This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf arc.
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One Pieceis currently in the Final Saga, and it goes without saying that this part of the story is the most intense thatOne Piecehas ever been. Oda is currently fleshing out theevents of the Elbaf arc, and while that in itself isn’t anything groundbreaking, the ongoing flashback certainly is.
For the very first time, fans are getting a good glimpse of some of the strongestOne Piececharacters to date, some of whom surpass even the modern-day Yonko and other legends. In fact,One Piecechapter 1155 finally revealed to the fans a mighty pirate stronger than even the likes of Dracule Mihawk, the World’s Greatest Swordsman.
Mihawk Is The Current World’s Greatest Swordsman
Right since the Baratie arc, fans have knownMihawk to be the World’s Greatest Swordsman. Although fans have only seen bits of his swordplay, it goes without saying that Mihawk is a monster in his own right. He has an unknown background so far, but one thing fans know for sure is that Mihawk mastered the art of the blade to the point where he went on to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman. It is said that Mihawk even fought many duels with Shanks long ago, and there was never a clear-cut winner in the duels.
I’ll wait for you on top of this throne. Grow strong and seek me out, Roronoa Zoro! — Mihawk
Since Shanks lost his left arm, Mihawk refuses to fight him, and right now, he is the sole one sitting on top of the throne of the strongest swordsmen who relish the true art of the blade. While Mihawk is a monster, Oda has now revealed an absolutely insane character who, with his bizarre use of sword, is actually even stronger than Mihawk.
Rocks D. Xebec Has Even Stronger Sword Attacks
Rocks Is A Legendary Fighter
One Piece chapter 1155 gave the fansa glimpse of Rocks D. Xebec’s power, and it is quite clear that Rocks is a sword user. Given that he’s as strong as Whitebeard and Roger, or potentially stronger, it is quite clear that Rocks is actuallya stronger fighter than Mihawk too.
He primarily fights with his sword. Oda clarified inOne Piecechapter 1155 that Rocks’s sword hits feel like a blunt object, like a hammer or a cannon instead of a blade. To put it simply, Rocks doesn’t cut. He uses his sword like a big hammer, which is what makes him truly special.
Rocks D. Xebec’s sword was known to do blunt damage, as if hit by a hammer or cannon fire. — Narrator
This is also why Rocks cannot be included in the list of traditional swordsmen inOne Piece. He doesn’t technically use cutting attacks at all and blows everything away in front of him. His “swordsmanship” isn’t swordsmanship at all.
Rocks Is Stronger Than Mihawk
While Rocks iseasily stronger than Mihawk, it must be noted that in a traditional sense, he is far from what a swordsman is. As such, Rocks, despite using a sword, shouldn’t be given the title of the World’s Strongest Swordsman. Rocks doesn’t respect the art of the blade, understand it, or care about it. Only characters like Mihawk and Zoro, despite being far weaker, can be called true master swordsmen.
One Piece Chapter 1155 will be out this week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on July 20. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1155 is Jul 06, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free onManga Plus.
