The Shichibukai or the Seven Warlords of the Sea were once among the three great powers in A play. The Three Great Powers consisted of the Marines, Yonko, and Shichibukai, and all three maintained the balance of power. The Shichibukai consist of seven of the most promising pirates in A play, and to earn their loyalty, the World Government made them lucrative offers. The World Government would freeze Pirates’ bounties, and they would also grant them more freedom than regular Pirates, and in return the Pirates would only have to serve the World Government.
Countless people had suffered because of the Shichibukai, and they went to the World Government with the plea to abolish the system. Admiral Fujitora led a very vocal campaign against the Shichibukai and finally during the recent Levely, the system was canceled. While it is beneficial in some ways, it also upsets the balance of power. The World Government plans to use the Special Science Group to fill the void, but it’s unclear if it can be as effective. With the demise of the Shichibukai system, the pirates who were part of the organization were once again seen as the enemies of the World Government. At the time of its dissolution, there were still many notable figures, who were part of the organization, and one of the biggest names among them was Dracule Mihawk.
His involvement so far
Dracule Mihawk was introduced throughout the Baratie arc. Right off the bat, Mihawk seemed like a very calm character. He hunted Don Krieg and his fleet and destroyed everything just because they disturbed his nap. A pirate taking down an entire fleet by himself is not common, and to top it all off, Mihawk fought and defeated Zoro, with a small knife. Zoro was using his best techniques, but he couldn’t even brush against Mihawk. Before leaving, the Shichibukai used its blade to make a large wound on Zoro’s chest, which would serve as a reminder of the latter’s failure.
Mihawk’s next big appearance was in the Summit War. The Marines planned to execute Portgas D. Ace, and they expected Whitebeard to show up at Marineford, so they gathered all the Shichibukai to fight against the Whitebeard Pirates. Mihawk has faced several characters in Marineford, but he hasn’t even been scratched, which shows just how powerful he is.
Unparalleled swordsmanship
Mihawk holds the title of “the strongest swordsman in the world”. This basically means that when it comes to pure fencing, there is no one else who can compare to him. Mihawk has the all-black blade, Yoru, which is one of the few known Saijo O-Wazamono quality swords. A single slash from Mihawk’s sword was enough to cut through a gigantic iceberg at Marineford.
In the past, Mihawk was a rival to Shanks, now part of the Yonko. Whitebeard mentioned that the battles between the two swordsmen shook the whole world. However, after Shanks lost his arm, Mihawk’s interest in him waned. Ever since Mihawk lost Shanks as a rival, he’s been looking for opponents who could defeat him. The true extent of Mihawk’s strength remains unknown, but that will change in the final saga.
Role in the final saga
Dracule Mihawk remains a mysterious character and there is still a lot that fans don’t know about him and his abilities, and because of this, many questions surround him, especially regarding his past. He is the only pirate, who has no crew, and he travels alone. Many theories suggest that Mihawk is of royal blood and may be related to the Five Elders. While there are others who believe that Mihawk is Rayleigh’s son. However, there is not much evidence available for either of the two theories.
As things stand, it seems very likely that Mihawk could have a pivotal role to play in the final saga after all, Oda wouldn’t have been saving Mihawk all this time for nothing. Mihawk along with Boa and Weevil are the only three Shichibukai who haven’t been involved in any serious fights on the show so far. When he last appeared, Mihawk’s house was surrounded by Marines, but he didn’t actually mind, he was thrilled at the prospect of becoming a wanted man again.
There’s no doubt Mihawk will fight the Marines as they can’t afford to let him get away.
One thing for sure is that Mihawk is going to face Roronoa Zoro at some point. Preparation for the battle between Mihawk and Zoro has begun in East Blue, and it seems unlikely that Oda will pass up this opportunity. There’s a tiny possibility that Mihawk would be killed by someone else, and then Zoro would fight the newly crowned “world’s strongest swordsman.” Whatever Mihawk’s fate in the final saga, one thing is certain: he will go down as one of the coolest characters in the entire saga. A play series.