One Piece Confirms Zoro’s Devil Fruit Awakening, Boosting His Power
Roronoa Zoro isn’t just another crewmate for the Straw Hat Pirates—he’s widely seen as the first major ally Luffy brings into his path toward becoming the Pirate King. As one of the “Wings of the Pirate King,” Zoro consistently fights at Luffy’s side, and that loyalty comes with a personal drive: he wants overwhelming strength so he can both help Luffy reach the top and keep a promise he made to his childhood friend, Kuina.
In the official canon of One Piece, Zoro chases that power through relentless training and constant upgrades to his sword skills. He doesn’t entertain the idea of eating a Devil Fruit. Still, Eiichiro Oda—creator of One Piece—has already associated a Devil Fruit with Zoro in One Piece Volume 98. Oda’s pick isn’t just any power; he said that if Zoro ever consumed a Devil Fruit, the fruit that best matches him would be the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu, a power belonging to Yonko Kaido. In other words, Oda is effectively linking Zoro’s “perfect” potential to Kaido’s.
One Piece Volume 98 Officially Confirms Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu For Roronoa Zoro
Every new One Piece volume comes with an SBS-style corner where Eiichiro Oda answers questions submitted by readers. In Volume 98, released on February 4, 2021, Oda ran one of those special SBS exchanges and confirmed that the ideal Devil Fruit fit for each Straw Hat member. For Zoro specifically, Oda stated he would have the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu. The power itself was first shown in One Piece Chapter 921, which released on October 22, 2018 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #47, and it later received its official naming in One Piece Chapter 999, which released on December 21, 2020.
Q: If Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and Franky were to become ability users, then what kind of fruit do you think they would have eaten?
O: I see, that’s a really fun question. Hmm… what I’d like to see is…
Zoro: Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (I’d want the sword to turn into a dragon instead of Zoro. I think that would be insanely cool.)
— Eiichiro Oda confirms Zoro’s potential Devil Fruit, SBS Volume 98
During the discussion between Big Mom and Kaido about the era surrounding God Valley, it was established that Kaido ate the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu rather than a different Ryu Ryu no Mi variant. In the SBS for Volume 98, Oda also clarified that if Zoro had a Devil Fruit ability, it would match Kaido’s power. The thematic logic is straightforward: Zoro is connected to dragons and to the world of samurai, so a dragon-based ability feels tailor-made for him. At the same time, Zoro’s ambition is to become the strongest swordsman in the world—mirroring Kaido’s desire to be the single strongest living force. That overlap in personality and imagery is why the Seiryu fruit fits Zoro so well.
“On the day Rocks was brought to ruin, I was the one who gave you your Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu. You owe me a lifelong debt, Kaido!” — Big Mom explains how Kaido ate his Devil Fruit, One Piece Chapter #999
The Straw Hat Pirates are about to welcome a new King within their ranks as the Elbaf arc reaches its climax.
Zoro’s Strength With The Seiryu Devil Fruit Ability Would Push Him Over Yonko Level
One detail stands out in Oda’s confirmation: if Zoro held the Seiryu Devil Fruit power, it wouldn’t be eaten by Zoro himself. Instead, it would be carried through one of his swords. That idea is unusual by One Piece standards, and it ties into modern-era discoveries associated with Vegapunk. However, the concept isn’t brand new—older lore already confirms something similar exists, including Ragnir, a hammer that carries the power of the Risu Risu no Mi, Model: Ratatoskr. That Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit was officially introduced in One Piece Chapter 1183, released on May 25, 2026 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #26.
“He ate the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Daschund. His name is Lassoo. He is a gun! It’s the newest technology in the Grand Line! Even objects can eat Devil Fruits.” — Miss Merry Christmas explains the concept of objects eating Devil Fruits, One Piece Chapter #184
The weapons-with-Devil-Fruit concept traces back to the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Dachshund, eaten by Lassoo during the Arabasta arc. The specific showcase appears in One Piece Chapter 184 on May 28, 2000. Since then, the idea has expanded significantly, and more recently, similar power structures have shown up with characters like Shamrock. In One Piece Chapter 1138, Shamrock Figarland—one of the strongest figures in the series—was shown wielding Cerberus through his sword.
So if Zoro were to take on a Devil Fruit power, it would show up through his blade rather than through Zoro’s body. Which particular sword would host it remains unknown, but giving his weapon dragon-level capabilities would elevate him to a massive height—so much so that it could almost feel like opponents are dealing with both Zoro and Kaido in parallel. The scale of this hypothetical power is so extreme that it would push Zoro into Yonko territory, and possibly beyond. With that strength, Zoro wouldn’t just compete with top leaders—he’d be capable of challenging high-tier figures like the Five Elders and even taking down Mihawk.
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Zoro’s Future Power Ups After The Elbaf Arc
As highlighted by Oda, Zoro’s “perfect” Devil Fruit match will never be something he actually consumes. Zoro is not a Devil Fruit eater, and his entire approach to fighting is built around fighting without relying on Devil Fruit abilities. That means he won’t start eating fruit later on—but it doesn’t mean his growth stops there.
Right now, Zoro is set to gain the power of Supreme King Haki during the Elbaf arc. He officially awakened it in One Piece Chapter 1033, released on November 29, 2021, and then put it to use in One Piece 1035 on December 20, 2021, with repeated applications after that. Even so, he still doesn’t have full control over it. One Piece Chapter 1152, released on June 23, 2025 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30, emphasized that his Conqueror’s Haki control is extremely weak—explaining why the ongoing fight against Saint Sommers is happening now.
“You’re on the Three Demons. You’re the ones who ruined a feast between good old friends. My companion is on the way to the village, so I don’t think yours will be coming back because he’ll be dead.” — Zoro gets ready to face Sommers, One Piece Chapter #1187
Starting on July 5, 2026, One Piece Chapter 1187 began Zoro vs Saint Sommers. At this point, the Straw Hat swordsman is expected to bring out his real Conqueror’s Haki and push his blades to the next stage. By coating his swords with Supreme King Haki, Zoro will eventually blacken them and continue leveling up in raw power. By the end of One Piece, Zoro is positioned to be even stronger than the overwhelming majority of the Yonko currently standing—and to rank among the world’s most powerful individuals, comparable to Sanji.
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