In One Piece, virtually each member of the Straw Hat Pirates had their previous explored by usually tearful flashbacks that span a number of chapters of the manga or anime episodes. There’s one important exception: Zoro, regardless of being Luffy’s first crewmate. That anomaly may finish with the publication of One Piece Novel: Zoro.
Written by Jun Esaka, the novel initially consisted of three chapters revealed in One Piece Journal between 2024 and 2025. It explores Zoro’s previous between the loss of life of his childhood buddy and rival Kuina and assembly Luffy, displaying how he developed his obsession with Dracule Mihawk, the strongest swordsman on the planet. Initially, the novel was described as being written beneath One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda’s supervision, however that assertion has later been eliminated.
Nonetheless, this may very well be greater than a bit non-canon aspect challenge. The three chapters are going to be revealed quickly in guide kind, together with some newly-written ones. The publication beneath the Leap Books imprint and the inclusion of recent materials may make One Piece Novel: Zoro much more important as the one glimpse into the Straw Hat’s previous. The guide shall be revealed in Japan on July 3.
Whereas Zoro’s lineage was defined through the Wano arc, revealing him as a descendant of the Shimotsuki clan, the character by no means received a correct flashback, excluding a couple of pages in chapter 5 of the manga. Oda defined that he by no means deliberate to offer Zoro a tragic origin story, desirous to as a substitute spotlight how the character’s energy comes from his drive to develop into the most effective on the planet. Nonetheless, that did not cease followers from wanting extra. Flashback sequences in One Piece are recognized for being probably the most emotional and dramatic tales within the sequence, so this usually felt like a missed alternative.
Different Straw Hats have had rather more consideration devoted to their previous: Nami, Robin, Chopper, Franky, Usopp, and Sanji all had complete arcs that tied their previous with current occasions. Brook even received a second flashback that began within the manga’s newest chapter. As compared, Zoro simply joined Luffy on his journey in a fairly simple manner, which, nevertheless, doesn’t suggest that his ties with the Straw Hat captain are weaker than the remainder of the crew. One Piece Novel: Zoro shall be a superb likelihood to study extra concerning the character and his motivation, particularly if Oda is concerned within the challenge, maybe supervising the brand new chapters.
