10 best sword-based attacks in One Piece so far, ranked

Many of the fights in One Piece involve amazing sword-based attacks made by a wide range of characters throughout the series. From regular sword fighters to those who combine their devil fruit abilities with swordsmanship, the show offers viewers a lot of strong techniques that they’ll never forget.

In One Piece, swordsmanship is not just about strength; it also involves the soul and mind. A good illustration of this belief is seen in Roronoa Zoro, who is considered by many to be the greatest swordsman among Straw Hat Pirates, and his rival Dracule Mihawk, the world’s strongest swordsman.

From Puncture Willie to Divine Departure: Here are the 10 best sword-based attacks in One Piece

1) Divine Departure (Gol D. Roger)

Divine Departure (Image via Toei Animation)

Gol D. Roger was the King of the Pirates, whose strength knew no equal. “Divine Departure” is a slash technique used by him with his famous sword Ace, creating a powerful shock wave that can take out enemies in its path.

To deliver this Haki-infused horizontal slash attack, Roger holds his sword in his right hand and imbues it with Haoshoku Haki. The first time he used it in One Piece was against Kozuki Oden, who struck the samurai with a dark lightning-like burst of energy in the stomach, powerful enough to push him back a great distance even with both swords as his defense.

2) Togen Totsuka (Kozuki Oden)

Togen Totsuka (Image via Toei Animation)

Kozuki Oden was a great swordsman from the Wano Country in the One Piece series who was said to be incredibly powerful. He was known for being able to cut through anything with his two swords, Ame no Habakiri and Enma. To unleash his ultimate attack, called "Togen Totsuka," he would harden both blades by using an advanced version of Ryuo and then leap towards the opponent, making an "X"-shaped slash with the swords.

The blow was so intense that it caused massive damage to Kaido, who, even though he is a Mythical Zoan with hardened skin, could never get injured. This attack made him scream in pain and knocked him down at the same time, which scarred him permanently afterwards.

3) Big Mom & Kaido’s Hakai

Big Mom & Kaido use Hakai (Image via Shueisha)

During One Piece's Wano arc, the two Emperors of the Sea, Kaido and Big Mom, joined forces to go up against Monkey D. Luffy, Trafalgar D. Water Law, and Eustass "Captain" Kidd with a devastating technique known as Hakai. This move involves utilizing their weapons coupled with tremendous physical might, thereby creating a destructive wave that can obliterate everything in its path.

While it may not fall under what is considered to be a conventional sword attack, Big Mom stabbed Napoleon through Zeus’ thunder cloud while being infused with Prometheus’ flames, thus enhancing its power alongside her Haoshoku Haki ability for even greater destructive capability. Kaido, on his part, utilized the Hassaikai club during this attack.

4) King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation (Roronoa Zoro)

King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation (Image via Shueisha)

One Piece's Roronoa Zoro mastered the three-sword style, which enables him to fight using three katanas simultaneously. “King of Hell, Three-Sword Serpent: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation” is one of his most powerful techniques. It involves him charging at his foe while imbuing his swords with Haoshoku and Busoshoku Haki.

He then jumps up high enough and puts a blade in his mouth with the other two swords in his two hands before swinging downward. While swinging downwards, all of the haki gets released towards the opponent, creating a broad slash with a massive dragon-shaped flame that can reach even those who are far away, thereby becoming a very lethal move.

5) Puncture Willie (Trafalgar D. Water Law)

Puncture Willie (Image via Toei Animation)

Trafalgar D. Law demonstrated the extensiveness of his Devil Fruit power when he fought against Big Mom in the Wano Country arc of One Piece using Ope Ope no Mi. In the course of this attack, he stabs her with Kikoku, pinning the Yonko down. The sword then keeps extending until it passes through everything in its way.

However, it has a depth limit it can reach, at which Law releases a powerful shock wave from the blade. This shock wave is incredibly powerful and capable of causing tremendous destruction to anything within its vicinity. Law’s Puncture Willie managed to create a huge crater near Flower Capital in Wano Country.

6) Asura Sword-Drawing: Jest of the Dead (Roronoa Zoro)

Asura Sword-Drawing: Jest of the Dead (Image via Shueisha

Asura Sword-Drawing: Jest of the Dead is one of Zoro’s most iconic and powerful techniques in the One Piece series. By summoning a spectral illusion of three heads and six arms, Zoro effectively wields nine swords simultaneously. It was employed against Kaidou, who was in his human-dragon form at the time, clashing with him before leaving a deep, bloody gash across his chest.

Additionally, Haoshoku Haki seems to have been infused into this attack too, as observed by the surprised Emperor, even though Zoro himself was confused about it since he didn’t know he possessed the Haki. Although severely injured, admitted that this attack would leave a permanent scar, making it the second attack after Oden's Togen Totsuka to do so.

7) Black Blade Slash (Dracule Mihawk)

Dracule Mihawk, who is reputed to be the best swordsman in the One Piece world, employs Yoru, a black blade among the twelve Supreme Grade swords. His unmatched skill and strength enable him to cut ships and mountains from a great distance by imbuing Haki into Yoru before releasing an intense, long-ranged slash.

The attack involves Mihawk slashing Yoru downwards in front, which then sends a colossal curved wave forward that was able to quickly cleave through a vast sheet of ice. Mihawk was shown attempting this move at Whitebeard, with "Diamond" Jozu coming in between them and being sent backward for some distance before struggling to painfully divert it upwards slightly, where it dispersed on its own eventually.

8) Gravity Blade (Fujitora)

Gravity Blade (Image via Toei Animation)

Fujitora's power over gravity is channeled through his blade as he swings or even just moves it, allowing him to send gravitational forces in different directions. The forces can either be up, down, or sideways, typically only one at a time.

He first used this attack, unnamed, against some Donquixote Pirates lackeys, where he made them experience the downward force of gravity so intensely that it created vast craters in the ground. However, it was not until later, during his fight with Sabo, that he revealed the name of this move.

9) Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: 3000 Worlds (Roronoa Zoro)

Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: 3000 Worlds (Image via Toei Animation)

The 3000 Worlds attack, or Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai, is one of Zoro's most well-known moves in One Piece. Zoro uses this attack by spinning his swords very fast, which can easily slice through any formidable foe.

This technique was originally attempted as a means to defeat Dracule Mihawk. This attack is considered the most powerful secret technique within the Three Sword Style and was finally seen in action when it hit Oars for the first time in 429 chapters since its introduction in the story, where he unleashed three gigantic slashes onto Oars with it.

Zoro has honed his application of it post-time skip to the point of being capable of preparing the attack mid-air while hurtling through, along with imbuing all three of his swords with Busoshoku Haki at once so that they may be used during this move. He first displayed this new level of skill against Pica following these two years.

10) Flying Dragon Blaze (Roronoa Zoro)

The Flying Dragon Blaze is a fencing slash technique used by Roronoa Zoro. Using one sword held in his left hand and with his right hand gripping either the hilt or his wrist, Zoro jumps high into the air before cutting down hard on his opponent below him to burn or scorch them.

Upon hitting the ground, flames will burst forth from where they were slashed. Zoro first used this attack against Ryuma at Thriller Bark. While on Onigashima, he employed a stronger version of it in conjunction with Enma, which had been further enhanced using Busoshoku Haki.

Final thoughts

One of the crucial elements of One Piece is swordsmanship, which characterizes the physical strength, skill, and determination of the series characters. Trafalgar D. Law’s Puncture Willie with surgical precision to Gol D. Roger’s Divine Departure mark the diversity and creativity of Oda’s world-building in his techniques. Each blow demonstrates the power of the attacker as well as playing a significant part in telling stories and in the battles of the series.