The anime adaptation of the 1994 one-shot manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, Monsters 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation focusing on Ryuma, has now debuted on Netflix, much to the delight of fans who have been waiting eagerly to see this One Piece classic. The focus of Monsters 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation is on Shimotsuki Ryuma, the Sword God from Wano.
The anime adaptation shows the tale of Ryuma’s most famous achievement—his legendary dragon-slaying. Monsters expands on a significant aspect of One Piece’s past by showing us not only one of the great Ryuma’s greatest swordsmanships but also explains why Wano Country was one of the most significant story arcs in One Piece’s history up to that point.
Ryuma is a legend in the sword world, and hardcore fans of One Piece might know that Roronoa Zoro, the fan-favorite swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates is actually related to Ryuma. His family tree was revealed by Oda during SBS volume 105 of One Piece.
Zoro’s Family Tree in One Piece
Zoro and his family tree became a big topic during the Wano country arc when fans found out the similarities between Zoro and one of the legendary samurais of Wano. Oda takes the chance to clarify once and for all Zoro’s ancestry, revealing that he is, indeed, a descendant of the Shimotsuki clan from Wano.
Shimotsuki Kouzaburo, a legendary swordsmith who forged Oden’s sword, Enma, left the secluded land of Wano 55 years before the current events in the series, with a group of 25 people. Among them was Shimotsuki Furiko, the elder sister of Shimotsuki Ushimaru, who would later become the Daimyo of Ringo and die fighting Kaido after his takeover of Wano.
After arriving in East Blue, ten people from the Kouzaburo group settled there and founded Shimotsuki village. Furiko married a fellow Wano native called Roronoa Pinzoro. They gave birth to a son, Roronoa Arashi, who married a woman from East Blue who later gave birth to Zoro.
Zoro’s Connection To Shimotsuki Ryuma
Zoro first encountered Ryuma in Thriller Bark, where he was one of Gecko Moria’s zombie generals after being reanimated by his powers. Zoro faced off against Ryuma, but the Pirate Hunter prevailed in the end.
Ryuma bestowed upon him his sword, Shisui, which Roronoa Zoro conscientiously carried back to Wano, Ryuma’s grave. According to the family tree that Oda provided, Zoro is not only the great-nephew of one of the last Daimyo of Wano, Ushimaru, but he is also a descendant of the family of the fabled Ryuma.
However, Zoro must be completely oblivious of his cultural heritage given his personality and the fact that his parents passed away when he was a young boy. While Monsters focuses on Ryuma, it does not give any attention to his connection to Zoro but gives a post-credit scene that shows the aftermath of Ryuma’s battle with Zoro.
