One Piece chapter 1087 proves that Shiryu is the most evil swordsman

The official release of One Piece chapter 1087 is scheduled for July 17, 2023, but the raw scans and the full spoiler summary already allow fans to get a sense of the new chapter. The issue features the continuation of the battle between some major members of the Blackbeard Pirates and the legendary "Marine Hero" Monkey D. Garp.

After arriving on Fullalead to rescue Koby, who was held captive there, Garp started ravaging the island with his all-powerful Haki and physical strength. However, in front of him stood Kuzan "Aokiji," a former Marine Admiral and his former disciple, now allegedly a member of the Blackbeard Pirates.

As Garp started overpowering Kuzan, the other crew members tried to get in the way. The old Marine easily fended off them, but the situation became increasingly complex when the wicked Shiryu "Of the Rain" took action.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1087.

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Using Koby as bait, Shiryu inflicted a nasty wound on Garp in One Piece chapter 1087

Who is Shiryu?

Shiryu, as seen in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)

A formidable fighter, Shiryu performs deadly attacks at extreme speeds with his sword Raiu. Before the time skip, Shiryu was the Head Jailer of Impel Down. He was equal in strength to Chief Warden Magellan. Owing to the dreadful Venom-Venom Fruit, Magellan was powerful enough to scare away Jinbe and Crocodile and easily defeat Emporio Ivankov.

Pre-time skip Shiryu, already as strong as a fearsome individual, is impressive. Under Shiryu and Magellan's joint protection, it was said that Impel Down was impregnable. When Teach arrived in Impel Down, Magellan was well aware that he was one of the Seven Warlords and that he beat prominent Whitebeard Pirates member Portgas D. Ace, a Logia user.

Still, Magellan was confident that Shiryu was strong enough to single-handedly stop Teach and his crew. However, after meeting Teach, Shiryu decided not to fight him. Considering him a man worth following, he reneged on Impel Down and joined the Blackbeard Pirates. Interestingly, his ingress into the crew resembles how Oden joined the Whitebeard Pirates.

Both Shiryu and Oden were powerful swordsmen stuck in places too small for their ambitions, waiting to encounter someone who would involve them in a project big enough to satisfy their standards. Upon meeting Blackbeard and, respectively, Whitebeard, Shiryu and Oden even pronounced the same phrase.

In their crews, Shiryu and Oden received the same formal position of Second Division Commanders, despite being stronger than Burgess and, respectively, Marco, who were the First Division Commanders. However, there's a big difference as Oden was a compassionate man with a significant sense of justice, while Shiryu is a bloodthirsty psychopath.

During the story's time skip, Shiryu honed his capabilities, also partaking in the Payback War. At one point, he obtained the Clear-Clear Fruit, which enhanced his traits as a lethal and stealthy fighter, allowing him to become an "Invisible Man."

Shiryu using the Clear-Clear Fruit (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)

Some One Piece fans were disappointed at Shiryu having eaten the Clear-Clear Fruit, whose previous user was Absalom. However, while this character was too weak to bring out this Devil Fruit's potential, an individual of Shiryu's caliber may use the item's real power, possibly achieving the Clear-Clear's Awakening.

One Piece author Eiichiro Oda implied that Shiryu is the second strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates, only below Teach. However, a debate has sparked as Kuzan "Aokiji" was allegedly revealed as a member of the Blackbeard Pirates.

As a Logia user who served as a Marine Admiral and could stand up against Akainu, losing to the future Fleet Admiral only after a ten-day-long battle, Kuzan is exceptionally powerful, possibly even more than Shiryu. Regardless, Kuzan was revealed to be a member of Teach's crew in One Piece chapter 1064.

Oda's statement about Shiryu being the second strongest in the group dates back to One Piece chapter 1031 and the SBS of volume 102. When this material was released, Kuzan was not disclosed as a full-fledged member of the Blackbeard Pirates. Thus, he may not have been considered in that assessment.

Shiryu and Blackbeard's first meeting (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)

The One Piece author may have depicted the "number twos" of the various crews and organizations depending on the readers' knowledge at that given time. It's also possible that Kuzan is not truly part of the Blackbeard Pirates. A former Marine member and a very honorable man, it seems odd for him to join Teach's bunch of evil criminals.

Kuzan may have joined the Blackbeard Pirates as a facade to infiltrate them on behalf of the Navy, which he may still work for. If the former Admiral can't be regarded as a true member of the crew, he likely wasn't considered when the author estimated the number two of the said group.

The aforementioned reasons would explain why Shiryu was portrayed as the second mightiest member of the Blackbeard Pirates despite Kuzan being part of the same crew. However, it also can't be ruled out that Shiryu is simply stronger than Kuzan, as no one really knows the limits of the former Head Jailer's strength.

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Shiryu just joined the battle on Fullalead

The latest One Piece chapter continued the battle between Monkey D. Garp and the Blackbeard Pirates. The legendary Marine easily handled San Juan Wolf and Vasco Shot, but Kuzan, who had been struck before by the "Hero," stood in front of his former teacher.

After breaking out from Kuzan's attempt to freeze him, Garp yelled that only weaklings lose their way and slammed him through the ground, sending him into a deep hole. While Garp was busy fighting the other members of the Blackbeard Pirates, Kuzan recovered from the strike.

Meanwhile, Shiryu targeted Koby. As he was about to hit the young Marine, Garp dashed to save him. The old "Hero" grabbed the former Head Jailer of Impel Down, stopping his charge, but ended up being stabbed by the latter's Armament Haki-empowered blade. Bleeding profusely, Garp slammed Shiryu into the ground, but the swordsman got up immediately, barely injured.

Koby apologized to Garp for what happened, but the old Marine answered that Shiryu's target was him from the start. Cynically laughing, Shiryu confirmed the speculation. Shortly after, Kuzan arrived on the scene and again confronted his former instructor. Unfortunately, it seems that Shiryu's strike did leave his mark, as Garp appears visibly weakened due to the wound in his chest.

With regards to strength, Shiryu didn't look bad at all, as he got up laughing a moment after being struck by Garp. Granted, that was far from being Garp's best attack, as he didn't use Advanced Conqueror's Haki or Armament Haki, but the feat is still notable, considering that even in his old incarnation, the "Marine Hero" can injure a pirate of Marco's caliber with just a simple punch.

Moreover, Shiryu managed to significantly weaken Garp with a single strike. The issue also emphasized Shiryu's behavior as a very cynical villain. Well aware of Garp's protective behavior towards Koby, the former Head Jailer used it to lure the "Hero" and land an easy hit on him, knowing that the old Marine would fall for the bait.

Undoubtedly, Shiryu is a vicious and dishonorable individual. Sentenced to death by the World Government because he had utilized his Head Jailer status to kill prisoners just for pure entertainment, he was temporarily freed to fight the Blackbeard Pirates. However, the very next moment, he killed all the guardsmen who released him.

Shiryu not only had no remorse for cold-bloodedly killing his former subordinates, but he even gave them a sarcastic apology before mercilessly slaughtering them. Admittedly, few One Piece characters are as wicked as Shiryu, who seems to enjoy spilling blood.

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What will happen next in One Piece?

The situation is not easy, but Garp must hang on (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)

After being stabbed by Shiryu, Garp was confronted again by Kuzan, who used a move called Ice Glove to challenge him to a brawl. The two punched each other in the face, provoking a huge explosion. Although lying on the ground, Garp seems fine, as he tells Koby not to worry, declaring that “justice will prevail".

However, the situation is getting complicated. Shiryu's infamous move led to appalling developments, as Garp is now injured and weakened. Although in his prime, Garp was strong enough to fight on par with Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, even the legendary "Marine Hero" is affected by old age, and the wound from Shiryu is bad news.

A spontaneous and good-hearted man, like his grandson Luffy, Garp couldn't stop himself from risking his health to protect his beloved disciple Koby. Shiryu was well aware of Garp's selfless attitude and sadistically exploited it.