Summary
When it comes to the arc of everyone’s favorite Pirate Hunter inOne Piece, Roronoa Zoro, there are very few characters who are more important to his story than Dracule Mihawk. Ever since he was a child, he made a pact with his best friend Kuina to become the World’s Strongest Swordsman. However, during the Baratie arc, Zoro found that the biggest obstacle in his way was Mihawk, the current holder of this title.
The strength Zoro needs to achieve this goal is something he has been working towards ever since then, though many believe thathe still isn’t close to Mihawkas of the Elbaf arc. However, a growing contingent of fans believe that, despite owning this revered title, there are two previously introduced characters inOne Piecewho are surely even stronger swordsmen than Hawk Eyes, so let’s take a look at who they could be.
Story Arc
Jaya
Although Mihawk has been the only person who has ever been known as the World’s Strongest Swordsman sinceOne Piecebegan, fans are convinced thatthe Elder, St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, is even stronger. This would check out for the remaining story as well, since the Gorosei are all meant to serve as the biggest and most powerful enemies whom the heroes will have to face in the Final War.
As such, to have the swordsman within their ranks be weaker than Mihawk simply wouldn’t make sense for the series, as many fans have already chalked Nusjuro up as being Zoro’s ultimate foe in the Final War. In fact, him being the true strongest swordsman in the world at the current moment is far more likely. The real reason why he isn’t called so is that the 5 Elders have to take an authoritarian role as the leaders of the World Government and don’t typically concern themselves with fighting beings they consider to be beneath them.
As indicated by his stature and his strength, Nusjuro is almost confirmed to be the wielder of the legendary Shodai Kitetsu,the first and greatest of the cursed Kitetsu blades, which is also one of the 12 Supreme Grade Weapons. Some fans believe that it isn’t on the same level as Mihawk’s Yoru, which is a Supreme Grade as well as a Black Blade, but the very few appearances of Nusjuro’s Shodai Kitetsu outside its sheath show that the blade is primarily black in color, supporting the theory that it, too, is a Black Blade like Yoru and Shusui.
From a purely thematic sense, Nusjuro being weaker than Mihawk would be nonsensical, since he is an Elder who is only below Imu in terms of power and authority. As stated previously, he will likely be Zoro’s endgame foe due to the connections between the two, so the most likely way things will play out is by having Zoro battle and defeat Mihawk before the Final War, where he will take on the terrifying power of Nusjuro himself.
Reverie
On the other hand, another swordsman from the series' past has resurfaced and has taken up the position of one ofOne Piece’smost powerful characters. This is St. Figarland Garling,the former Supreme Commander of the Gods' Knightswho was later promoted to the rank of Warrior God of Science and Defense in the 5 Elders, bringing him to a similar level as the other Gorosei.
From the flashbacks and contextual clues about the God Valley Incident that fans have gotten, it’s clear that Oda has set up Garling to be one of the most formidable villains in the series, who also happens to be a terrifying swordsman. Not only was his power and influence great enough for him to take up the role of the Supreme Commander of the World Government’s premier fighting force, but he has also gotten a further boost in strength now that he has become an Elder, since each of them is granted the power of a Yokai by Imu.
Let us work to better the world… my fellow Elders!
Although the full details regarding the God Valley Incident are yet to be revealed, it is strongly implied that Garling was one of the main players during this event, standing as the leader of his respective faction on the same level as legends such asRocks, Roger, Whitebeard, and Garp. It’s confirmed that these four were the greatest combatants during this event, which is a testament to Garling’s skill and strength as a swordsman, since he was likely able to equal them.
Of course, one thing that stands out is the fact that Garling doesn’t have a Black Blade like Mihawk does. However, in a contest between swordsmen, the characters' own skill and strength matter far more than their armaments, which could be seen with Zoro’s fight against Ryuma’s zombie on Thriller Bark, who was using Shusui; one of the strongest weapons in history and one of the only 2 currently confirmed Black Blades. Through this, it’s easy to surmise that Garling is a stronger swordsman than Mihawk, especially considering that he and Nusjuro even have their Yokai powers, which brings up their strength even more.
