a Zoan-Type Devil’s Fruits that gave whatever ate it the ability to become human-like. Because of his strange abilities, the herd turned on him completely and beat him, forcing him to leave. Then when Chopper attempted to contact humans, they shot and hunted him thinking he was a monster. Hiruruk was the first person ever to accept and care for the young reindeer.

Chopper continued to live and work with Hiruruk, learning about what it meant to be a doctor and about the rest of the world. Hiruruk’s symbol that motivated him to work towards his goal was a pirate flag with falling sakura blossoms decorating it. Hiruruk taught Chopper that the skull and cross-bones were a symbol of faith and his reason to live.

For one year Chopper stayed with Hiruruk and at the end of that year Hiruruk congratulated Chopper on his full recovery but asked him to leave. Chopper begged the doctor not to force him away, he even injured his forehead on purpose and pleaded for medical help but Hiruruk pulled out his gun and fired on Chopper, driving him away from his cliff-side abode. When Hiruruk closed the door of his cavern behind him, he burst into tears. His cruelty was all an act, he simply couldn’t bear to let Chopper see him, when he was actually on the verge of death.

Chopper concealed himself near the doctor’s home and observed him carefully. He saw his friend leave the house and followed him to the tree house of Dr. Kureha. Hanging from a window, Chopper listened in on the conversation between the two and was shocked to find out that his best friend was dying of a terrible and incurable disease. Chopper realized why Hiruruk acted so cruely and decided to take matters into his own hands to save his only friend. Recently Wapol’s guards had spread rumors of a miraculous mushroom that was located somewhere on Drum Island that could cure any disease. Chopper secretly went through volume after volume of Hiruruk’s medical books to find such a mushroom and finally identified it beyond a doubt.

Chopper set out to find the mushroom by himself but was accosted along the way by his old herd. They beat and tore at him, but he fought back and kept searching for the mushroom to save his friend. Meanwhile, the ISHII 20 had all come down with an unknown illness and were not seeing any patients. With a kingdom of sick people that needed care, Dr. Hiruruk knew that his time was running out and he had to find the last piece of the puzzle to create his miracle cure. His goal was to save the ISHII 20. It was up to him to find the panacea that would save a country before he died.

One week later, Chopper appeared at the doctor’s door, his body was bruised, bloody, broken and over-exposed to the elements, but he held in his hand the miracle mushroom, Amiudake. Despite his dire situation Hiruruk could not pretend he didn't love Chopper as a son. He quickly made a soup of the mushroom and drank it heartily, feeling strength return to his body as he drank it, so he said. Just as he finished drinking the soup the last chemical reaction he had set up in his lab began to glow. Hiruruk rushed to his experiment table and saw before him the reaction he had been searching for, for thirty years. The doctor quickly gathered several items and rushed out the door. Before he left he told Chopper to wait just a few minutes and he would be back, he also told Chopper that he would become a great doctor someday.

After some time had passed, Dr. Kureha burst into Hiruruk’s hide-out and almost scared Chopper to death. She demanded to know where Hiruruk was and Chopper told her that since he had been cured, Hiruruk headed to town in order to cure the sick patients. Kureha was puzzled by what the reindeer said about being 'cured'. She reassured Chopper that no modern medicine could save the doctor. Chopper became frustrated and showed her a picture of the miracle mushroom he gathered for him. The doctrine was shocked beyond words, the 'miracle' mushroom that Chopper gathered was no miraculous fungi, it was deadly and poisonous. Chopper refused to believe her and showed her the symbol of a skull and cross-bones next to the mushroom, the same symbol on the pirate flag that the doctor held so high as a symbol of faith.

Kureha now understood the situation, the poor reindeer that knew so little of the world did not understand the skull and cross-bones in the medical book were a symbol for 'poison'. The doctrine turned on Chopper, she was furious with the young creature. She told him that there was no medicine that could cure any disease, if there was, then doctors would not be necessary. Chopper thought of how happy Hiruruk looked when he saw him holding the deadly mushroom and understood that the doctor had no intention of living much longer anyway. With his last moments of life, he was going to town to reveal his miracle cure to the people. With haste, Chopper raced towards the center of town to see Hiruruk.

Meanwhile, Hiruruk had already reached Wapol’s castle at the center of the island and was prepared to unveil his miracle cure when he saw that Wapol, his guards and the ISHII 20 were all waiting for him. The story about the ISHII 20 being incapacitated by illness was made up to bring the doctor out of hiding so they could kill him. Hiruruk understood that he had been duped but was not concerned with that. He told the corrupt king that bullets, disease or even poison cannot kill a person. A person only truly dies when they are forgotten. With that he filled a sake cup with an unknown liquid and declared that even if his body left the world, his dream would be fulfilled one day. He raised his cup, saluted his life and drank it all. After the last drop passed his lips, the doctor exploded just as Chopper reached the castle. Wapol laughed at Hiruruk’s death and Chopper could not hold back his rage as he charged the King. However, Chopper was held back by the Drum Kingdom’s Armed Guard Commander, Dalton. Dalton was also fed up with the King’s crooked ways but ordered Chopper to cease his assault.

Filled with sadness, Chopper trudged back to the home of Dr. Kureha. He begged her to teach him how to be a doctor. His desire was to become the panacea that could cure people of any disease. Little did Chopper know that after saying goodbye for the last time, Hiruruk stopped at Kureha’s home before he headed to town. He did not explain anything to the doctrine but asked her to do him a favor, to teach Chopper to be a doctor. She refused to do so at the time, but now that she understood why he asked and what a strong man he really was, Kureha changed her mind. She took Chopper in and began to teach him the ways of a doctor.

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Notes on Chopper:

The Three Basic Forms of Chopper

After eating the Hito Hito Fruit, Chopper gained the ability to transform himself into human-like forms while also retaining his original form as a reindeer. Such transformations are a trait shared by many of the Zoan-type Devils Fruit user seen thus far. His basic forms are as follows:

Man Beast:This is the 'full' transformation of Chopper into a human. Animals that have eaten a Zoan-type Devil's Fruit seem to respond somewhat differently than humans, that is to say, if all animals react the same as Chopper. Humans that have consumed a Zoan-type Devil's Fruit are capable of fully transforming into the animal whose power they have been granted. This transformation includes growth of feathers, hair, tails, etc. However, Chopper's 'full' transformation into a human is somewhat suspicious. He appears to be a large burly man covered in brown fur and retains some of his reindeer facial features, in particular his blue nose. Despite maintaining those qualities his antlers retract and his hooves become fully formed hands and feet. As this is his 'full' transformation into a human, rather than 'Man Beast' it may technically be considered his 'Man' form, however, since author Eiichiro Oda has specifically called the form 'Man Beast', I will follow his nomenclature. Why humans can assume a form identical to their animal and only Chopper has a somewhat questionable transformation remains unanswered and may very well stay that way.

Beast Man: This is Chopper’s standard form. As he is often seen this way it would appear he is most comfortable in this state. Neither feral nor human he retains his reindeer facial features, antlers and hooves. However, he walks upright like a human and his mouth is more similar to a human’s than a normal reindeer’s. Originally in this form Chopper's snout protruded significanty out from his face making him appear somewhat homely. Author Eiichiro Oda revealed in a promotional note to fans via One Piece Paradise Volume 3 that he intended the look because he didn't want the character to look 'too cute'. He originally opposed artists who use fluffy-eyed critters to make a successful character and so he attempted to make Chopper 'cute' through other means such as his unflagging optimism and persistance against the odds. However, when the Art Chief of the animation staff drew a particularly cute Chopper, Oda was deeply moved. This was further compounded when he heard Chopper's voice from the animation for the first time and felt that it was right for Chopper to change. Since his debut, Chopper's appearance in this form has become considerably more round, wide-eyed and generally more child-like. This is in stark contrast to the other characters almost all of whom have become much more square and sharp over the years. This form of Chopper is considered One Piece's 'mascot character'. It is a symbol of the series which can easily be rearranged in a variety of ways to make promotional goods or displays.

Beast: When traveling long distances, Chopper reverts to his true form as a reindeer. Of his three basic states, despite this being his true form, Chopper appears to utilize it the least.

Personality

As of this writing, Chopper is the youngest member of the crew at 15 years-old and it's not hard to tell. Chopper may know his stuff when it comes to medicine, but there is very little he knows about the world. Commonplace locations, creatures, people or even foods fascinate and frighten him. A recurring Chopper gag is for his first impression of something that in any other normal context would be considered harmless as 'SCARY'.

Although he really loves them, the little reindeer does not take compliments very well. If Chopper is praised for his skill or abilities, he shoves the recognition off by cursing out whoever complimented him. What gives him away is his inability to hide a huge gleeful smile whilst he utters a stream of obscenities and threats.

Characteristics

Chopper’s ambition is to see the world and to become a great doctor that can heal any ailment.

Chopper can understand what animals are saying. He can scout out help from members of the animal kingdom for the crew as well as communicate with animal allies.

According to Oda, Chopper most resembles....A REINDEER!

Chopper has come to be known for his over the top reactions. This is a result of his naivety and natural character. In addition to his seven transformations he also has seven 'unofficial' facial transformations to exhibit his emotions.

1. Restraint: When Chopper wants to remain strong but physically can't he grits his teeth and bursts into a flood of tears while adamantly denying that anything frightening occurred.
2. Joy: Upon feeling great happiness Chopper's screams out, "UOOOOO!!!", while tears shoot out of his eyes.
3. Expectation: Similar to the look Luffy gets when he smells adventure, upon hearing or imagining the potential for something unusual Chopper's eyes become stars and his jaw drops while fantastic visions no doubt dance through his head.
4. Alarm: Upon being alarmed, Chopper's eyes bug out of his head like oranges and he screams out for help.
5. Daze: When lost in thought Chopper simply stands staring straight and unmoving while a sweat-drop beads down his face.
6. Anger: Upon being angered, Chopper's pupils vanish and his normally circular eyes become semi-circle wedges while he opens his mouth to give a battle cry.
7. Super Surprise: Chopper's antler fly straight off of his head with his hat and his tongue billows out like a wavy snake.

It would seem Chopper has some difficulty when it comes to maneuvering or positioning himself as a human, most noticeably in his first few years since eating the Devil's Fruit. On Drum Island, while running through forests in his Beast Man form, he often smacked directly into trees. To this day he has difficulty spying on others. Whenever he attempts to peak out from the edge of a corner Chopper fully exposes his whole body by standing in the opposite direction covering only one eye!

Chopper loves cotton candy. He first consumed it before the beginning of the Davy Back Fight. It would seem that this was the same time his photo was snapped for what would become his bounty photograph. Whether or not his love of sweets came from this experience is not known. However, this is probably how he gained his bounty nickname, "Cotton Candy Fiend".

Under certain unique conditions, Chopper is indisputably the tallest and shortest member of the crew even though exact measurements have not been given. One may wish to consider his unchanged reindeer form for an accurate measurement of his true height. As we do not have any figures for this value, we may only speculate. Plus the dilemna of measuring his height in hands or the length of his body from tail to nose should be counted. One may also be tempted to say he's the shortest member as he spends the most time in his Beast Man form but I'm unwilling to make a call on the issue as I'm not the author. It remains that he has the potential to be the shortest and tallest but I will leave him out of official ranking until the issue is clarified, if it ever is.

Trivia, Puns & Observations

Chopper’s birthday is on December 24th. He's a reindeer that was born with a blue nose. Get it?

Borrowing an act from the famous Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, Chopper performs a dance when he is embarrassed that Shimura’s character, Hen na Ojisan ‘Strange Old Man’, made popular.

Chopper's hooves in his Beast Man form are capable of grasping small objects like forks or medical devices. However, for objects larger than the grasp of his hooves, he spears them to hold onto them.

Despite his hoof hands, Chopper is fully capable of playing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. His Rock is his split-hooves pulled closely together. For Scissors he spreads them ever so slightly. And for Paper he spreads them as far apart as he can. And there you have it.

Among the crew members, Chopper ties Usopp for 5th Place in the 2005 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote. He had 1 spot in the Top 30. Outside of the crew he tied the likes of Ace, Foxy, CP9 & Reject Dial users.

Chopper has not received a 'The 5th' chapter solidifying his place as a crew member. One must ponder what else the little guy must do to 'officially' join. He has already shown signs of fighting on his own without assistance and seems to have more spunk than any other crew member. What could be left for him to prove? Only time will tell.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Chopper’s shape-changing ability makes him an especially frustrating opponent to face, especially when one considers his additional forms and abilities after he downs a Rumble Ball. His size-changing abilities are especially useful and they may be utilized to dodge projectiles or other attacks. For example, if someone fired an object at his head while he was in his Man Beast form, by changing into his smaller Beast Man form the object would fly harmlessly over his head.

Some 12 volumes after his introduction, Chopper proved himself to be a 'real pirate' by standing up for himself alone against a worthy adversary. Up to that point Chopper was afraid of fighting a difficult opponent when he was completely alone.

Going hand-in-hand with Chopper’s young age is his incredible gullibility. He believes ANYTHING he hears, even if it comes out of Usopp’s mouth. That combined with his lack of knowledge about the ways of the world sometimes gets him into trouble.

Chopper's sense of smell is superior to a normal human's and he can usually locate friends or foes simply by sniffing them out. However, rain or pungent odors can disable this unique ability of his.

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Chopper Spoilers

Click this link and highlight the text to see Chopper Spoilers. There are some very, how shall I put it, BIG spoilers in here. Unless you have completed the Enies Lobby arc I would suggest you avoid this section.

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Special Attacks

Rumble Ball

By eating a special type of stimulant Chopper designed by himself called the Rumble Ball the reindeer can utilize four more forms of transformation while enhancing his original three. The main limitation is that the effects of the Rumble Ball only last for three minutes. After that time Chopper is again limited to his three basic forms. Should Chopper consume another Rumble Ball within six hours of his first dose his body will become somewhat unstable by interrupting the wavelengths of his transformations. It makes it his transformations occur almost entirely randomly thus having a one six chance (or one in seven if he can change into the same form twice but this has never been seen) of changing into the form of his desire. Should Chopper consume three Rumble Balls within six hours, he will lose consciousness... The forms and the abilities he can perform are listed here.

Chopper’s Seven Rumble Ball Strengths

Name of Attack	Translation	Villains Used Against	Location in Manga	Special Notes
Woo~ku Pointo	Walk Point	Chessmarimo, Mr. 4, Miss Merry Christmas, Gedatsu	Vol.17 pg70. Vol.28 pg138. Vol.42 pg149^^.	This is basically Chopper’s Beast form. He can charge his opponent this way.
Hebi~ Pointo	Heavy Point	Chessmarimo, Gedatsu, Kumadori	Vol.17 pg71 Vol.28 pg136. Vol.42 pg143^^.	This is basically Chopper’s Man Beast Form. This is useful for battling hand to hand as he increases his weight and size in this form.
Janpingu Pointo	Jumping Point	Chessmarimo, Nami, Gedatsu, Zoro, Kumadori	Vol.17 pg72. Vol. 24 pg.192. Vol.28 pg135, pg140. Vol.38 pg123. Vol.42 pg143^, 149^^.	Chopper’s legs become long and his arms lanky. He can jump high distances to evade attacks or surprise his enemy from above. He has fingers in this form.
Ga~do Pointo	Guard Point	Chessmarimo, Nami, Gedatsu, Kumadori	Vol.17 pg73. Vol.24 pg191. Vol.28 pg136. Vol.42 pg143^^.	Chopper’s pelt becomes dense and his body grows relatively small into a sphere-like shape. In this form Chopper can withstand heavy blows and tough landings.
A~mu Pointo	Arm Point	Chessmarimo, Gedatsu, Kumadori	Vol.17 pg76. Vol.28 pg141. Vol.42 pg75*, 82*, 149^.	This is Chopper’s strongest form. All of his strength goes to his arms and he becomes a powerhouse capable of delivering finishing blows.
Bure~n Pointo	Brain Point	Chessmarimo, Mr. 4, Gedatsu	Vol.17 pg79. Vol.20 pg177. Vol.28 pg137. Vol.42 pg149^^.	This is essentially Chopper’s Beast Man form. So far he can use one ability in this form. While in Brain Point, Chopper’s mental capacity increases.
Ho~n Pointo	Horn Point	Miss. Merry Christmas, Franky Family, Kumadori	Vol.20 pg199. Vol.35 pg59. Vol.42 pg143^.	Chopper’s antlers grow to a huge size which he can use to scoop up an enemy among other uses. He also has fingers in this form.

*Unspoken
^Failed
^^Achieved in Error

Chopper’s Special Skills

Name of Attack	Translation	Villains Used Against	Location in Manga	Special Notes
Suko~pu	Scope	Chessmaarimo, Mr. 4, Gedatsu	Vol.17 pg80. Vol.20 pg177. Vol.28 pg137.	This may only be used when Chopper is in Brain Point. He can focus on his enemy and find their weakness or formulate a strategy.
Kokutei Rozeo	Carving Hoof Roseo	Chessmaarimo, Kumadori	Vol.17 pg84. Vol.42 pg76.	This may only be used when Chopper is in Arm Point. Chopper hits his opponent with a powerful punch, leaving the imprint of his hoof on his opponent. This imprint so happens to look like a sakura petal. The term 'roseo' is Italian for 'pinkish' or 'rose', whereas the actual kanji in the attack’s name is sakura, the famous Japanese cherry blossoms, the most famous variety of which are pink. Also, if one reads 'kokutei' with different kanji it could mean ‘National’. The sakura is the unofficial national flower of Japan and the final name of Drum Kingdom. In 2005, this was selected as the 26th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 72 votes.
Kokutei Kurosu	Carving Hoof Cross	Gedatsu, Kumadori	Vol.28 pg141. Vol.42 pg82.	This may only be used when Chopper is in Arm Point. Chopper hits his opponent with his hooves 'wrist' to 'wrist'. This leaves the impression of a cross on his opponent. Following the same pattern as Carving Hoof Roseo, the name of this attack could be interpreted as “The National Cross of Christ”.
Rozeo Koroneedo	Roseo Colonnade	Franky Family	Vol.35 pg59.	This may only be used when Chopper is in Horn Point. Chopper uses his monstrous antlers to barrel through a group of weak enemies. Colonnade is a style of architecture where rows are standing at regular intervals supporting a structure; it comes from the Italian word 'colonnato'. However, colonnade has also come to be used as a term for 'tree-lined' landscaping. Indeed the kanji for the attack 'sakura namiki' means 'row of sakura trees'.
Hebii Gongu	Heavy Gong	Kumadori, Odr	Vol.42 pg141. Vol.48 pg223.	May be used when Chopper is in Man Beast form. Possibly Heavy Point as well. Chopper summons all of his strength for a straight blow to an opponent's face. Despite Chopper's immense size in Man Beast mode he is still weaker than some of his more experienced crew mates and this attack will not damage a hardened martial artist. The kanji for Heavy reads 'juuryou' meaning weight as in weight of an object but can also refer to 'heavy weights'. The 'gong' of the attack he rings being the opponent's face.
Kokutei Rozeo Michieeri	Carving Hoof Roseo Metel	Kumadori	Vol.42 pg141.	May be used when Chopper is in Arm Point. Chopper's approach to his enemy is similar to Carving Hoof Roseo but instead of a single powerful punch, Chopper swipes his arms across an opponent's chest punching them at a fantastic speed leaving behind a stream of his trademark sakura petal-like marks. A very powerful move indeed which may even injure a hardened martial artist; unfortunately it is not quite enough to fell one. Metel is a Russian word meaning 'snowstorm'. It is phoenetically pronounced something like this: myeh-tyel. The fully formed idea would be 'a pink snowstorm of the carving hooves' yet another referrence to Chopper's cold island home of Drum and the Miracle Sakura of Dr. Hiruruk.

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Officially Listed Battles Fought

Chopper, Luffy & Sanji VS Chess, Kuromarimo & Wapol [Chapters 146-141]

Chopper & Usopp VS Mr. 4 & Miss. Merry Christmas [Chapters 183-186]

Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Usopp, Vivi & Zoro VS Mr. 7 & Miss Father’s Day [Chapters 205-207]

Yet to be Listed Conflicts

The last published One Piece guide that contained specific conflict listings (Grand Data File Blue) covered events through Volume 24. The following are my opinion of battles that occurred post Volume 24. As soon as an accurate official list is published, I will alter this data to reflect what is acceptable. The criteria for determining what I use to define a conflict has been linked to in this space on the Luffy Profile page.

Chopper & Crew VS Shoujou [Chapter 226]

Chopper VS Shura & Fuza [Chapters 247 & 248]

Chopper, Zoro, & Robin VS Nora [Chapter 255]

Chopper VS Gedatsu [Chapters 261-263]

Chopper & Holy Guard VS Gedatsu [Chapter 262]

Chopper VS Ohm [Chapter 266]

Chopper, Luffy, Zoro & Sanji VS Franky Family [Chapters 329-330]

Chopper & Sogeking VS Marines and World Government Agents [Chapter 381]

Chopper, Zoro & Nami VS Baskerville [Chapter 387]

Chopper & Nami VS Marines & World Government Agents [Chapter 388]

Chopper, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji & Sogeking VS The World Government [Chapter 398]

Chopper VS Kumadori [Chapters 403-408]

Chopper & Franky VS Fukuro [Chapters 404-405]

Chopper VS Franky [Chapters 408 & 412]

Chopper VS Nami VS Calipha [Chapter 411]

Chopper VS Zoro, Usopp & Franky [Chapter 412]

Crew & Franky VS Buster Call [Chapters 428 & 429]

Crew VS Garp [Chapters 438 & 439]

Chopper, Nami & Usopp VS Soldier Zombies (571) [Chapter 445]

Chopper, Nami & Usopp VS Surprise Zombies [Chapters 447 & 448]

Chopper, Nami & Usopp VS Surprise Zombie 256 [Chapters 448]

Chopper, Nami & Usopp VS Ryuma [Chapters 449 & 450]

Chopper VS Risky Brothers [Chapter 451]

Chopper & Usopp VS Wild Zombies [Chapter 451 & 453]

Chopper & Usopp VS Lola [Chapters 453 & 454]

Chopper & Usopp VS Absalom [Chapter 457]

Chopper & Usopp VS Soldier Zombies [Chapter 457]

Chopper, Luffy, Usopp, Sanji & Robin VS Soldier Zombies & Perona [Chapter 460]

Chopper & Robin VS Hogback, Cindry, Dogpen & Jigoroh [Chapters 468-469]

Chopper, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Robin, Franky & Brook VS Odr [Chapter 469 & 470]

Unlisted Conflicts

The requisites for some battles are questionable. It appears that if only one punch (or kick or whatever) is thrown, then it does not count as a battle (except in the very first bout listed). There are also different types of conflicts, (meaning other than throwing punches or kicks), which are not listed. These are my opinion and were not officially listed.

Chopper VS Herd of Reindeer [Chapter 143 flashback]

Chopper VS Dalton [Chapter 145 flashback]

Chopper VS Millions [Chapter 175]

Crew VS Shoujou [Chapter 226]

Zoro

History of Zoro

Ever since he was a boy, Zoro Roronoa trained at a dojo in his hometown Shimotsuki in East Blue under the tutelage of a kind and patient instructor, Koshiro. Zoro was the strongest male in the dojo, beating even adults with his Two Sword School technique. However, there was one person that Zoro could never beat regardless of his training and skill, his teacher’s daughter, Kuina. Kuina had beaten Zoro for 2,000 matches even though she used only one sword and Zoro had mastered using two. Even though she was a few years older than Zoro, as he was able to best adults, he did not see that as an excuse for losing to her. For their 2,001st match, Zoro met with Kuina on the night of a full moon and suggested they fight in secret with real swords, rather than the usual bamboo training swords. After the fight began, although he gave his best, in almost no time Zoro suffered his 2,001st defeat. Zoro was furious with himself for losing yet again, but in the privacy of the night, Kuina began to lament that she was the one who should regret the outcome.

Zoro was speechless as Kuina began to cry and explain that as a male who had not yet reached adulthood, in just a few years by virtue of his male physique he would grow stronger than her, as would all male swordsmen and she could never aspire to be the strongest. Instead of gloating over the sudden revelation Zoro became furious with Kuina and told her that thinking like that was nonsense. If she thought of her abilities that way, then if Zoro ever did defeat her she could just use the fact that she was a woman as an excuse for the loss. After all of his hard training and effort, Zoro would have hated her for letting a victory against her be attributed to physiological differences. Kuina took comfort in his words and the two made a special promise that night that one of them would become the strongest swordfighter in the world.

As fate would have it, the very next day Zoro’s training was interrupted by cries from an acquaintance. Kuina had fallen down the stairs at her home and died from the impact. Zoro masked his sadness by being angry with her since they had just made a promise the night before. Although he accused her of running away from him, it couldn’t stop him from being passionate about fulfilling his promise. He begged Koshiro to give him her sword which he allowed Zoro to receive. Zoro made a promise on her sword to become the 'Strongest Swordsman in the World' and from that day on, Zoro trained and battled with three swords.

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Notes on Zoro

Personality

Zoro left his hometown to search for a man, 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk Dracule. Mihawk was formerly one of the greatest pirates in the world and is a current member of The Seven Armed Seas; he is recognized as 'The Strongest Swordsman in the World'. Obviously Zoro’s intentions were to locate Mihawk and beat him in a duel then declare himself 'The Strongest Swordsman in the World' making his goal and oath a reality. There was just one problem, Zoro couldn’t find him. Wishing to temporarily put his quest on hold, Zoro attempted to return to his hometown. But there was still a small problem as new fans of One Piece will surely come to realize, Zoro has no sense of direction whatsoever. He couldn't find his way out of a shoebox. So, Zoro collected bounties in order to survive while he worked his way home and the nightmarish stories about him came to be because Zoro is indeed a demon in battle. Long time fans know this to be true in more ways than one.

Besides his lack of any sense of direction, another running gag with Zoro is his constant sleeping. A famous line of his is, "Huh? Morning already?", usually uttered after an extremely chaotic scene which he managed to nap through. Zoro loves to sleep. Just as Luffy needs red meat to recharge him, Zoro just needs a few winks....or alcohol of some kind.

After his defeat at the hands of Dracule during the Baratie story arc, Zoro makes an oath, never to lose again until he has beaten Mihawk. Since then he has techically 'broken' the oath several times. That is to say he has been temporarily 'defeated' by opponents, but in the end he always defeats villains to whom he has lost or at least contributes to the final battle against a foe who bested him. So...I guess he's safe.

It all started with a hunting contest. Sanji and Zoro seemed to be on perfectly good terms until Zoro's competative streak first bared its fangs on Little Garden. When asked by Sanji to go hunting, Zoro said he would gladly go and get a beast the likes of which Sanji couldn't possibly round up himself, and so began an endless struggle. Sanji and Zoro have been at odds since that day and anything even remotely competative becomes a grueling battle for superiority between the two. Luckily they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that when they absolutely positively have to work together, not only can they do it, but between heaven and earth there's little that can stand in their path.

Characteristics

Zoro’s greatest goal is to fulfill his promise to Kuina and to become the 'Strongest Swordsman in the World'. So great is his resolution to the promise that in order to join Luffy, he agreed to be a member of the crew only if Luffy would disembowel himself by ritual suicide should he ever stand in the way of Zoro’s goal.

Zoro is sometimes described as a modern samurai. While many of the observations fans make are true, there is one very important part of Zoro's character that keeps him from being as such, he doesn't 'pray' to or believe in gods. The presence of 'kami' in bushido are very important and to say he would never 'pray' to gods would be something that may very well have gotten him killed in reality, considering the position of the Japanese imperial family believed to have come from gods.

Zoro has little common sense but he knows exactly what it means to be a man. That is to say the Marlboro Man, John Wayne, Charles Bronson kind of man. Probably more than any other character, Zoro lives and acts only as a man would. He takes responsibility for his actions no matter what they might be and he expects others around him to do the same. This is the root of almost every famous Zoro scene or line. THIS is why he's probably often compared to a samurai as bushido code demands such responsibility. So whether or not Zoro can be considered a 'samurai' by traditional standards is up for debate but there's no question that his character is basically a combination of every Japanese male...ever. From his trademark haramaki to his love of liquor, everything about Zoro screams 'ossan' or older Japanese man. All of Zoro's 'Favorites' listed above read like a guide to the Japanese male soul.

Zoro is a man feared by people both good and evil. His nickname before joining Luffy was 'Pirate Hunter' because of his ruthless cutting down of pirates for their bounties. This nickname stuck with him after he received his official bounty even though he's a pirate himself. In reality, Zoro is not normally a fearsome person, most people are afraid of him because they don’t know enough about him.

According to Oda, Zoro most resembles a shark.

Zoro bears a large diagonal scar across his chest that is from his first duel with Mihawk.

Zoro appears to be the 3rd tallest human crew member as of Vol. 47.

When he has a sword in his mouth, Zoro speaks with the power of his heart. (So says author Eiichiro Oda anyway)

Trivia, Puns & Observations

The name of One Piece's aspiring swordsman was based on the pirate name of French born Jean David Nau. Jean joined the buccaneers in 1692 and took the name "L'ollonais". He was a buccaneer famous for being the fiercest of the Carribean Pirates. Accounts of him tell that he tore out the hearts of prisoners and gnawed on them, squeezed out their eyes and meticulously tore them to pieces; not necessarily in that order. Jean was killed by natives somewhere between 1688 & 1689. Ironically he was supposedly torn to pieces himself and then thrown into a fire.

Zoro’s birthday is November 11th, if you write that date in numerical form as 11/11 that is what Japanese call “zorome” or a sequence of the same number. Another example of a “zorome” would be 777. Anyway, I hope you see the gag here.

Continuing in a similar vein, Zoro's hometown is Shimotsuki, whether intentional or coincidental, the gag worked out extremely well in Oda's favor. Shimotsuki is the term for November in the traditional Japanese calendar naming system known as inreki. Not only does this coincide with Zoro's birthday and the zorome gag, but also gives his hometown a distinct Japanese flair. Although we tend to associate Tokyo with being modern Japan, if one wants to consider traditional Japanese culture there's no better place than Kyoto. Kyoto is a city that Japanese people consider even amongst themselves to be aethestically 'Japanese'. And even though Kyoto's spring season brings beautiful blooming cherry blossoms, Kyoto's fall season is second to none with its stunning displays of natural colors on the surrounding mountains. When one considers that Zoro's favorite island is a Fall Island during Fall, it's clear to see his connections to November and, vicariously, aesthetic Japanese qualities run deep.

Zoro’s head was given a bounty of 60,000,000 Belly after he bested the bounty hunter Boness Daz. After the events of Enies Lobby his bounty was doubled to 120,000,000 Belly. There is an on-going rivalry between Zoro and his fellow crewmate Sanji regarding bounties. Even after the character Sanji managed to acquire a bounty Zoro came out on top. The rivalry continues...

If Zoro has any living relative(s) their identity has not [yet] been disclosed.

The character Miss. Wednesday insults Zoro by calling him "Mr. Bushido". However, the title stuck and became his nickname for a while.

During battle, Zoro is famous for losing ridiculous amounts of blood. Here are some amounts he has lost:

Zoro VS Buggy: 1 Liter
Zoro VS Nyaaban Brothers: 1.5 Liters
Zoro VS Mihawk: 3 Liters
Zoro VS Hacchan & Arlong: 5 Liters

And just for reference, the human body hold 5.6 liters of blood.

Zoro holds bragging rights to 2nd place in the 2005 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote where he held 7 of the Top 30 techniques. This includes Armee De L'Air Power Shoot which he shares with Sanji.

Zoro 'officially' joined the crew in Chapter 6 - 'The First'.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

If you're reading One Piece for the first time I will attempt to keep this simple in order to avoid confusion. Bounties that characters receive in One Piece may be considered as describing two attributes: one being a power level, the other being the level of threat they pose to the World Government. The degree to which attribute the numerical value of a bounty favors is something that can be discussed for weeks by rabid fans. However, here let's just keep it simple and agree that both are in there and yes, it's a fairly good indication of a given character's strength. That said, immediately after the addition of the second female crew member, Zoro seemed likely to be the third strongest member of Luffy’s crew considering their respective bounties. However, with the bounties that appeared after the events at Enies Lobby, it became quite clear that Zoro reclaimed his place as the second strongest member of the crew. This is a result of his endless and inhuman training. He trains himself not only physically, but mentally as well. For example: swimming in freezing temperatures for extended periods of time or lifting extremely heavy weights/animals. This training always keeps him in top shape and even allows him to control his muscles in an inhuman way.

Zoro probably takes the heaviest damage among the members of Luffy’s crew. Some might even argue hat he can handle even more pain and fatigue than Luffy. It seems that Oda makes it a point to have Zoro drenched in blood after every major battle with plenty of scars to brag about. And even better, severe damage to his vitals organs do not seem to slow him down much. Zoro is probably the most resilient member of the crew and all he needs is some good sleep or liquor/sake to recover from almost any ailment.

One of Zoro's great weaknesses is his lack of sense of direction. He has none to speak of. It is a miracle that he knows his left from his right. The first indication of this is during his first conversation with Luffy on the sea when he says (in so few words) that he got lost trying to get back to his home. One tends to read that as he simply does not know how to navigate, but as the series progresses, we find that the only reason he actually manages to end up at the right place at the right time, is purely by luck.

Only half-serious about this one but Zoro has a tendency to be distracted during battle by poor gags or jokes. This is glaringly clear in his duel at Enies Lobby where his reaction to a seemingly absurd attack allows him to be taken by surprise.

Zoro’s greatest weakness is actually a woman, the impossibly near-sighted Marine Headquarters Ensign Tashigi. After first meeting her in Logue Town, Zoro has been unable to face her without running away because of her uncanny resemblance to someone from his past.

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Zoro Spoilers

Click this link and highlight the text to see Zoro Spoilers. If you're a big Zoro fan, these will be considered large spoilers for those who have not read past the Arabasta arc.

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Zoro's Special Attacks

The Three Swords of Zoro Roronoa

After he takes up the sword of his fallen rival and training partner Kuina, Zoro trains himself in the way of the Three Sword School. He holds two swords in his hands, and a third, Kuina’s, in his mouth. However, he is just as formidable an opponent with two swords or one...sometimes none at all. At the beginning of One Piece only one of Zoro’s three swords, Wadou Ichimonji, had a special origin, it belonged to his rival Kuina. His other two were never named and destroyed during his first battle against Mihawk. As of this writing (Vol. 48) Zoro’s swords are as follows:

Wadou Ichimonji “The Straight Path of Harmony”: One of the 21 Oo Wazamono ‘21 Great Edges’ and formerly the sword of Kuina. After her death, with permission from her father, Zoro took her sword and swore on it to obtain the title, Strongest Swordsman in the World. Zoro was unaware of the sword’s history as one of the Oo Wazamono until it was brought to his attention in Logue Town. He calls this sword his treasure and it is used exclusively as the sword in his mouth.

Sandai Kitetsu “Demon-Splitter the Third”: Although not belonging to the Saijou Oo Wazamono, Oo Wazamono or Ryou Wazamono, this cursed sword is a Wazamono (literally ‘Sharp Sword’). The second generation of the sword, Nidai Kitetsu, is an Oo Wazamono and the first generation, Shodai Kitetsu, is a Saijou Oo Wazamono Greatest of the Great Edges. Zoro obtains this sword in Logue Town from a small weapons shop. Because of the grim history of this family of swords, no one will use them since their owners have all had tragic deaths. Zoro ignores the warnings of a curse on the sword and tests his compatibility with it by flipping it into the air and holding his arm out in its path. The sword harmlessly flips off his arm by striking him with the blunt side. When the owner of the shop sees this display of fearlessness he gives the sword to Zoro free of charge.

Shushui “Autumn Water”: One of the 21 Oo Wazamono ‘21 Great Edges’ and formerly the sword of a legendary samurai from Wanokuni. The sword is described as a 'Black Blade' of which there seem to exist several in the world of One Piece. One is in the possession of Zoro's target Mihawk, the Black Blade Night, a Saijou Oo Wazamono, one of the 12 Supreme Edges. Shusui features a unique midareba or irregular temper line known as 'daisakachoji' or 'Superior Slanted Clove Blossom' which is named as such for the ripples in the temper line which resemble clove blossoms that slant towards the base of the blade. As far as I can tell, the 'superior' part of the name makes the style original to One Piece, however, 'sakachoji' is a real temper line style. The name of the sword, when written with different kanji, could also mean 'drawing water from a river' which gives it a particularly frightening double-meaning as a katana. Here yet again we see more signs of the fall season associated with Zoro.

Previously Used Swords

The Two Katana: The two non-descript katana Zoro was seen using when he first met Luffy. If these had any special origin or significance, it is not known. Mihawk destroyed them.

The Swords of Yasoku & Johnny: During the final battle at Arlong Park, Zoro’s pals gave him their swords to use in place of his two that were destroyed by Mihawk.

Yubashiri “Snow Run”: Upon seeing Zoro’s display of trust in his swords, Ippon Matsu, the owner of a weapons shop in Logue Town, bestows Yubashiri, one of the 50 Ryou Wazamono, on Zoro without charge. He realized that Zoro was a true swordsman and deserved the sword. This sword was rusted beyond repair by Devil Fruit user Marine Headquarters Captain Shuu during the conflict at Enies Lobby.

Hana Arashi “Nose Storm”: Zoro's impromptu 'sword' during the battle against Kaku and Jabra. He called the 'sword' a meitou which means a famous blade but the 'sword' is actually Sogeking who under an...er...'interesting'...set of circumstances ended up handcuffed to Zoro. By having Sogeking hold Yubashiri straight out, Zoro used his monstrous strength to wield him like a massive sword which he named during the battle. Zoro did not use Hana Arashi for much more than a few swipes and one attack but the novelty is something fans are sure not to forget anytime soon. Incidentally, 'hanarashi' is a term used for obnoxiously loud nasal breathing.

Supposed Marine Sword: After Yubashiri was literally rusted to pieces by Marine HQ Captain Shuu at Enies Lobby, Zoro grabbed a sword (presumably off of another Marine) to use in the skirmish. The sword has not been seen since the encounter at Enies Lobby.

Physical Power-Ups

Far into the story, Zoro displayed the ability to make himself temporarily stronger through a kind of natural 'doping'. How often he will perform this technique and if it will ever receive any kind of expansion remains to be seen.

Name of Attack	Translation	Villains Used Against	Location in Manga	Special Notes	Pun or Extra Meaning
Ichi Gorira	One Gorilla	Kaku, Odr	Vol.43 pg146. Vol.48 pg218.	Zoro is able to physically control and expand the triceps and biceps in his left arm; a result of his rigorous daily training. With this ability Zoro can control the differences between the raw power and subtle strength of his swords.	The first kanji, ichi, is obviously one. The three characters following it however, would tend to be read 'gourikira' but this word doesn't exist and Oda picked out a few syllables to create 'gorira'. The individual characters literally mean 'Rigid/Strong Power Cloth' but the last character 'ra' is the same 'ra' used in his attack Rashomon and from his Asura form. Even though the meaning of ra here sounds weak in translation, the presence of the kanji itself creates a sensation of 'Japaneseness' or even Buddhist underlinings. This is one of the few cases were a translation or localization does not do reading the name in its original language justice.
Ni Gorira	Two Gorilla	Kaku, Odr	Vol.43 pg146. Vol.48 pg218.	Zoro is able to physically control and expand the triceps and biceps in his right arm; a result of his rigorous daily training. With this ability Zoro can control the differences between the raw power and subtle strength of his swords.	The first kanji, ni, is obviously two. The three characters following it carry the meaning described above in Ichi Gorira.

No Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack	Translation	Villains Used Against	Location in Manga	Special Notes	Pun or Extra Meaning
Tatsu Maki	Dragon Coil	Pickles	Vol.32 pg137.	Using no swords whatsoever Zoro creates the form of a Dragon with his bare hands and rotates his torso creating a surge of wind that fires his enemy away or at a specific target.	Tatsumaki as Oda has written it literally means means 'Dragon Coil' but another writing of the same word can mean ‘cyclone’.

One Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack	Translation	Villains Used Against	Location in Manga	Special Notes	Pun or Extra Meaning
Shishi Son Son	Lion Song	Mr. 1, Kaku	Vol.21 pg183. Vol.43 pg145	Zoro draws one sword and slices through his enemy after finding their “breath”.	Shishisonson read differently in Japanese means “One’s Offspring”. This move is an 'iaido' or 'iaijutsu' commonly translated as 'The Way of Mental Presence and Instantanious Reaction". There are many different schools that teach various forms of it but to keep this description simple, iaido techniques are quick reactionary sword drawing methods followed by a swift attack and resheathing. This attack was the first sign that Zoro possessed such a skill. In 2005, this was selected as the 10th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 410 votes.
Sanjuuroku Pondo Hou	Thirty-Six Pound Cannon	Braham, Ohm, Kaku	Vol.28 pg79. Vol.29 pg142. Vol.43 pg64.	Zoro shoots a cutting wave at his enemy with one sweep of the Wadou Ichimonji	Here goes. Cannons are typically named by the weight of their projectile. So this is a 36lb. Cannon. However, the ‘pondo’ is a play on the word ‘bonnou’ which is in the kanji name of the attack. Bonnou means the ‘earthly troubles or desires of the mind’. Meanwhile the 'hou' also has a double meaning. 'Hou' would be the word for cannon but Oda has used a kanji of the same pronunciation which means 'phoenix', hence the projectile nature of the attack. In review, Zoro is firing one lifetimes of 36 earthly desires at his opponent via a Phoenix. Ouch
Hiryu Kaen	Soaring Dragon Blaze	Ryuma	Vol.48 pg160-161.	Holding Wadou Ichimonji in his left hand, Zoro leaps high into the air. Bearing down on his target from above, Zoro grabs his left wrist to strengthen his grip and horizontally slices his opponent's belly deep and swiftly actually igniting his them from the friction of the attack. Should his opponent be wearing heavy clothing they will quickly be engulfed in flames.	The kanji literally read as 'Flying Dragon Blaze' which is exactly what Zoro mimics as he jumps into the air and swoops down on his opponent, setting them on fire. However, if the reading of 'hi' is altered to 'bi' (a common change in kanji compounds) the resulting 'biryukaen' is a term for the medical condition Inflamed Rhinophyma where bulbous red bloches appear on the nose.

Two Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack	Translation	Villains Used Against	Location in Manga	Special Notes	Pun or Extra Meaning
Taka Nami	Hawk Wave	100 Bounty Hunters of Whiskey Peak, Ohm	Vol.12 pg184. Vol.29 pg140.	Using two swords, Zoro slashes and sends a cutting wave towards a target or targets when he is in the air.	Takanami simply means a tall wave.
Saikuru	Cycle	Franky Family	Vol.34 pg175.	Holding two swords in front of him like rhino horns, Zoro spins and blows weak opponents flying away.	The kanji for this attack may be read as "sai" and "kuru" or 'Circling Rhino'.
Rashomon	Rashomon	Sea Express Car, Ryuma	Vol.39 pg74. Vol.48 pg152	The second of Zoro's frighteningly powerful iaido techniques. This variation is capable of cutting through massive steel objects. Unlike Shishisonson which was from a standing position, this technique begins and finishes in a seated position. Like Shishison we do not see the move itself, only Zoro's swords reentering their sheethes. Being a two sword technique it is somewhat unorthodox for the otherwise single sword school of attacks.	Rashomon is the modern day name of Rajoumon, a gate that signified the southern entrance to Kyoto in the Heian period. Over time the gate decayed and became frequented by thieves as well as generally being associated with evil as a symbol of the rotting state of Japanese moral and societal bodies. The gate would later be featured in several different forms of short stories and plays. It even became a central theme in the film of the same name by Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa of whom Oda is a huge fan.
Nanajuuni Pondo Hou	Seventy-Two Pound Cannon	Kaku, Ryuma	Vol.42 pg34. Vol.48 pg153.	Zoro shoots a cutting wave at his enemy with one sweep of the swords in his hands	Cannons are typically named by the weight of their projectile. So this is a 72lb. Cannon. However, the ‘pondo’ is a play on the word ‘bonnou’ which is in the kanji name of the attack. Bonnou means the ‘earthly troubles or desires of the mind’. Meanwhile the 'hou' also has a double meaning. 'Hou' would be the word for cannon but Oda has used a kanji of the same pronunciation which means 'phoenix', hence the projectile nature of the attack. In review, Zoro is firing two lifetimes of 36 earthly desires at his opponent (which adds up to 72) via a Phoenix. Ouch!
Nigiri	Double Cleave	Kaku, Surprise Zombie, Ryuma	Vol.43 pg137. Vol.47 pg18. Vol.48 pg150.	Holding both swords perpendicular to his trunk, this stance typically initiates a series of two-sword attacks.	Here Oda substitutes the standard 'Oni' from his Oni Giri series with 'Ni'. The kanji is an older form of writing the number 'two'. While the characters mean Double Cleave, 'nigiri' is normally the name for the standard form of sushi recognizeable around the world as an oval mound of rice covered by raw fish. The attack names that follow in this stance are all associated with sushi and deal with two blades. Note that 'nigiru' means to grip and Zoro is gripping his two swords in a specific style.
Tourou	Climbing the Tower	Kaku	Vol.43 pg137.	Part of Zoro's Nigiri stance attack, Zoro holds both swords above his head, edges up, and jumps straight up in an attempt to damage his opponent's head/neck. An excellent attack for tall villains.	Although the kanji indicates 'climbing the tower', continuing in the vein of the Nigiri stance, 'toro' in the world of sushi is the term for a regular quality cut of tuna. There is no 'the' in the attack but I decided to name it in the same style as 1970's over the top translations of martial arts films. This is because Oda made most of these kanji combinations up himself to begin with.
Outourou	Reply to Climbing the Tower	Kaku	Vol.43 pg138.	Immediately following Climbing the Tower, this is a follow-up or 'response' if you will. At the peak of his jump Zoro swings both arms over his shoulder and then slices down the center of his opponent. A truly vicious attack if it connects. The force of his swing alone has the power to shatter inanimate obstacles.	Again, the kanji for this attack literally mean their translation, however, as part of the Nigiri stance, 'otoro' is the highest quality cut of tuna for sushi.
Hirameki	Flash	Kaku, Surprise Zombie, Ryuma	Vol.43 pg138. Vol.43 pg18. Vol.48 pg150.	Typically following Reply to Climbing the Tower this is a horizontal strike to Zoro's opponent's face with his two gripped swords while still in mid-air.	Although 'Hirameki' certainly means flash, Oda was going for bust with his third attack in Zoro's Nigiri stance. Take away the 'ki' and you've got 'hirame'. Hirame has several translations depending on where you're from but the basic idea is a seasonal flat fish; for example: halibut or flounder. Again, a very popular kind of fish used in sushi.
Samon	Sand Crest	Kaku	Vol.43 pg138.	Another attack in Zoro's Nigiri stance, this is a diagonal downward slash aimed at the top of his opponent's head. Like other attacks in the Nigiri series, Zoro's swing of the swords produces a powerful wave.	The 'crest' in question would be a family crest. Like many family names have a family crest depending on their country of origin, Japanese people also have a similar tradition. Why Oda chose this particular kanji I cannot even attempt to imagine but I can explain the joke. Elongating the 'sa' will produce 'saamon' or salmon, yet another staple fish used for sushi.
Maguma	Magma	Ryuma	Vol.48 pg150.	Another of the Nigiri stance attack that seems to follow Hirameki against human-sized opponents. Holding two swords, blades out, above his head parallel to his trunk, Zoro leaps forward in a full-body lunge attack. The impact he makes against an opponent, when blocked, sends out shock waves strong enough to crack a stone wall.	The reading maguma is composed of the kanji ma and kuma, literally Demon Bear, however the reading in katakana indicates the name be read as the English 'magma'. Somewhat of an odd one out for the Nigiri stance, while all of Zoro's Nigiri moves have been written exclusively in kanji with hiragana yomigana as of Vol.48, Magma is the first to have its reading written in katakana resulting in an English reading. Additionally, while all Nigiri moves as of Vol.48 have included the full name of a kind of fish used in sushi, Magma is the first to drop a whole syllable of the fish's name, here being 'maguro' or tuna.

Three Sword School Attacks

Name of Attack	Translation	Foe Used Against	Location in Manga	Description	Pun or Extra Meaning
Oni Giri	Demon Cleave	Cabaji, Mihawk, Hacchan, Luffy, Mr. 1	Vol.2 pg188. Vol.6 pg130. Vol.10 pg81. Vol.13 pg77. Vol.21 pg152.	Zoro crosses his arms and cuts through his enemy by uncrossing them against his foe’s chest.	An ‘onigiri’ is a small rice ball you can carry with you and eat whenever. A staple Japanese snack. In 2005, this was selected as the 11th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 385 votes.
Tora Gari	Tiger Hunt	Nyaaban Brothers, Mihawk, Mr. 1, Braham	Vol. 4 pg144. Vol.6 pg136. Vol.21 pg154. Vol.28 pg71.	Sword in mouth, Zoro puts his other swords behind his left side then swings the two swords forward diagonally down to his front right side.	Toragari is a type of haircut. Interesting to note that he first used this attack against feline-themed opponents.
San-Zen-Sekai	Third Millenium World	Mihawk	Vol.6 pg142	With sword in mouth, Zoro flips his other two swords in front of him like a windmill, then rushes his opponent, cutting through them. He finishes with his left hand in front, and his right hand behind him.	In Buddhist terms, Sanzen Sekai, literally '3000 Worlds', represents the universe. A far more common term, Ichinen Sanzen, literally '3000 realms in a moment of life' is the concept of existing in the moment of the universe. In 2005, this move tied with Luffy's Gomu Gomu Bullet as the 28th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 68 votes.
Tou Rou Nagashi	Sinking Blade Wolf	Hacchan	Vol.10 pg71.	Zoro must be very close for this maneuver. He falls backwards on one foot towards his opponent and uses two swords to defend himself while using his third to cut the stomach of his foe and finally uses his foot to flip himself behind them.	The kanji here literally read 'Blade Wolf Flow' but a 'nagashi' as written is usually something that lets a liquid pass down, much like Zoro arches back and down for this attack. Tourounagashi is a Japanese ceremony for the dead in which paper lanterns are sent down a river. In 2005, this was selected as the 5th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 995 votes.
Tatsu Maki	Dragon Coil	Hacchan, Juror, Kaku	Vol.10 pg83. Vol.41 pg34. Vol.43 pg156.	Zoro holds his swords raised and facing forward at his side, then spins and creates a rising coil that takes the unfortunate recipient of the attack up in the air with it. The coil is sharp as a blade and will cut the foe if they touch it doing double damage. Should his opponent move around after being hit successfully by this attack, they will lose a significant amount of blood.	Tatsumaki means ‘cyclone’.
Yaki Oni Giri	Burning Demon Cleave	Mr. 5	Vol.14 pg175.	The same as Oni Giri, but Zoro’s swords are on fire and ignite his opponent when he cuts them. They must be lit from an external source.	Yaki onigiri is really a fried rice ball. In 2005, this was selected as the 30th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 60 votes.
Ushi Bari	Bull Horns	Mr. 1	Vol.21 pg143.	His starting position is similar to Oni Giri, but here Zoro points his swords forward, then rushes his opponent and uncrosses his hands, ending with his swords pointing upwards.	An ushibari is a beam of Japanese pine that is used when constructing an aesthetically harmonious and traditional Japanese-style room.
Gazami Dori	Crab Clutch	Mr. 1	Vol.21 pg170.	This is hard to explain. With sword in mouth, Zoro puts his right arm across his chest in a backwards “L” shape. The sword in that hand is positioned above the sword in his mouth. His left hand is lowered and he holds that sword below the other two. His three swords form a crab claw-like shape. He ‘closes the claw’ on his opponent in an attempt to sever a part of them.	Kazamidori means ‘weathervane’.
Hyaku Hachi Pondo Hou	108 Pound Cannon	Ohm	Vol.29 pg146.	A simply amazing technique. With Wadou Ichimonji in his mouth, Zoro holds his other two swords above his right shoulder and slices downward, sending three cutting waves at his unlucky opponent. The waves can slice through barriers and still have enough speed and power to cut down an enemy.	Cannons are typically named by the weight of their projectile. So this is a 108lb. Cannon. However, the ‘pondo’ is a play on the Japanese word ‘bonnou’ which is in the kanji name of the attack. Bonnou is a Buddhist-related term which means the ‘earthly troubles or desires of the mind’. Meanwhile the 'hou' also has a double meaning. 'Hou' would be the word for cannon but Oda has used a kanji of the same pronunciation which means 'phoenix', hence the projectile nature of the attack. In review, Zoro is firing three lifetimes of 36 earthly desires at his opponent (which adds up to 108) via a Phoenix. OUCH!! Note that each lifetime has 36 sins, and each of Zoro's swords represents a lifetime. This is the third, probably final and strongest incarnation of the attack. In 2005, this was selected as the 15th most popular attack in the first One Piece 'Your Favorite Techniques' vote with 219 votes.
Karasuma Gari	Crow Demon Hunt	Franky Family	Vol.35 pg56.	With three swords, Zoro cuts through projectiles in mid-air. He can even cut cleanly through cannonballs.	In areas of Hokuriku and Kyuushuu in Japan, karasumagari is slang for a leg cramp.
Gyuuki Yuuzume	Bull Demon Brave Hoof	T-Bone	Vol.39 pgs83 & 82.	An evasive charging manuever followed by a powerful lunge. Zoro is able to pass through an enemy's strike (if it is a wave-like attack) and follow it with a powerful lunge extending one sword directly in front of him while gripping his other sword above his head parallel to the other. It has proven to be powerful enough to finish a Marine HQ Captain in one blow.	Where do I even begind with the meaning behind this one? First of all, here Oda has chosen to have the characters for Bull Demon read as Gyuuki but most commonly this combination is read as 'ushioni'. Ushi Oni literally means 'cow demon' which is one of the many Japanese youkai (evil spirits) that was once believed to have existed in Japan. To further complicate matters there are actually a number of different variations of the demon with respect to size, shape, residence, etc. Ehime and Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku island have their share of Ushi Oni legends but perhaps the one Oda was looking for here was the Ushi Oni believed to inhabit the coasts of Western Japan since the scene in which said attack was used occurred at sea which is where that 'cow demon' was believed to have existed. Yuuzume is simple as it just means 'brave hoof'. However, when you put the two words together, you get 'gyuukiyuuzume' and in Japanese a 'ki' in the middle of combined kanji often changes to 'gi' which in turn, with a little creativity on the reader's part, will ultimately lead one to read it as 'gyuugyuuzume' which is a term to describe something packed in tightly, most commonly 'a packed train'. Hopefully you'll get the gag of this attack name overflowing in innuendo when you read it in the context of the story.
Enbima Yonezu Oni Giri	Sleepless Beautiful Demon Cleave	World Government Agents, Marines	Vol.40 pg189.	A strange aura surrounds Zoro which makes his swords appear to twist and turn. Zoro then goes from a standing position to a dashing lunge which cuts a path through a large number of enemies sending them flying.	The attack name in kanji is mostly a creation of Oda's with no particular origin or meaning. But the reading, when moved around a bit, becomes a humorous play on words. Instead of 'enbima yonezu' when read as 'enbi mayonezu' the whole picture becomes clear as 'ebi mayoneezu onigiri' means a 'shrimp and mayonnaise riceball'.
Nigorizake	Double Might Cleave	Kaku, Odr	Vol.43 pg146. Vol.48 pg218.	After his 'Gorilla' power-up, Zoro rushes his opponent in an otherwise generic triple sword attack using all of his strength. The attack appears to be used in an effort to push back an opponent he knows can counter his normal blows. The result is a match of raw power. Should Zoro succeed in overcoming his opponent, he can force them backwards.	There is no decent translation for this attack, but I did my best to bring you something close to the original meaning. The attack literally means, 'two strong/rigid power slicing'. This was problematic because strong/rigid and power next to each other carry different meanings in Japanese but sound remarkably similar and cliche next to each other in English so I subtituted might for both of them. Oda's gag here leaves the gorilla reference slightly behind as it directly refers to a type of Japanese sake, nigorizake. Nigorizake is an unrefined form of sake that contains unfermented rice bits giving it a cloudy or milky appearance. Actually, all my bets were on this attack being named something along the lines of Triple Gorilla as this would have included all of his swords and been a great play on the Western Lowland Gorilla whose actual scientific classification is, Gorilla gorilla gorilla. Oda missed out big time on that one.
Hyou Kin Dama	Panther Koto Ball	Kaku	Vol.43 pg159.	Zoro crouches like a panther and jumps into his opponent while rotating with his swords at his side acting like a human garbage disposal. Although dodging appears to be a simple matter of side-stepping this attack, evidently Zoro has a certain level of control over his movements in mid-air and can slice his opponent without them even realizing it.	The kanji for this attack read exactly as translated where koto is a Japanese harp. A strange combination for sure and certainly a bit forced as a gag on the term 'hyoukin' meaning funny or facetious. Oda seems to be stretching the limits of his own language by adding dama, most likely to indicate it being a 'funny person' but the connection is weak at best. The only other possible meaning would be another reading of 'dama' as 'king' used solely in playing Shogi. This results in the meaning of 'The Foolish King' but this is a highly unlikely (read: next to impossible) referrence and I've only mentioned it for trivial purposes.

Nine Sword School Attacks

Zoro unleashes the true 'demon spirit' within him and assumes the form of the three-headed six-armed Asura. This initiates his 'kyuutouryuu' or Nine Sword School arsenal of attacks. Such demigods are known as the Ashura in Japan, however, they are commonly called Asura in Western literature and documents which acknowledge their roots in Hinduism. For the description of the form in One Piece you will read below, I decided to use the spelling Asura. The reasoning for my choice deserves an explanation as it was the source of a fierce debate that raged on for many minutes within myself on a cloudy Saturday morning. For the term in question, Japanese use kanji that is frequently accompanied by yomigana through hiragana. However, here we see Oda has chosen to write the yomigana in katakana which gives the name a foreign flair. I considered using Ashura to give the attack that same feeling for Western readers but when I looked at the page where Zoro performs his first finishing move with the form, on one page 'Asura' is written in gigantic (well, for furigana anyway) katakana while on the next page the attack name was accompanied by equally large yomigana in hiragana, I decided that the contrast was too great and obviously intended to have a different 'feeling' than its Japanese root. Thus said, the form will be known here as Asura. Any other explanations will refer to the mythical beings as Ashura since I'm directly addressing their role in Japan. Which I will do right now.

Ashura are believed to have been one of the Six States of Existence otherwise known as the Six Pathes in Japanese Buddhism. This ladder-like representation of the otherwise cyclic form of birth, death and rebirth consists of (from evil to enlightenment): Beings in Hell, Hungry Spirits, Animals, Ashura, Humans and Deva. As a side note, some of you with a decent vocabulary in 'Anime Japanese' may recognize two of these states as common Japanese insults or curses. Hungry spirits are known as 'gaki' which in modern Japanese is traslated as 'brat'. Animals here are called 'chikushou' which literally means 'living beast' but is now translated as 'Damnit!' or 'Damn you!'. Okay, so enough trivia. Ashura were just below humans and possessed both goodness and evil. Their depiction of having multiple faces and more arms than usual was actually to show that they were capable of being both reasonable and warlike. Kind of like our good man Zoro. His attacks in the form are listed below.

Name of Attack	Translation	Villains Used Against	Location in Manga	Special Notes	Pun or Extra Meaning
Asura	Asura	Kaku	Vol.43 pg165.	Zoro reveals the fierce demon fighting spirit within him as Asura, the stance that allows him to perform his powerful Nine Sword School attacks. This is not an attack, merely a stance or form. As of this writing since not much has been seen of him in this form we cannot know for certain yet but 'Asura' may precede the name of any attack while in said state. Thus it may be similar to how he announces, "Two sword school", or, "Three sword school", etc. before a normal attack. The data book One Piece Yellow made a point to put a space between Asura and the name of his first attack, Ichibugin, so I will follow suit until we find out otherwise.	The kanji here does not have any special or hidden meanings but I will explain what the kanji means. The first kanji 'a' is prefix for names. One finds this used many times in Japanese translations of imported Buddhist terms for spirits or buddha and thus is commonly taken to mean 'spirit'. The second and third characters together 'shura' mean 'fighting' or 'carnage'. Thus the common translation of Ashura as 'fighting spirit'.
Ichibugin	One Mist of Silver	Kaku	Vol.43 pg165-167.	Zoro fiercely slashes through anything in his path seemingly reducing all to mist and lands a terrfying finishing blow to his opponent's weak spot with the full force of his three blades. While in the Asura state, his appearance makes it impossible to discern which sword is real and which is his spirit. Any chance of an effective block is rendered almost useless.	The actual 'ichibu gin' (one part silver) were rectangular units of money used in Japan from the Edo to Meiji era and became a popular form of currency when dealing with foreign trading. Here Oda replaced the 'one' with a traditional form of the written number (also seen on the stomach of Mr. 1) and 'part' with 'mist' which has a similar reading.

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Officially Listed Battles Fought

Zoro & Luffy VS Morgan [Chapter 4-6]

Zoro VS Buggy [Chapters 10-11]

Zoro VS Cabaji [Chapters 16-17]

Zoro VS Siam & Buchi [Chapters 32-36]

Zoro VS Mihawk Dracule [Chapters 50-52]

Zoro VS Arlong’s Gang [Chapters 72]

Zoro VS Hacchan [Chapters 84-86]

Zoro VS Tashigi [Chapter 100]

Zoro VS 100 Bounty Hunters & Frontier Agents [Chapters 107-109]

Zoro VS Luffy [Chapters 111-113]

Zoro VS Wapol’s Guards [Chapters 139-141]

Zoro, Luffy & Sanji VS The Great Lizard of Sandora [Chapters 162]

Zoro & Luffy VS Bananadile [Chapters 176]

Zoro VS Boness Daz [Chapters 190-196]

Zoro, Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Usopp & Vivi VS Mr. 7 & Miss. Fathers Day [Chapters 205-207]

Zoro & Luffy VS Bellamy [Chapters 224-225]

Yet to be Listed Conflicts

The last published One Piece guide that contained specific conflict listings (Grand Data File Blue) covered events through Volume 24. The following are my opinion of battles that occurred post Volume 24. As soon as an accurate official list is published, I will alter this data to reflect what is acceptable. The criteria for determining what I use to define a conflict has been linked to in this space on the Luffy Profile page.

Zoro VS Giant Centipede [Chapter 231]

Zoro VS Giant Crickets [Chapter 231]

Zoro VS Sky Octopus [Chapter 237]

Zoro, Luffy and Sanji VS Wiper [Chapter 237]

Zoro VS Sky Shark [Chapter 245]

Zoro, Chopper & Robin VS Nora [Chapter 255]

Zoro VS Shandia Guerilla [Chapter 258]

Zoro VS Braham [Chapters 258-259]

Zoro VS Sky Eel [Chapter 259]

Zoro & Gun Fall VS Ohm & Holy VS Wiper VS Nora [Chapters 267-269]

Zoro & Gun Fall & Wiper VS Lambs of Ener [Chapter 269]

Zoro VS Ohm & Holy VS Wiper VS Nora [Chapter 270]

Zoro VS Lamb of Ener [Chapter 271]

Zoro VS Ohm [Chapters 271-272]

Zoro VS Holy [Chapter 272]

Zoro VS Ener [Chapters 273, 275]

Zoro & Wiper VS Ener [Chapter 275]

Zoro & Sanji VS Hamburg, Pickles & Big Pan [Chapter 309-312]

Zoro VS Sanji [Chapters 310 & 387]

Zoro, Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Sanji & Robin VS Ao Kiji [Chapter 320]

Zoro VS Franky Family [Chapters 324 & 325]

Zoro, Luffy, Sanji & Chopper VS Franky Family [Chapters 329-330]

Zoro VS Shipwrights [Chapters 333-334 & 346]

Zoro & Luffy VS CP9 [Chapters 348-349]

Zoro, Luffy, Franky Family & Galley-La VS Aqua Laguna [Chapter 367]

Zoro VS Runaway Train Car [Chapter 371]

Zoro VS T-Bone [Chapter 371]

Zoro & Sanji VS Marines & World Government Agents [Chapters 380-381, 385]

Zoro, Nami & Chopper VS Baskerville [Chapters 382 & 387]

Zoro VS Marines & World Government Agents [Chapter 387]

Zoro VS Jurors [Chapters 388-390]

Zoro, Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Chopper & Sogeking VS The World Government [Chapter 398]

Zoro VS Kaku [Chapters 400-401, 413-414 & 416-418]

Zoro & Sogeking VS Kaku [Chapter 402]

Zoro & Sogeking VS Kaku & Jabra [Chapters 402, 406, 409-410 & 412]

Zoro VS Shuu [Chapter 426]

Zoro, Nami, Robin, Franky & Sogeking VS Marine HQ Captains [Chapters 426]

Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Robin, & Franky VS Marine HQ Captains [Chapters 427-428]

Crew & Franky VS Buster Call [Chapters 428 & 429]

Zoro VS Michael & Hoichael [Chapter 432]

Zoro VS Helmeppo [Chapter 432]

Crew VS Garp [Chapters 438 & 439]

Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, Robin & Franky VS Absalom [Chapter 444]

Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, Robin & Franky VS Soldier Zombies (417) [Chapter 448]

Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, Robin & Franky VS Surprise Zombies [Chapter 450]

Zoro & Franky VS Soldier Zombies [Chapter 460]

Zoro & Franky VS Odr [Chapter 460]

Zoro, Usopp, Sanji & Franky VS Perona & Wild Zombies [Chapter 461]

Zoro VS Ryuma [Chapters 462, 466 & 467]

Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky & Brook VS Odr [Chapter 469 & 470]

Unlisted Conflicts

The requisites for some battles are questionable. It appears that if only one punch (or kick or whatever) is thrown, then it does not count as a battle (except in the very first bout listed). There are also different types of conflicts, (meaning other than throwing punches or kicks), which are not listed. These are my opinion and were not officially listed.

Zoro VS Sohro [Chapter 3 flashback]

Zoro VS Kuina [Chapter 5 flashback]

Zoro, Luffy & Sanji VS Hacchan [Chapter 83]

Zoro VS Arlong [Chapter 88-89]

Zoro & Luffy VS Mr. 5 & Miss. Valentine [Chapter 112]

Zoro, Luffy & Sanji VS Masira [Chapter 221]

Crew VS Shoujou [Chapter 226]