One Piece: Zoro Dons His Bandana and Awakens Conqueror’s Haki — Fans Split Over Art Quality and Power Creep

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The story

In the latest chapter of One Piece, Zoro ties on his bandana and unleashes Conqueror’s Haki, sparking a flood of reactions on 5ch’s Nanidemo Jikkyo G board. Rather than excitement, the thread was dominated by complaints about the art — “the direction has gotten worse,” “it used to hit harder with one big splash panel” — along with pointed remarks that Conqueror’s Haki has become so common among characters that it now amounts to a “bargain sale.” Commenters also noted the still-blurry distinction between Armament and Observation Haki, and voiced concern over creator Eiichiro Oda’s health amid his frequent hiatuses — the thread blending genuine excitement with a sense of fatigue toward the long-running series.

What people said

5AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:49
The art direction has really gone downhill, no joke
10AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:51
Re: #5
Back in the day this would've been one big, impactful splash panel
8AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:50
If he's tying on the bandana, the cape just seems like it'd get in the way
9AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:51
Back in the day guys like Mimura and Sanma wouldn't shut up about One Piece on TV (famous comedians who were vocal fans) — now nobody even brings it up
11AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:51
Powers up just by putting on a bandana!
So cool 🤮
13AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:51
Devil Fruit powers barely matter anymore, it's all turned into a Haki stat-check. If you don't have Conqueror's Haki you're useless in a fight
17AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:53
Re: #13
Probably meant as a buff for Devil Fruit users — otherwise nobody would need crewmates
14AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:52
He's had a lot of breaks lately, hope Odacchi's doing okay (affectionate nickname for creator Oda)
15AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:53
Guess all it takes is tying on a bandana and glaring hard to bring out your Haki
16AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:53
Conqueror's Haki users are a dime a dozen now, why's everyone acting so terrified?
19AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:54
With an ending like this, shouldn't the last panel just be Zoro's cool bandana face and then 'see you next week'?
20AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:55
'You can't even land a hit on the late-game dungeon bosses without Conqueror's Haki' — sounds like a broken game
32AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:00
Re: #20
Like Joy Boy did, Haki can apparently be stored in objects — so maybe Usopp could load Luffy's Conqueror's Haki into a bullet and snipe with it? Probably
22AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:56
I got more hyped watching Chopper pop a Rumble Ball
75AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:21
Re: #22
Fishman Island arc
Rubber-boy: "That's nothing but doping!!" (mocking nickname for Luffy)
23AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:56
Sorry, when's the one eye finally supposed to awaken?
24AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:56
There's something stuck in his left shoulder area
A hose?
26AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:56
Yikes! (pissing himself)
Is this really what used to be Japan's top-selling manga? Genuinely sad
27AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:57
Aaaaaaah
Shaking
Trembling
Tears and snot gushing everywhere
⭐︎To be continued!!! Next issue: on hiatus
28AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:57
Wait, if taking it off makes him weaker anyway, why'd he ever take the bandana off in the first place?
30AnonymousSep 28, 2026 11:59
Can he not just end a chapter on a cool note for once, seriously 😅
Guess Oda still thinks Enel's goofy faces are eternally funny
31AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:00
I think this one's better than usual, though the old 'trying to cut through steel' scene was cooler.
Let's pretend Somars never happened
33AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:00
Also, forcing a reaction like that out of someone he already drew blood on just makes the swordsman look worse.
Imagine if Mr. 1 had freaked out in fear right before getting sliced apart — that would've ruined the whole scene
34AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:01
The Knights of God are way too small-time.
How's the story even going to handle the villains in the Laugh Tale arc…?
35AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:01
It's basically a Conqueror's Haki bargain sale at this point.
Couldn't they have at least kept it limited to the top of each faction?
36AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:01
The scared guy's face looks like something out of a Maniwa Kazuo comic (manga artist known for exaggerated grotesque expressions)
37AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:02
Wasn't Zoro supposed to be the Armament Haki guy and Sanji the Observation Haki guy?
38AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:03
Re: #37
I assumed they'd each master their own type and cover for each other in battle
44AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:04
Re: #37
Usopp could've specialized in Observation Haki too — just coating his bullets with Haki would already make him decently useful
50AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:06
Why does this end almost exactly the same way the last chapter did?
57AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:10
Re: #50
Probably came up with several versions of the same cliffhanger and couldn't decide which one to use
64AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:15
There's no way the old sense of style is coming back at this point, so let's just wrap it up already
66AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:17
Re: #64
Seriously, I wish the pacing would pick up — at this rate who knows how many more years this'll drag on
67AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:17
Who's this pathetic, grubby old man crying like that?
Also he just looks like he's acting tough against some nobody
71AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:19
Re: #67
He's a senior officer under the final boss's crew
72AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:19
Re: #67
Well, his base strength is probably around Jinbe's level — he's just buffed by Im-sama
110AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:42
I get Armament and Observation Haki, but what actually is Conqueror's Haki supposed to be at this point?
115AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:44
Re: #110
I used to think it was a special-bloodline Haki, like a 'king's vessel' or something tied to the Will of D. — but now that Zoro can use it, it's just become a confusing mess of a concept
117AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:44
Re: #110
Didn't they just call it 'presence/intimidation'?
120AnonymousSep 28, 2026 12:45
Re: #110
Apparently it's about 'the self,' lol
Honestly it's just psyching yourself up, wrapping yourself in an aura, and punching or slashing — there's basically no difference from Armament Haki
And of course nobody explains why that alone can cut through an immortal's heart

Background and Talking Points

Conqueror’s Haki was originally portrayed as a rare trait held by only a handful of figures, such as Whitebeard and Shanks, but in recent years more and more characters — even within the Straw Hat crew itself — have gained the ability, leading commenters to describe the setting as having inflated to the point of a “Conqueror’s Haki bargain sale.” The fact that the story keeps moving forward without clearly explaining the difference between Armament and Observation Haki has fed complaints that the series has become “less a battle of abilities and more a Haki stat-check.” On the art side, many readers unfavorably compared this chapter’s paneling to the impact of past full-page splash panels, calling the direction “degraded,” compounded by ongoing worries over Eiichiro Oda’s health given his frequent hiatuses. Zoro’s bandana has long served as a visual cue for a Haki awakening, but this time many readers felt that on its own it fell flat.

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nanidemo Jikkyo G) thread “Zoro Finally Ties On His Bandana and Masters Conqueror’s Haki!!!!!!”

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