Monsters follows Zoro’s ancestor, Shimotsuki Ryuma, a swordsman from Wano in an adventure many years before Luffy’s quest to become the Pirate King. Besides the one-shot, Ryuma first appeared during One Piece‘s Thriller Bark arc, where Zoro had to defeat his zombified remains, reclaiming the legendary samurai’s katana. However, on January 21, 2024, the new Monsters anime will reveal more about his life and how he became a legend.

The story follows the legendary swordsman who has been said to have earned the title of “Sword God.” Ryuma earned much of his reputation after seemingly slaying a fearsome dragon. This feat had many One Piece theorists believing the Zoro would kill Kaido to honor One Piece‘s roots from the Monsters storyline. While that was not the case, the new adaptation will likely clear up many questions regarding the adventures of Zoro’s ancient ancestor.

Monsters, the story of One Piece’s Ryuma, Releases January 21

When the release of the One Piece prequel anime was first announced, fans were ecstatic to hear they’d get a glimpse into an unseen time period of the franchise’s history. However, what was made even more exciting was the news that the Monsters Netflix special would be crafted by the same talented artists who helped make stunning projects like One Piece Film: Z and season one of Jujutsu Kaisen, Park Sung Hoo. His new animation studio, E&H Production, is taking on the challenge of adapting one of the first stories that helped put Eiichiro Oda on the path to creating the worldwide phenomenon that is One Piece.

It’s currently unclear if the 25-minute Monsters OVA will be a direct adaptation of the original manga one-shot. The new animation could be filled with Easter eggs for Oda’s fans to discover. However, many of One Piece‘s biggest mysteries revolve around the Void Century, Ancient Weapons, and the Red Poneglifs, which have been unsolved in its world for hundreds of years. It’s not impossible to think that Monsters could include shocking revelations directly connecting to Eiichiro Oda’s beloved One Piece storyline. Either way, viewers will likely dive in and find connections to the version of Wano the One Piece‘s anime and manga recently saw liberated.

Zoro’s Ancestor Ryuma Was One Of One Piece’s Strongest Swordsmen

It’s been 30 years since Eiichiro Oda’s Monsters was first published. The author and his talents as a storyteller and illustrator have grown considerably since the 19-year-old Oda crafted Ryuma’s tale. Monsters and other early Oda works were published in a collection called Wanted!, which included a prototype of One Piece‘s first chapter titled “Romance Dawn, Version 2.” Perhaps Netflix will consider adapting even more of Oda’s one-shots if Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation is a hit with audiences when it releases on January 21, 2024.