A chilling new fan art of Zoro has turned One Piece’s demonically driven swordsman into a literal demon. While Zoro is a human in the manga, the portrait still fits his character well and features plenty of Easter eggs relating to his actual appearance and fighting style. However, it will definitely inspire more nightmares than the original character does.
One Piece is a manga from creator Eiichiro Oda following the adventures of the pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his crew as he attempts to become the Pirate King. Zoro is the swordsman of the crew and Luffy’s right-hand man. He is an excellent fighter with a unique three-sword fighting style, using one sword in each hand and an additional one in his mouth. Zoro’s combat skills are among the best of the crew, to the point that fans have dubbed him, Luffy, and a third crewmember Sanji as being the “Monster Trio” in reference to how ferocious they are in battle. This fan art takes that nickname very seriously.
Twitter user Yoru_chii recently posted a portrait of Zoro drawn as a demon with the caption, “Demon!Zoro portrait in which I’ve spent much more time than what I expected to.” The time spent on the piece shows, as it is breathtakingly detailed with sinister teeth that drip with a lava-like substance. These teeth extend both outward and upward, covering up one of his eyes that is normally covered by a scar. Zoro also holds one of his cursed black swords in his mouth, which goes well with his new demonic look.
This alternate version of Zoro is somewhat appropriate given the names of his signature attacks. His most iconic attack is the “Oni Giri,” where he charges at his opponent and slashes them with all three of his swords simultaneously. “Oni Giri” translates as “Demon Cutter,” which fits his new form perfectly. The name of his latest technique also fits this fan art quite well. He calls it “King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation” and he uses it to defeat Kaido’s right hand man King in their climactic battle in chapter 1035. The technique involves infusing Haki, a form of spiritual energy, into his blades allowing him to project his slash outward towards his enemy. He uses this attack to slice through King’s fire attack, which could explain the molten liquid on his sword in the fan art. And the name “King of Hell” certainly fits how Zoro looks in the portrait.
Given the vast amount of creatively designed characters in One Piece, this unique reimagining of Zoro seems appropriate. After all, One Piece already features a living skeleton named Brook and the villainous Gecko Moria who can create zombies using other people’s shadows, so a horrifying demon isn’t hard to picture in that world. Despite its disturbing nature, this fan art of Zoro is a fitting tribute to the most powerful swordsmen in One Piece.
Source: Yoru_chii