Yoru: The Sword That Defines Mihawk In One Piece
The amazing and complicated world of "One Piece" has left a lasting mark on fans worldwide through its many characters and their unique weapons. One of them is Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk, famous for being a great fighter and having the famous Yoru.
This black sword is more than just a weapon. It is an essential part of Mihawk's personality, an extension of his will, and proof of his strength. Yoru's story is a story of Mihawk himself.
It is a story of power, mystery, and strength that captures the spirit of the World's Greatest Swordsman. Read on to learn more about the relationship between the Mihawk and the Yoru Sword and the appearance and characteristics of the Yoru.
Who is Dracule “Hawk Eyes” Mihawk?
Dracule with "Hawk Eyes" Eiichiro Oda created Mihawk as a character in the anime and comics series One Piece. Known as the "World's Greatest Swordsman," Mihawk is a Warlord and a member of the Shichibukai, a group of powerful and infamous thieves who work with the World Government.
Mihawk is tall and skinny. He has a serious face with sharp features and short black hair. The eyes that look like hawks and the big black sword he holds, Yoru, make him stand out. People say he sails the seas in a coffin-shaped raft with only one seat, which shows how sure he is of himself and how brave he is.
Relationship of Mihawk with Yoru Sword
Mihawk is an excellent fighter because he has Yoru. He uses it with unmatched grace and power, making him the World's Greatest Swordsman. Not only is each slash of Yoru an attack, but it also shows how determined and skilled Mihawk is.
Mihawk sees Yoru as more than just a tool; it's like an extension of himself. When you look at Mihawk, his strength and unbreakable will are like the sword's colossal power. It's not often that the person using the weapon and the weapon become so close, which makes their relationship even more exciting and unique.
Appearance and Characteristics of Yoru
The Yoru is a cruciform, ornate weapon with a curved, single-edged, black blade resembling a large Kriegsmesser. It has a Western-style appearance. Putting Mihawk on his back makes it over a head taller than him (he is 198 cm tall).
It is over two meters long. To keep Yoru from falling off when it's not in use, Mihawk holds it against his back with two easy loops built into his coat. Yoru's hilt is almost half the length of the blade, making it perfect for two-handed use, though the version of its length varies.
The bandage-wrapped grip is white in the manga and light grey in the anime. It has a big red (or blue) cabochon set into a round golden mount that serves as the handle. The golden crossguard is long on the sides, making the sword look like a cross when seen from the front of Mihawk's back.
The guard consists of a thick, continuous bar that is perpendicular to the blade and flat on all sides. Its cross-section is rectangular, but each end is split and recurved up and down like a cross-moline. Along the middle of the front and back sides of the guard are square holes filled with a swirling sprig relief for extra detail.
Techniques Used by Mihawk with Yoru Sword
Kokuto Issen
Kokutō Issen, which means "Black Blade Brandish/One Flash" in Japanese, Mihawk swings Yoru to send out an unseen flying slash that can cut through anything in its way. This is a powerful and far-reaching slice.
Mihawk used a vertical slash attack to cut Don Krieg's ship in half across the middle. He then used a horizontal version of the attack to try to hit Monkey D. Luffy during the Summit War but missed it. Instead, he cut a big column of frozen water far away in half. This attack doesn't have a name in the manga or series; it only has a name in Gigant Battle.
Sekaiichi no Zangeki
"The Strongest Slash in the World" (Sekaiichi no Zangeki?) Users may have thought it was Mihawk's best attack when it was actually their weakest. In this case, though, a correct translation shows that the marine only meant that it was a cut made by the world's best swordsman.
Before the cut, Mihawk said he only wanted to "measure the distance" (check the difference in strength) between himself and Whitebeard. This suggests that he did not use all his strength in the attack.
Chi o Hau Zangeki
Mihawk swings Yoru down, making a fast slash wave that moves across the ground (Earth-Crawling Slash Attack?). In the comics, it has a shape much more like Roronoa Zoro's Sanjuroku Pound Ho.
When combined with Mihawk's fantastic vision, it becomes a very accurate attack that can tag a Gear 2-equipped Luffy while he's moving through a chaotic battlefront without hitting any of the many other fighters in the way. It was first seen being used against Luffy but doesn't have a name in manga or anime.
Kokuto Arahosi
Kokutō Arahoshi, whose name means "Black Blade Savage Star" in Japanese: When Mihawk hops high, he stands with both feet on the crossguard of his sword and quickly falls to pierce his opponent from above. It was first seen being used against Luffy and barely missed him.
The move doesn't have a name in the manga and anime, but in Gigant Battle, it does. A different version of it is also one of Mihawk's moves in Pirate Warriors.
Kokuto Saku
The word "Kokutō Saku" (literally "Black Blade First Day") means "a counterattack." Mihawk has two hands on his back and holds his Black Blade while he waits for his opponent to move. When the enemy attacks, Mihawk hits back with a swift and powerful downward slash.
At first, it looked like an effort to block Luffy's very fast Gomu Gomu no Jet Bazooka, but Luffy knew his arms would be cut off, so he aimed his punches at the ground, blocking Mihawk's slice altogether. The move doesn't have a name in the manga or anime; it only has a name in Gigant Battle.
Kokutu Kogetsu
Kokutō Kogetsu ("Black Blade Arc Moon"): Mihawk quickly and unpredictably swipes Yoru, sending out several medium-sized cutting waves that hit enemies at close to medium range.
The first person to see the strike was Luffy, who struggled to avoid it. This attack doesn't have a name in the manga or anime; it only has a name in Unlimited Adventure, Unlimited Cruise, and Gigant Battle.
The Bottom Line
To sum up, Sword Yoru is more than just a tool in the huge world of One Piece; it's also a representation of Dracule Mihawk's personality. Its strength, beauty, and riddle show how skilled, determined, and mysterious Mihawk is. The sword is an important part of the story; it shapes important plotlines and character growth.
The fact that Yoru helped shape Mihawk's personality shows how complex One Piece's stories are. It represents the strong bond between a warrior and his weapon, a theme that runs through the whole series: power, will, and determination.