One Piece has become one of the most well-known media brands worldwide since its 1997 debut. With the recent success of its anime and live-action adaptations, the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down. Its manga, authored by Eiichiro Oda, is presently the best-selling manga of all time by a significant margin.
Monkey D. Luffy, the main character, is now closer than ever to his ambition of becoming the King of the Pirates, but each member of his crew must perform to the best of their abilities if he is to make it to the end of the Grand Line. This includes Roronoa Zoro, his unofficial first mate.
Roronoa Zoro is the most famous bounty hunter in the East Blue at the start of One Piece. He becomes even more infamous after joining the Straw Hat Pirates, obtaining a position as one of the Eleven Supernovas prior to the two-year time gap in the series.
However, if it weren’t for his link with Shimotsuki Kuina, a distinct character, Zoro could never have begun his quest to become the World’s Strongest Swordsman, even if his relationship with Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates is essential to his persona.
The two establish one of One Piece’s most significant ties as childhood friends, but in an unexpected and perhaps mysterious turn of circumstances, Kuina passes away before Roronoa Zoro can even set off on his adventure. Her passing is one of the most significant things that occurs before the start of the series’ plot because it establishes the framework for Zoro’s whole story.
Who is Shimotsuki Kuina?
It’s crucial to first stand back and consider the events that lead to Kuina’s childhood in the East Blue in order to comprehend her role in the One Piece universe. As the series demonstrates, the inhabitants of Wano Country are severely cut off from the outside world, and they hardly ever leave their New World home.
However, Kuina’s family, the Shimotsuki Clan, is a noteworthy exception to this pattern. Shimotsuki Village, where Kuina and Roronoa Zoro train as kids, was established by a few Shimotsuki Clan members who moved to the East Blue many years prior to the events of One Piece.
Roronoa Zoro shares Kuina’s ancestry with the Shimotsuki Clan. His opponent from boyhood is distantly related to his ancestor, Shimotsuki Ryuma, who is possibly the most renowned member of the Shimotsuki Clan ever.
However, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, Kuina’s grandpa, is perhaps the best swordsmith in One Piece history because he fashioned the Wado Ichimonji and Enma by hand. She is one of the most promising young sword fighters in the world because of her relationship with these characters, and with the help of her father, Koushirou, she even gains the strength to easily defeat ambitious people like Roronoa Zoro. Sadly, an unfortunate accident ends her journey too soon and permanently alters Zoro’s life.
Zoro’s Vow to Kuina Sparks a New Swordsman Rivalry
At the very least, Shimotsuki Kuina and Roronoa Zoro practice together in Shimotsuki Village for several months, however One Piece never specifies how long they have known one another. By the time she is eleven years old, Kuina has a 2000-0 record against Zoro, proving her innate skill with a sword.
However, the day after she uses the Wado Ichimonji for the first time to defeat her opponent in a duel, she passes away in a strange accident. A very promising character comes to an unexpected and sudden end when Kuina falls down the stairs and dies, according to her father, Koushirou.
The young Zoro is devastated by this news, as was to be expected, and begs Koushirou right once if he can use the Wado Ichimonji in her honor.
Roronoa Zoro promises to commemorate Kuina’s memory by earning the prestigious title of World’s Strongest Swordsman because she shared his aspiration. Before leaving Shimotsuki Village to establish himself, it’s unclear how long the future Straw Hat Pirate remains there, but it’s safe to assume that he never forgets his promise to his boyhood companion.
Throughout One Piece, Kuina is addressed a couple more times, which supports the notion that Zoro is largely motivated to become proficient with his blades because of her loss. But because of her significance and the peculiar way she passed away, many fans think Kuina’s sudden death has more to it than Zoro was told, which could lead to a shocking revelation in One Piece’s climactic story.
Is Kuina’s Death Related to Something Else?
One Piece is the most renowned of the longest-running shonen franchises in terms of its narrative coherence and foreshadowing. The famous manga by Eiichiro Oda rarely presents a significant story element without cause, and frequently, seemingly little details have alluded to significant plot points in the series.
Because of this, it seems strange that Kuina, the most significant figure in Roronoa Zoro’s past and a member of the Shimotsuki Clan, would pass away in such an arbitrary manner. Characters like Chopper’s father figure, Dr. Hiriluk, and Usopp’s mother, Banchina, both pass away before One Piece starts, to be fair.
In contrast, Kuina’s death is somewhat of an exception because these characters either (1) have far smaller roles than Kuina or (2) pass away in situations that are far more pertinent to their storylines.
One Piece doesn’t go into further depth about Kuina’s death after the first flashback that describes her and Zoro’s early years. However, there are a few odd facts that support the idea that Shimotsuki Kuina’s death wasn’t an accident. First of all, it’s a little odd that Kuina passes away right after utilizing the Wado Ichimonji for the first time against Roronoa Zoro.
Even if this might just be a coincidence, given the timing, it seems odd that a figure who is powerful enough to survive a real swordfight would die after falling down the steps. Furthermore, there is a plausible possibility that Kuina’s father may have told Zoro she fell down the stairs in order to conceal the true cause of her demise.
Since the future Straw Hat Pirate is just ten years old when his best friend dies, it would make sense for Shimotsuki Koushirou to keep Zoro safe by lying to him about what transpired if there was a more sinister motive for her death.
Do you want to discover more about Zoro’s quest and delve further into the mysteries of One Piece? For the most recent information, theories, and updates on your favorite characters and plots, visit Crossover99. Don’t pass up the Grand Line’s undiscovered mysteries!