TV-Series
Description
Hyōzō is a male blue-ringed octopus merman who serves as the assassin and a commissioned officer for the New Fish-Man Pirates. At thirty-nine years old and standing over three meters tall, he was once widely recognized as the strongest swordsman on Fish-Man Island. His lower body consists of six orange tentacles marked with blue rings, while his upper body is lean with scarlet skin. He typically appears with short, disheveled hair and a toothpick in his mouth, his expression often one of boredom. He carries a flask of sake tied to his back, which he drinks from frequently.
Hyōzō is characterized by a calm and lazy demeanor, maintaining a clear head in most situations, though this stems from apathy rather than discipline. He is a mercenary at heart, his loyalty belonging entirely to whoever pays him. He joined Hody Jones’s crew not out of belief in their ideology, but simply because Hody was willing to pay for his services. In a previous encounter, Arlong had also tried to recruit him, but the deal fell through because Arlong was too greedy to meet his price. This focus on profit defines his moral compass, as he performs his assigned tasks properly without caring about their nature. His primary motivation is financial reward, and he views his combat skills as a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.
His most defining and dangerous personality trait is his behavior when intoxicated. Hyōzō has a severe drinking problem and is almost constantly in a state of inebriation. When drunk and holding his swords, he becomes a "drunken killer" who will attack anyone in his vicinity indiscriminately, whether friend or foe, or even inanimate objects. This makes him a terrifying and unstable force on the battlefield, as his own crew members fear being cut down by him as much as his enemies do. Despite his legendary status, he possesses a fragile ego, reacting with rage when insulted and displaying an inability to accept defeat gracefully. He looked down on the octopus fish-man Hatchan, considering him a mediocre swordsman, and became furious when compared unfavorably to him.
In the story of the Fish-Man Island Saga, Hyōzō is first encountered guarding the entrance to the island alongside other members of the New Fish-Man Pirates. When Monkey D. Luffy attacked the group with a Jet Pistol, Hammond and another pirate were knocked unconscious, but Hyōzō successfully blocked the blow, showcasing his immense speed and skill. He used this opportunity to counterattack, attempting to poison Luffy with his venom. During the takeover of Fish-Man Island, he was assigned to occupy the southwestern area, where he forced citizens to trample on a portrait of the late Queen Otohime under threat of death.
His key relationship and primary confrontation is with Roronoa Zoro. On the Gyoncorde Plaza, as the final battle erupted, Hyōzō consumed an overdose of Energy Steroids, which turned his hair white and dramatically increased his physical strength, though the side effects also rapidly aged him. In his drunken and enhanced state, he attacked Robin, only to be intercepted by Zoro. The battle was completely one-sided. Despite his reputation, Hyōzō was unable to land a single blow on Zoro, who remained largely unimpressed. In a moment of humiliation, Hyōzō wept and claimed he could not fight without his swords after they were destroyed. When Zoro turned his back, dismissing him as a frog in a well, Hyōzō attempted a dishonorable sneak attack by coating a new sword in his deadly venom and striking from behind. Zoro, having anticipated this, easily evaded and defeated him with a single technique, the Rengoku Oni Giri, cementing his total defeat.
After his defeat, Hyōzō, along with the other officers, was imprisoned. The severe side effects of the many Energy Steroids he consumed took their toll, rapidly aging him into a feeble, white-haired old man who complained of joint pain.
As a fighter, Hyōzō is a master of an eight-sword style, wielding seven sabers and one katana simultaneously, which his octopus merman physiology allows him to do with deadly precision. Reflecting his nature as a blue-ringed octopus, he can secrete a potent neurotoxin from his body and coat his blades with it, making even a small cut potentially fatal. His signature technique is Swaying Stagger, a drunken-style attack that involves stumbling forward while firing compressed slashing projectiles at his target. While his strength and reaction speed were high enough to block Luffy's Gear Second technique, his ultimate fate demonstrates that his power was far below that of the world's elite swordsmen.
Hyōzō is characterized by a calm and lazy demeanor, maintaining a clear head in most situations, though this stems from apathy rather than discipline. He is a mercenary at heart, his loyalty belonging entirely to whoever pays him. He joined Hody Jones’s crew not out of belief in their ideology, but simply because Hody was willing to pay for his services. In a previous encounter, Arlong had also tried to recruit him, but the deal fell through because Arlong was too greedy to meet his price. This focus on profit defines his moral compass, as he performs his assigned tasks properly without caring about their nature. His primary motivation is financial reward, and he views his combat skills as a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.
His most defining and dangerous personality trait is his behavior when intoxicated. Hyōzō has a severe drinking problem and is almost constantly in a state of inebriation. When drunk and holding his swords, he becomes a "drunken killer" who will attack anyone in his vicinity indiscriminately, whether friend or foe, or even inanimate objects. This makes him a terrifying and unstable force on the battlefield, as his own crew members fear being cut down by him as much as his enemies do. Despite his legendary status, he possesses a fragile ego, reacting with rage when insulted and displaying an inability to accept defeat gracefully. He looked down on the octopus fish-man Hatchan, considering him a mediocre swordsman, and became furious when compared unfavorably to him.
In the story of the Fish-Man Island Saga, Hyōzō is first encountered guarding the entrance to the island alongside other members of the New Fish-Man Pirates. When Monkey D. Luffy attacked the group with a Jet Pistol, Hammond and another pirate were knocked unconscious, but Hyōzō successfully blocked the blow, showcasing his immense speed and skill. He used this opportunity to counterattack, attempting to poison Luffy with his venom. During the takeover of Fish-Man Island, he was assigned to occupy the southwestern area, where he forced citizens to trample on a portrait of the late Queen Otohime under threat of death.
His key relationship and primary confrontation is with Roronoa Zoro. On the Gyoncorde Plaza, as the final battle erupted, Hyōzō consumed an overdose of Energy Steroids, which turned his hair white and dramatically increased his physical strength, though the side effects also rapidly aged him. In his drunken and enhanced state, he attacked Robin, only to be intercepted by Zoro. The battle was completely one-sided. Despite his reputation, Hyōzō was unable to land a single blow on Zoro, who remained largely unimpressed. In a moment of humiliation, Hyōzō wept and claimed he could not fight without his swords after they were destroyed. When Zoro turned his back, dismissing him as a frog in a well, Hyōzō attempted a dishonorable sneak attack by coating a new sword in his deadly venom and striking from behind. Zoro, having anticipated this, easily evaded and defeated him with a single technique, the Rengoku Oni Giri, cementing his total defeat.
After his defeat, Hyōzō, along with the other officers, was imprisoned. The severe side effects of the many Energy Steroids he consumed took their toll, rapidly aging him into a feeble, white-haired old man who complained of joint pain.
As a fighter, Hyōzō is a master of an eight-sword style, wielding seven sabers and one katana simultaneously, which his octopus merman physiology allows him to do with deadly precision. Reflecting his nature as a blue-ringed octopus, he can secrete a potent neurotoxin from his body and coat his blades with it, making even a small cut potentially fatal. His signature technique is Swaying Stagger, a drunken-style attack that involves stumbling forward while firing compressed slashing projectiles at his target. While his strength and reaction speed were high enough to block Luffy's Gear Second technique, his ultimate fate demonstrates that his power was far below that of the world's elite swordsmen.