Yubashiri was one of the fifty Ryo Wazamono grade (called Skillful Grade in the Viz edition) sword. Roronoa Zoro obtained this sword for free from a sword shop owner. The sword was a family heirloom and the best sword in the shop, in Loguetown. Ippon-Matsu gave it to Zoro after he saw the skill and courage that Zoro showed in testing the curse of Sandai Kitetsu.[1]
Yubashiri was a long katana with a black handle. It had a cross-shaped guard and a black lacquered sheath. The blade itself was normal in appearance and its pattern was midareba or irregular pattern. It was considered to be a very light sword. Though mostly black, the sheath and the handle both had thin yet elaborate gold designs on them.[1]
Gallery
Concept art of Yubashiri.
Yubashiri destroyed.
History
After Zoro proved that his willpower was stronger than the curse upon the Sandai Kitetsu sword, the shop owner in Loguetown retrieved Yubashiri from the attic of the building, and revealed it to Zoro, stating that it was a family heirloom. He bestowed it upon Zoro as a gift along with the Kitetsu, leaving Zoro with three swords once again. He first put it to use in Whiskey Peak, against the Baroque Works agents stationed there, and continued to use it regularly afterwards, holding it in his right hand.
After traveling through Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, Drum Kingdom, Alabasta, Jaya, Skypiea, Long Ring Long Land, Water 7, and Enies Lobby, the blade was rusted away by Shu in the battle against the Marines'captains and commanders on the Bridge of Hesitation at Enies Lobby.[2] Zoro keeps the remains of the blade in its sheath and on his waistband from then on until he deposits it at the burial site of the Rumbar Pirates on Thriller Bark, and replaces it with Shusui, which Zoro took from Ryuma after defeating him.[3]
Abilities
Yubashiri was an extremely light, strong, sword and Zoro remarked that it was a "nice katana" after seeing how easy it was to use. Its light weight allowed fast actions and reflexes, while maintaining its sharpness for cutting power.
When used by Zoro, Yubashiri was one of the three swords for his Santoryu style and it was typically used along with Sandai Kitetsu in his Nitoryu techniques. When the sword was destroyed, Zoro replaced it with Shusui.
When Sogeking accidentally locked himself with Zoro's right hand with a kairoseki handcuff, Zoro had to improvise and combined Yubashiri with Sogeking to create the "Hana Arashi sword" (a pun on Sogeking's long nose), by having Sogeking hold the sword and then using Sogeking as the hilt. Sogeking claimed that it made him dizzy when Zoro executed his attacks. Zoro went back to using the sword normally when the two managed to get the cuffs off.
