In the recent chapter, after executing Rengoku Oni Giri, Zoro said he still needed to draw out more of Enma's power:
I think a lot of people have been misinterpreting that scene. Whenever Zoro receives a new weapon, he always needs to acclimatise to its use. He is not able to fully maximise the combat potential of the weapon on his first try.
After purchasing his new swords, Zoro decides to test them against the Whiskey Peak Bounty Hunters:
Sandai Kitetsu cuts through more than Zoro wants to, leading him to comment that it's going to be a problem child:
After receiving Shusui from Ryuma, Zoro decides to test it against Oars:
He comments on the exceptional weight of Shusui:
He then executes his signature 1080 Pound Canon:
The technique became much bigger, with the slash produced by Shusui swallowing the slashes of his other swords:
While the attack was impressive, Zoro noted that it was "too big and slow". He said that this was proof that he couldn't fully control the sword yet. Zoro then concluded that the sword would be "a pain to master":
Zoro's slashes with Sandai initially cut too deeply. His slashes with Shusui were too big and slow (he may have been putting too much power into his attacks). Perhaps Zoro is currently not putting in enough power in his Enma slashes (to prevent it from draining his haki).
What happened here with Zoro saying he needs to draw out more of Enma's power may be similar to the acclimatisation Zoro needed while using Shusui. He's not fully accustomed to Enma yet, and so he can't maximise his abilities with Enma. It's not necessarily the case that Enma is granting Zoro ryuo.
The above said, the official translations should shed more light on the issue. The main conclusion that can be drawn at this point is that Zoro has not yet mastered Enma.
I know some people have been debating whether Enma is an "earned power up" and "unearned power up" or "not a power up", but I'm not particularly interested in that debate. I think that's a stupid point of contention. By his own admission, Zoro would become significantly stronger after mastering Enma:
However, Chapter 1001 revealed that Zoro has not yet mastered Enma, so he isn't yet (significantly) stronger.
Essentially:
As things go, Shusui is a better sword than Enma because it's a black blade in addition to being of the same grade. Mastering Enma is what makes Zoro stronger, and blackening Enma would make Zoro even stronger. Until Enma is blackened, it will be an inferior sword to Shusui.
All of Zoro's sword have their own quirks:
For Zoro, acquiring Enma isn't like acquiring a new devil fruit, but trading a powerful devil fruit for another powerful fruit (if for example one traded the Mera Mera no Mi for the Goro Goro no Mi). Yes you can become stronger after you've mastered the Goro Goro no Mi but until you master it you would be weaker than you were before.
While Zoro did indeed have at least a week of training time with Enma, the recent chapter confirms that it was not enough to fully acclimatise to it in combat.
While some people may think that Zoro must be significantly stronger given that his and Luffy's trainings were contrasted, I don't think that's necessarily the case.
If we compare their first attacks:
I think a lot of people have been misinterpreting that scene. Whenever Zoro receives a new weapon, he always needs to acclimatise to its use. He is not able to fully maximise the combat potential of the weapon on his first try.
After purchasing his new swords, Zoro decides to test them against the Whiskey Peak Bounty Hunters:
Sandai Kitetsu cuts through more than Zoro wants to, leading him to comment that it's going to be a problem child:
After receiving Shusui from Ryuma, Zoro decides to test it against Oars:
He comments on the exceptional weight of Shusui:
He then executes his signature 1080 Pound Canon:
The technique became much bigger, with the slash produced by Shusui swallowing the slashes of his other swords:
While the attack was impressive, Zoro noted that it was "too big and slow". He said that this was proof that he couldn't fully control the sword yet. Zoro then concluded that the sword would be "a pain to master":
Zoro's slashes with Sandai initially cut too deeply. His slashes with Shusui were too big and slow (he may have been putting too much power into his attacks). Perhaps Zoro is currently not putting in enough power in his Enma slashes (to prevent it from draining his haki).
What happened here with Zoro saying he needs to draw out more of Enma's power may be similar to the acclimatisation Zoro needed while using Shusui. He's not fully accustomed to Enma yet, and so he can't maximise his abilities with Enma. It's not necessarily the case that Enma is granting Zoro ryuo.
The above said, the official translations should shed more light on the issue. The main conclusion that can be drawn at this point is that Zoro has not yet mastered Enma.
I know some people have been debating whether Enma is an "earned power up" and "unearned power up" or "not a power up", but I'm not particularly interested in that debate. I think that's a stupid point of contention. By his own admission, Zoro would become significantly stronger after mastering Enma:
However, Chapter 1001 revealed that Zoro has not yet mastered Enma, so he isn't yet (significantly) stronger.
Essentially:
- Would Enma make Zoro stronger after mastering it?
- Yes.
- Has Zoro mastered Enma?
- No.
- Is current Zoro significantly stronger than before he traded Enma?
- It doesn't yet appear to the case since he still hasn't mastered Enma.
- Alternatively, we don't know to what extent Zoro's combat ability has changed. He may be weaker than his Shusui self, comparable in combat ability, or slightly stronger. What we do know is that he hasn't yet maximised the potential of Enma.
- As Zoro uses Enma more in the battle, I expect him to acclimatise better and as he does so his combat ability will rise. Once he has fully acclimatised, he'll be significantly stronger.
- Will Zoro be weaker without Enma?
- Upon mastering Enma, if Zoro traded Enma for Shusui, he would become stronger.
- Shusui is a sword that Zoro has already completely mastered.
- Shusui is more potent than Enma as it is already a black blade.
- However if Enma were made a black blade, it would be promoted to Supreme Grade and become stronger than Shusui. Enma's potential is higher.
- If Zoro traded Enma for a lower grade sword he would become significantly weaker.
- If Zoro traded Enma for another sword of the same grade (like Ame no Habakiri or the Nidai Kitetsu) he will become temporarily weaker as he adapts to the new sword.
- Upon mastering Enma, if Zoro traded Enma for Shusui, he would become stronger.
As things go, Shusui is a better sword than Enma because it's a black blade in addition to being of the same grade. Mastering Enma is what makes Zoro stronger, and blackening Enma would make Zoro even stronger. Until Enma is blackened, it will be an inferior sword to Shusui.
All of Zoro's sword have their own quirks:
- Sandai Kitetsu was exceedingly sharp to the extent that it cut more than Zoro intended to cut.
- Shusui
- Was exceptionally heavy
- It produced much stronger air slashes.
- The airslash of Shusui swallowed up the slashes of Zoro's other swords
- Is exceptionally durable
- It wouldn't bend even if a dinosaur stepped on it.
- Enma
- Forces the user to release excessive amounts of ryuo creating large slashes.
For Zoro, acquiring Enma isn't like acquiring a new devil fruit, but trading a powerful devil fruit for another powerful fruit (if for example one traded the Mera Mera no Mi for the Goro Goro no Mi). Yes you can become stronger after you've mastered the Goro Goro no Mi but until you master it you would be weaker than you were before.
While Zoro did indeed have at least a week of training time with Enma, the recent chapter confirms that it was not enough to fully acclimatise to it in combat.
While some people may think that Zoro must be significantly stronger given that his and Luffy's trainings were contrasted, I don't think that's necessarily the case.
If we compare their first attacks:
- Luffy successfully lands a hit on Kaido.
- No further comment
- Zoro successfully lands a hit on Kaido.
- Comments that he needs to draw out more power from his weapon.
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@Gauntlet
@Trafalgar_D_Law
@rerere
@Midnight Delight
@Xlaw
@Garps tekkai
@Pantheos
@Parker
@ReggieZoldyck21
@Luffy bin Dragon
@Blother
@T.D.A
@BidaPowersTV
@Fn Lucci
@Sanji D Cook
@Cross_Marian
@ZoroSlaysDragonTuna
@Blother
@Slash Slash BigSlash
@Oblivion
@trav
@Zoro
@Van
@playa4321
@Grumpy Zoro
@Ice devil slayer
@KiriNigiri
@Veljko2000
@rednose
@Winsmoke Sanji
@Monet
@Veku
@HexBozoline
@Crooc
@Reborn
@BossYimz
@Robin swan
@yj
@Fenaker
@PuckTheGreat
@RayanOO
@ShishioIsBack
@Orojackson Refugee
@Greenbeard
@Sword God Ryuma
@Sentinel
@IceWitch
@Himura
@DarkWitch
@stormylife
@Mr. Anderson
@yunzabit heights
@Monster trio
@Vonal
@Don DaSlayer
@Xione
@Master OF Haki
@Topi Jerami
@Yukihime
@bennbeckman
@Thabeast
@SaintBellkin
@SinOfGreed
@Zenos7
@Lucas
@JioFreed
@pedxi
@Zowo
@Luslec
@style
@Luffy is the mc
@Guymieux
@Mikail
@KINGKONGGUN15
@RyumaZoro
@worst pirate
@ZenZu
@LuffyMazino
@Im_not_Osama_bin_laden
@HAJIKATA
@Jackteo
@Tamerani
@Marimo_420
@Garp the Fist
@Kejon
@Fukki
@Flower
@Sunita
@RZ.119
@Sade
@Skiddo
@KageyamaShoyo
@Jew D. Boy
@Den_Den_Mushi
@Elcadar
@Finalbeta
@Bullet
@Dark Hound
@Patryipe
@Light D Lamperouge
@Enma
@Owl Ki
@ZoroIsOverrated
@ShinmenTakezo
@Jack
@Admiral Lee Hung
@Bogard
@Starbound Beast D. Draig
@Shiroyru
@Camie
@ShadyOjiro
@Benn beck
@Seth
@MarimoHeado
@Foxy Bunny
@Bittersteel
@comrade
@Cyrus the Cactus
@OmegaPsyche
@SHIHI
@Zoro D Goat
@critical mindset
@kurwa
@Kuro Ashi
@Slash Slash BigSlash
@WillOfMyD
@Jo_Ndule
@Reddot4
@Tobi
@nik87
@Sakura no Hiluluk
@Usopp Haoshoku Haki
@Gambit
@Monkey D Theories
@LuthonTheDragDown
@Haoshoku
@Geo
@Yo Tan Wa
@Gonβs Missing Arm
@Albino π
@MasterD
@SmokedOut
@HeroesNZ
@Cinera
@Murilo
@Dark Knight Sanji
@Afroking
@Rosella.Fiamingo
@Chaves
@Rivaille
@Nidai_Kitetsu
@MonsterZoro
@Gol D. Roger
@Soleus
@Aknolagon
@Emperor
@Constantine
@Gensui Sazid
@K!NG HARA$H!MA
@Hanzo hattori
@Buggy D Clown
@silverfire
@yorosenpai
@Tenshi No Konan
@Guan Yu
@Artorias
@Kiwipom
@zorojurou
@Chrono
@HA001
@Sadistic Senpai
@bblue
@MarineHQ62
@KenshiraSonata
@Erkan12
@Buusatan94
@Celestial D. Dragon
@Gauntlet
@Trafalgar_D_Law
@rerere
@Midnight Delight
@Xlaw
@Garps tekkai
@Pantheos
@Parker
@ReggieZoldyck21
@Luffy bin Dragon
@Blother
@T.D.A
@BidaPowersTV
@Fn Lucci
@Sanji D Cook
@Cross_Marian
@ZoroSlaysDragonTuna
@Blother
@Slash Slash BigSlash
@Oblivion
@trav
