So That’s What King Looks Like! Take Him Down, Zoro!

One Piece Chapter 1035 Review/Recap

After a week-long break, One Piece is back, and we are nearing the climax of the Wano arc. Most of the Beast Pirates officers are down, the enemy’s in complete dissarray. If Luffy can beat Kaido, then the Alliance will win. However, next to the Yonko, there’s one last obstacle standing in the way of victory: King, the enigmatic Lunarian swordsman. What is King, exactly, and why is he considered so valuable? Regardless, though, that’s not stopping Zoro from surpassing him and taking him down. The clash of the swordsmen reaches its peak!

Recap

After a long, grueling battle, Sanji manages to kick Queen to the curb…only to promptly pass out from the effort. Elsewhere, Sanji manages to land a solid hit on King, noting that without his flames, he’s faster, but his defense goes down. As a result, King’s mask falls off, revealing his face to Zoro and some nearby Beast Pirates. King slaughters the other pirates, before turning his full attention to Zoro.

With Enma continuing to suck his Haki dry, Zoro knows he’s got to finish this fight soon. Using his newfound knowledge to his advantage, Zoro puts King on the backfoot. With both fighters nearing their limits, they put their all into one last attack. Despite claiming that a mere human cannot defeat him, though, King reaches his limits. Using the last of his strength, Zoro cuts right through King’s final attack, breaking his sword and part of his right wing in the process.

Review

And another one bites the dust! With Queen out of the way, there are only three major enemies left for the Alliance to fight: King, Big Mom, and Kaido. I’m not counting Orochi, because at this point, I think it won’t take much effort to kill him. Also, until the manga says so, I’m not counting King as down for the count; though I think it might be the case.

In any event, I enjoyed this chapter for a number of reasons. The insight into King’s past and how he met Kaido at a World Government facility on Punk Hazard is a neat parallel to Zoro. The two are swordsmen for their captains, they were the first to join their crews, and they were rescued from bad circumstances. There really is no difference between them, save for the fact that the Straw Hats intentions are more pure.

That’s the end difference between Kaido and Luffy. Kaido only wants to be Pirate King for the power. Luffy wants it for the freedom and adventure. That’s why Luffy will win. And with all the major officers now beaten, we can focus on the main event: Big Mom and Kaido. I’m so hyped for the final fight between Luffy and Kaido. I hope Oda lives up to the hype about it. This will be a battle for the ages. In the meantime, Zoro’s one step closer to being the best swordsman in the world.

I Give “Zoro Vs. King” A 4/5

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