Despite being one of the most underrated characters in the One Piece anime, Tashigi was continuously overlooked by Roronoa Zoro and underestimated by her fellow marine crew due to her gender.
Despite her determination to constantly improve, fans couldn’t help but speculate that Tashigi may have inherited the same drive as Kuina, Zoro’s childhood friend. This theory could hold significant weight, as Oda may be hinting at a possible connection between Tashigi and Zoro. However, this connection may run even deeper than initially thought, as evidenced by the recent reveal of Zoro’s family tree.
The purpose of this article is to establish the connection between these two aspects. Additionally, it will examine Kuina’s influence on Tashigi’s personality and the specific traits she adopted from her.
Please note: The following article includes possible spoilers from the One Piece manga series and reflects the author’s personal opinion.
The Dynamic Duo: Analyzing the bond between Roronoa Zoro and Tashigi in One Piece
Tashigi, a Marine officer, first appeared in episode 48 of the East Blue Saga. She has been under the command of Vice Admiral Smoker since the beginning of the series. Although she was initially a Chief Petty Officer, she was later promoted to the rank of captain during the time skip.
During her time in Loguetown during the East Blue Saga, one of her most well-known moments was when she went sword shopping. While browsing, she unexpectedly ran into Zoro, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. They ended up having a confrontation and it was during this encounter that Zoro decided to acquire Sandai Kitetsu as his new sword.
Ever since their initial meeting, Zoro had a feeling that his childhood friend Kuina was somehow present within Tashigi. This was due to the striking resemblance between their faces and shared ideals. Kuina, who was the daughter of the dojo master where Zoro trained his sword skills as a child, had always been Zoro’s role model. He recognized Tashigi’s strength, similar to Kuina’s, but Tashigi herself never acknowledged her own capabilities.
Despite Zoro’s persistent challenges, Kuina remained hopeful for the future. Tragically, her father claimed she died from falling down stairs. Following her death, Zoro was entrusted with her sword, the Wado Ichimonji. Tashigi was the only other female who caught the swordsman’s attention, leading him to occasionally reprimand her for acting like Kuina.
Some fans believe that Tashigi inherited Kuina’s determination to become the greatest swordsman. However, she struggled with her strength before the time skip, as seen when she was unable to defeat Crocodile and Mr. 1 during the Arabasta arc and broke down in tears. Smoker scolded her for her weakness and she took his words to heart, using them as motivation to improve herself.
During the post-time skip, she encountered the Straw Hat Pirates while on Punk Hazard Island. Viewers noticed a significant increase in her strength and observed similarities between her techniques and Mihawk’s swordplay, possibly indicating a connection between the two.
After their reunion, she was frustrated to see that Zoro had spared Monet, a member of the Doflamingo Pirates, simply because she was a woman. However, she took matters into her own hands and ultimately dealt a fatal blow to Monet. Later, by pure accident, the Doflamingo Pirate was killed by Ceasar Clown.
Based on her growth, supporters can anticipate her continued progression in the future, which may be influenced by her bond with Zoro. In volume 105’s SBS, Zoro’s familial background was disclosed, unveiling his connection to Wano and the renowned swordsmith, Shimotsuki Kuzaburo.
According to the SBS, Kuzaburo and 25 others left Wano Kingdom and journeyed to East Blue. Upon arrival, they successfully defeated a group of bandits. 10 of the original 25 decided to remain in East Blue and established the Shimotsuki Village.
The whereabouts of the remaining 15 swordsmiths were not disclosed, leading fans to speculate that Tashigi may be related to one of the swordsmiths who did not live in Shimotsuki Village. This could explain the strong resemblance between Zoro and Tashigi, and could also be the reason behind Tashigi’s striking similarity to Kuina.
During the Wano arc, it was revealed that there was another member of the Shimotsuki clan. Ushimaru Shimotsuki, the younger brother of Shimotsuki Furiko (Zoro’s grandmother) and the direct descendant of the legendary swordsman, Shimotsuki Ryuma, was present in the jail where Kaido was keeping Yamato as punishment for idolizing Oden. Some fans have speculated that Tashigi may be a descendant of Ushimaru and that he could be revealed for a specific purpose.
This could potentially establish an even stronger connection between her and Zoro compared to Kuina. Furthermore, she may also be a descendant of Ryuma, suggesting that she is destined for great things. With this in mind, who might she be able to overcome in the future?
After breaking out of Impel Down with Luffy, Crocodile teamed up with Buggy and Mihawk to form the Cross Guild. They were later joined by Mr. 1 (Daz Bones) as they became a formidable group of marine hunters. Tashigi, who had previously been unable to capture these notorious outlaws during the Arabasta arc, had the opportunity to redeem herself by facing off against Mr. 1. Similarly, Smoker had the chance to defeat Crocodile and his crew, making up for their previous defeat.
There is speculation among fans that Tashigi will develop the Advanced Armament Haki, known as Ryou in the Wano Kingdom. This theory is supported by her potential connection to the renowned swordsman, Ryuma Shimotsuki. If she were to achieve this feat, she could potentially be promoted to the position of Vice Admiral, becoming one of the few women to hold such a high rank in the Marines.
Vice Admiral Tsuru is a prime example of this. It is expected that she will eventually face Zoro in a one-on-one battle before the series concludes. Although Zoro would emerge victorious, Tsuru would demonstrate that women are capable of great strength in the world of One Piece.
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