Shimotsuki Ryuma is a character often praised by fans of One Piece for his unbelievable feats. He was someone to be truly afraid of, and the list of his feats is never-ending, earning him the title of “Sword God“. Ryuma was given the title of the world’s strongest swordsman of his time, and it is believed that he was stronger than the likes of the pirate king Gol D Roger and Monkey D. Luffy.
However, despite his immense strength and accomplishments, it remains a doubt to a few how he was defeated by none other than Roronoa Zoro. And while this question confuses a lot of watchers, it is easier to understand the reason why once you get to know it.
Ryuma was also accompanied by his sword, Shusui, which is one of the 21 great swords in the world of One Piece, and remained with him even after his death as it was buried with him.
Why Rorona Zoro Was Able To Defeat The Sword God Of One Piece
A fact unbeknownst to many is that Shimotsuki Ryuma is one of the direct ancestors of Roronoa Zoro, which to some extent explains Zoro’s great sword-wielding capabilities. However, this is not enough to explain the reason why our green-haired straw hat member was able to defeat the greatest swordsman to ever live.
The answer lies in the details of Ryuma’s return from the dead. The man whom Zoro fought was not Ryuma himself, but his corpse, which was possessed by Brook’s shadow. And while Brook’s comparatively weak techniques were greatly amplified due to being present in the Sword God’s body himself, it remained no match for Roronoa Zoro and faced defeat.
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It was eventually the limits placed by Brook’s shadow’s ability that hindered Ryuma’s corpse from reaching its full potential, allowing Roronoa Zoro to defeat one of the best swordsmen ever.
Why Did Shimotsuki Ryuma Come Back With Brook’s Shadow
It was neither Ryuma’s corpse nor Brook’s shadow who willingly came together to fight again. It was rather Gecko Moria, the captain of the Thriller Bark Pirates and Kage Kage no Mi fruit user, which allowed him to possess Brook’s shadow and place it in the corpse of Ryuma which he stole along his sword.
Kage Kage no Mi is a devil fruit that allows its users to control the shadows of others, which unfortunately included our skeleton friend. These shadows can later be placed in corpses, creating Zombies. This was seen in the case of Shimotsuki Ryuma’s return.
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It remains no doubt that Ryuma is the greatest swordsman of his time. He was able to show off great feats of strength due to his immense power combined with his swordsman skills. These included his feats of slaying a dragon with just a single slash, as well as being able to cut a copper statue with just a single blow from his sword.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
