One Piece is one of the most popular manga and anime in the world. It has a simple yet expansive story that features some of the most detailed world-building in fiction. It’s safe to say that Eiichiro Oda is nothing short of a genius when it comes to the smallest of details. This is what should make the upcoming One Piece prequel, ZORO – Josho Sasakaze, a must-read!
The light novel, written by Jun Esaka and illustrated by Nakamaru, follows the Straw Hat crew’s second-in-command, Roronoa Zoro, a powerful pirate hunter with a mysterious past. As confirmed in Sheuisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine’s 22nd issue, the supplemental material’s story will shed light on the life of Zoro before his fateful meeting with his future captain on Shell Island.
Perhaps as a homage to his in-world rivalry with fellow Straw Hat and “wing” of the future Pirate King, Sanji, Zoro is getting his spinoff after Sanji. One Piece: Shokugeki no Sanji, currently available to read in English via Viz Media, offers a glimpse into the wanna-be playboy chef’s life perspective at certain points of the story, including his time spent with “Red-Leg” Zeff and the “Arabasta Arc.” Additionally, One Piece Magazine Vol. 18 will come with a special “Wings” feature that includes a poster, character information, and stickers of both Zoro and Sanji.
What Do We Know About Zoro’s Past?
Roronoa Zoro is the Straw Hat crew’s longest-tenured member. He first meets Monkey D. Luffy on Shell Island while on the brink of death as a prisoner of the Marines. He’s subsequently rescued and recruited by the crew’s captain. Since then, he has offered a stark, stoic contrast to the carefree attitude of Luffy. But surprisingly enough, Oda has spilled very little about Zoro’s life before meeting Luffy.
It wasn’t until recently that Oda himself confirmed that the East Blue native is the grandson of Shimotsuki Furiko and Roronoa Pinzoro and the grandnephew of Shimotsuki Ushimaru. This essentially makes him royalty as he’s a direct descendant of Shimotsuki Ryuma, a legendary samurai from Wano Country.
Audiences are first introduced to a zombified version of Ryuma in the “Thriller Bark Arc,” courtesy of Gecko Moria. Upon his defeat at the hands of Zoro, Ryuma rewards him with Shusui, a black blade that he uses to this day.
Ryuma is also appears in Monsters, a one-shot manga by Oda that predates One Piece. The manga is also available as a 25-minute anime on Netflix, Monsters 103 Mecies Dragon Damnation. Zoro’s Japanese voice actor, Kazuya Nakai, narrates the entirety of it, which makes it worth watching even more!
What’s Next for One Piece?
As of the moment of writing, the story of One Piece has been told across 1,112 chapters and over 1,100 episodes. After the end of the “Wano Country Arc,” which features several story highlights, including Luffy’s defeat of Kaido and a story-changing discovery regarding the origins of his Devil Fruit, the tale now moves on to the “Egghead Arc.”
Aside from the ongoing continuation of One Piece, the anime is getting a reboot in cooperation with Netflix, Fuji Television Network, Toei Animation, and Shueisha. Apart from that, a live-action adaptation of One Piece is also available on Netflix. The eight-episode debut season compresses some hundred or so chapters and the first 45 episodes of the anime in a binge-able format that was a massive hit among audiences when it premiered in August 2023. It has since been renewed for a second season, which will be available for streaming sometime in 2025.