One Piece has some incredible moments that have sparked much pride and excitement within the fandom. Roronoa Zoro’s win during the battle against King, who was one of Kaidou’s strongest warriors in the Wano arc, had created a huge hype.
For the longest time, we knew that Zoro was strong, but this fight was proof that he had leveled up exponentially, that it would not be wrong to call him an extremely strong swordsman. All because the opponent he was facing was none other than a Lunarian, who are known to be near-invincible warriors.
It is important to know more about them to understand and appreciate this particular victory of Zoro in One Piece. Lunarians in this series are a mysterious race, and currently, it is only King who is known to be from that clan. These people were known to be among the strongest people, known as gods, and lived on the Red Line.
According to the story, due to an undisclosed reason, they were driven to extinction. They have a unique physical trait that would allow anyone to identify them easily. Their signature traits include dark skin, white hair, black-feathered wings, and the most unique feature of all is a constant flame burning on their backs.

Additionally, they possess a defensive ability that renders them nearly invulnerable when the flame on their back is active. When the flames on their backs are activated, they are at their peak. This natural ability puts Lunarians in a class of their own and makes defeating one in direct combat an incredible feat.
During the early phase of their fight, Zoro was getting beaten up. His attacks seem to bounce off, and even when he lands solid hits, King is unaffected. It was all because of his ultimate Lunarian defense.
Whenever the flame on King’s back is burning, he can tank almost anything. But when King extinguishes the flame, his speed increases exponentially, and Zoro can’t keep up. That’s when Zoro gets the revelation: King sacrifices defense for speed, and the flame is the indicator of which mode he’s in.
This defense system was almost foolproof, but also those who have sharp senses could finally understand how to counter these godlike entities. This discovery is a critical shift in the fight. It gives Zoro the strategic insight he needs to stop wasting energy on invulnerable phases and instead time his most devastating attacks when King is vulnerable.
Notably, this battle made Zoro realize that he needed to evolve just to be able to beat him, and then he proceeded to do the unthinkable thing. He unleashes advanced Busoshoku (Armament) Haki and infuses his strikes with Haoshoku (Conqueror’s) Haki, a feat only a few characters in the One Piece series can pull off.
Why Fans should appreciate this Battle in One Piece
Zoro fans already know and appreciate this character and his strength because of how he is portrayed. But once we dive deeper into the mechanics of the Lunarian race, the more this fight between Zoro and King becomes a celebration of everything that makes One Piece battles so rich.
This fight in particular was more than just a battle of strength. It was more into the themes of learning, growth, and breaking through impossibility with willpower and brains. Zoro’s journey in this series has always been about his dedication to the sword, and the fight against King showcases that in all its glory.
To get a broader perspective, in the Jujutsu Kaisen series, understanding a cursed technique is critical to countering it. Similarly, Zoro in One Piece had to first understand Lunarian defense mechanics to even begin fighting King properly.
Ultimately, Zoro’s defeating King One Piece marks a turning point in his journey from pirate swordsman to future World’s Greatest Swordsman. Therefore, he deserves all the hype and praise, but only after we completely understand just how hard he had to work to earn it. It makes it much more impressive, and we appreciate all the effort Eiichiro Oda has put into making this series great.