Orange town: zoro vs cabaji
Zoro’s first real fight with it setting up what being a swordsman means
The fight starts off with a clash of swords, zoro challenging him to a sword duel, and even cabaji himself referring to himself as a swordsman
So just basing it off those first 2 panels it seemingly cut and dry that cabaji is just as much of a swordsman as zoro or mihawk. Something that would be true if you stop reading the fight at that point
The first things cabaji does after accepting the sword duel is spit fire in zoro’s face and kick him. Something I think we can all agree isn’t part of swordsmanship
With zoro outright saying he’s going to show him what real swordplay looks like. Obviously calling him out on all his bullshit tactics that have nothing to do with swordsmanship
At the same time despite cabaji barely doing any real swordsmanship just due to the fact he himself claims to be one is enough for zoro. Basically even tho you don’t actually practice swordsmanship if you claim to be one anyway is enough of a reason for zoro to need to beat your ass and show you what it really looks like
After all the circus tricks shit cabaji himself essentially admits and agrees what he was doing before wasting swordsmanship. Him claiming that now he’s going to show off his real swordsmanship…right before before getting one shot
Syrup villagevs cat brothers
This fight emphasizing the difference between using a sword and having a sword style
At that point zoro makes it clear that after 2 of his swords were taken that he straight up wasn’t that good at “one sword style”. The “style” being important because it insinuates skill and technique
He also does so again when he lets them know using 3 swords =/= following 3 swords style are 2 very different things right before cutting them down
Baratie: zoro vs mihawk
We meet mihawk and we get a lot more insight on what it means to be a swordsman
There’s this which highlights again there’s more to being a swordsman than just swinging around a sword
The main highlight about swordsmanship tho is the unspoken code between swordsman. Emphasizing that swordsmanship is a type of lifestyle one lives by not just something everyone with a sword is
Arlong park: zoro vs hachi
Hachi the second strongest swordsman from fish man island behind hyouzou. He claims to be a master at 6 sword style and he actually has attacks dedicated to it that aren’t just him flailing his blades
He pretty much just shows the one but hey it’s better than most lol
At the same time while having a sword style he also isn’t limited to his swordsmanship. Him having no problem whatsoever punching, kicking, fighting, or whatever in conjunction or just straight up without his swords
So to sum it all up
Things important to being a swordsman
Zoro’s first real fight with it setting up what being a swordsman means
The fight starts off with a clash of swords, zoro challenging him to a sword duel, and even cabaji himself referring to himself as a swordsman
So just basing it off those first 2 panels it seemingly cut and dry that cabaji is just as much of a swordsman as zoro or mihawk. Something that would be true if you stop reading the fight at that point
The first things cabaji does after accepting the sword duel is spit fire in zoro’s face and kick him. Something I think we can all agree isn’t part of swordsmanship
With zoro outright saying he’s going to show him what real swordplay looks like. Obviously calling him out on all his bullshit tactics that have nothing to do with swordsmanship
At the same time despite cabaji barely doing any real swordsmanship just due to the fact he himself claims to be one is enough for zoro. Basically even tho you don’t actually practice swordsmanship if you claim to be one anyway is enough of a reason for zoro to need to beat your ass and show you what it really looks like
After all the circus tricks shit cabaji himself essentially admits and agrees what he was doing before wasting swordsmanship. Him claiming that now he’s going to show off his real swordsmanship…right before before getting one shot
Syrup villagevs cat brothers
This fight emphasizing the difference between using a sword and having a sword style
At that point zoro makes it clear that after 2 of his swords were taken that he straight up wasn’t that good at “one sword style”. The “style” being important because it insinuates skill and technique
He also does so again when he lets them know using 3 swords =/= following 3 swords style are 2 very different things right before cutting them down
Baratie: zoro vs mihawk
We meet mihawk and we get a lot more insight on what it means to be a swordsman
There’s this which highlights again there’s more to being a swordsman than just swinging around a sword
The main highlight about swordsmanship tho is the unspoken code between swordsman. Emphasizing that swordsmanship is a type of lifestyle one lives by not just something everyone with a sword is
Arlong park: zoro vs hachi
Hachi the second strongest swordsman from fish man island behind hyouzou. He claims to be a master at 6 sword style and he actually has attacks dedicated to it that aren’t just him flailing his blades
He pretty much just shows the one but hey it’s better than most lol
At the same time while having a sword style he also isn’t limited to his swordsmanship. Him having no problem whatsoever punching, kicking, fighting, or whatever in conjunction or just straight up without his swords
So to sum it all up
Things important to being a swordsman
- Using your actual swords
- Punching kicking etc isn’t a part of swordsmanship lol
- Claiming to be one
- Doesn’t matter how actually skilled or not you are. Just claiming to be one is enough
- Skill/style/technique
- There’s a difference between using a sword and being a swordsman
- Swordsman code
- True swordsman honor a short of unspoken code between them and what being a swordsman means
- Respecting and valuing your blades
- Just wanted a 5th point to make it feel even
- A true swordsman is going to respect their blade as a part of themselves not just a tool to use. Mutual respect between blade and user
- Those who strictly follow a sword style like cavendish or oden
- Those who have a sword style and combine it with other abilities like hatchi and kaku
- Should be obvious but punching people in the chest isn’t swordsmanship
- Those who claim to be swordman just do to the fact they can use a sword like Cabaji
- Those who don’t claim to be swordsman just due to the fact they can use a sword like king
- You can use nothing but blade attacks and still not be a swordsman
Let's once again talk about the most poorly written concept in manga medium- One Piece's swordsmanship.
We see a scythe being counted as a sword:
We see a simple hand with nails and a knife on a leg being counted as swords:
So the question is... what doesn't count as a sword then?
Why Whitebeard's weapon shouldn't be considered as a sword? Surely it's more of a sword than a scythe, a knife and some cat nails? Especially when it's once of the 12 supreme blades
Thus effectively making Whitebeard a swordsman, and him being WSM should make him WSS as well, no?
We see a scythe being counted as a sword:
We see a simple hand with nails and a knife on a leg being counted as swords:
So the question is... what doesn't count as a sword then?
Why Whitebeard's weapon shouldn't be considered as a sword? Surely it's more of a sword than a scythe, a knife and some cat nails? Especially when it's once of the 12 supreme blades
Thus effectively making Whitebeard a swordsman, and him being WSM should make him WSS as well, no?
