I will start with the Swordsmiths and the premise of them forging their prized possessions and also the wielder’s role in forging it into a black blade aKa the pinnacle that weapon can reach. Swordsmiths most likely forge blades with intent not only of their swords collecting the achievements through satisfying their malice of killing ( sword satisfying its malice ) but also to be tamed and forget into a Black Blade by its user. Only by then, Swordsmith can say that his blade fulfilled its duty and he as a Swordsmith has achieved his dream of forging the best/one of the best blades in history.
Many people claim that Zoro will only surpass Oden when he fully masters Enma. The only “advantage” Oden has over current Zoro is “tamed” Enma but he had years for it. To understand Enma and tame it properly so he doesn’t have any drawbacks while using it. And remember an important dialogue from the last chapter.
Zoro consciously held back on his Conqueror’s will. Whereas Enma wants you to go all out with it and that’s how you can truly tame it. Equal exchange between the sword and the user. You let Enma feel all of your power, if Enma is satisfied it allows the user to swing it as he pleases without holding him back like shrinking his arm or something because it felt like the user didn’t allow enough gas out of the tank. Oden never really had to hold back on his Conqueror’s will and even when he joined Whitebeard and later Roger he wasn’t their servant but more of a ride-along raw muscle addition to the crew. He was doing what he wanted to do. He never put Whitebeard or Roger over his own ambitions.
Second of all. Oden never mastered Enma.
Enma wasn’t forged into a Black Blade during Oden’s time with it, and mind you, he got Enma for years. He only tamed the sword so he could use it without holding back but didn’t master it aKa forging it into a Black Blade. Oden had more time than Zoro to get acquainted with Enma so it’s obvious he tamed it. Zoro only has had this sword for 2 weeks+ and he is becoming better and better at taming Enma for such a short period of time he got with it.
Zoro taming and maybe later mastering Enma will be all about understanding that he doesn’t have to hold back for Luffy’s sake. He can go all out and that would help Luffy’s dream even more. Enma as a sword has its own malice, its own will that must be fulfilled by someone. Oden wasn’t the one, he could not achieve it even after experiencing so much in his life.
Will Zoro be the one? Will he finally fulfill Enma’s will and malice and forge it into a Black Blade? We will have to wait and experience it with our own eyes.
*by Hot-Principle-7349
