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Roronoa Zoro's unwavering loyalty, strength, and determination make him a standout character in the world of One Piece. Since the inception of the series, Zoro has been the loyal right-hand man of Monkey D. Luffy, assisting and supporting him like Silvers Rayleigh once did with the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger.
Following the Straw Hat crew’s involvement in the Egghead Incident, Zoro is currently engaged in battle with Rob Lucci, the CP0’s top agent. So far, with the only exception of some fast-paced exchanges of blows, not much of the battle has been shown. Throughout the fight, Lucci has always pushed himself to use his Zoan Devil Fruit Awakening, the peak of his ability.
Zoro, instead, has not yet unleashed the full power of his Advanced Conqueror’s Haki and is only using two out of his three blades. As many fans have noticed, the green-haired swordsman is also not wearing his trademark bandana. While this might seem like a trivial detail, it’s a clear indication that Zoro has yet to start getting serious.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1107.
Zoro not wearing his signature headband in One Piece chapter 1107 says a lot about his fight with Lucci
Zoro only wears the bandana when he means business
Alongside his three swords and earrings, as well as the ever-present green haramaki, the black bandana is one of Roronoa Zoro’s most distinguishing traits. Even though he adjusts his outfit depending on the place and the situation, Zoro never parts with these items.
The bandana suits Zoro's appearance, giving him the air of a real-life pirate. It also emphasizes his intimidating aura as a ruthless fighter who lives for the thrill of combat. Typically, Zoro keeps his bandana tied around his left bicep.
Whenever Zoro finds himself in a challenging confrontation and deems it time to fight seriously, he puts the bandana on his head. While the black headband might appear to be merely a fashion choice aimed at highlighting Zoro’s rough character, it actually holds a substantial meaning.
Zoro doesn’t wear the bandana every time he fights, but only when the stakes are high enough for him to use at least some of his real capabilities. Donning the bandana, Zoro maximizes his focus and gets ready to perform his best techniques.
Although it may seem like just a piece of clothing, the bandana serves as a catalyst, enabling Zoro to elevate his combat effectiveness immediately. This is not mere speculation, as it was directly implied in the One Piece manga, particularly in the Enies Lobby Arc.
Engaged in battle with Kaku, Zoro initially enjoyed the fight, taking his time to test his foe’s skills. During this period, he did not wear his bandana. However, after realizing that further delay would jeopardize the rescue of Nico Robin, the green-haired swordsman decided to fight for real.
To symbolize his commitment, Zoro retrieved and donned the bandana. Intrigued, Kaku asked Zoro if wearing that garment would make him stronger, to which the latter answered cryptically that he would soon find out. On that note, it’s worth remembering that, shortly after this scene, Kaku ended up brutally crushed by Zoro’s Nine Sword Style: Asura.
Wearing the headband raises Zoro’s aura, but there’s more to it
Admittedly, the notion that Zoro's combat abilities somehow amplify as he dons a simple piece of clothing may seem like an exaggerated shonen trope to make the former look cool. However, this concept becomes more plausible when one considers that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda took inspiration for Zoro's behavior from traditional Japanese martial arts culture.
Martial artists often create a routine of simple, reiterated gestures that they have to perform at specific moments to help their focus. This allows them to enter the mood needed to use their techniques in the best possible way.
For instance, in kendo, practitioners often wear a small cloth called “tennegui” between their head and the “bogu,” i.e., the armor, including the protective clothing and the helmet. When the practitioners put their bogu on, the feeling of the tennegui being raised over the face is enough to activate their fighting mindset, enabling them to focus on the opponent.
Probably the bandana does something similar for Zoro, as it triggers him into entering his “serious mode.” After all, even in real life, wearing a bandana can increase a fighter’s vision and subsequent reflexes by preventing drops of sweat or blood from flowing into his eyes.
Zoro often reserves the act of donning his bandana for the most epic moments, such as his battles against Kaido and Big Mom, in which he took part alongside Luffy and the other strongest Supernovas of the Worst Generation. There’s a specific scene that shows Zoro taking his headband and wearing it right before starting to fight the Emperors as if he couldn't do without it.
Among all One Piece characters, Zoro shares the habit of wearing a headband with Edward Newgate “Whitebeard.” Intriguingly, Zoro and Whitebeard share several other traits, including their insane endurance and pain tolerance, their attitude as natural-born Conqueror’s Haki users, their stoic behavior, as well as their reputation for strength.
While Whitebeard earned the moniker of the World’s Strongest Man, Zoro aspires to claim the title of the World’s Strongest Swordsman. This extremely challenging goal requires Zoro to surpass the current holder of the title, Dracule Mihawk.
Their final confrontation is set to be one of the greatest events in the entire One Piece series. Needless to say, if there’s a fight where Zoro puts on the bandana and gives his best effort, it will be the struggle with the all-powerful “Hawk Eyes.”
Keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, and live-action news as 2024 progresses.
