One Piece Law novel reveals Trafalgar Law's first sword before Kikoku

A wildly popular character from the pirate-themed One Piece series, Trafalgar D. Water Law is a formidable member of the Worst Generation’s Eleven Supernovas alongside the likes of Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Eustass Kid, and more. Law is the captain of the Heart Pirates but has long been a close ally of the Straw Hats throughout much of the One Piece story.

In battle, Trafalgar Law wields Kikoku, a large nodachi. Law uses this sword in conjunction with the Ope-Ope Fruit's tricky abilities, allowing him to manipulate anything within the range of his powers as if his targets were patients on a surgeon’s operating table. Also, considering Law’s own medical expertise, it’s easy to understand why he is known as the “Surgeon of Death”.

On December 4, 2024, One Piece began publishing One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku. This tale reveals how Trafalgar Law obtained his signature weapon while delving into the Heart Pirates' early days. Written by Shusei Sakagami and illustrated by Kinu Nishimura, the first chapter of the One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku is already available to fans as part of the latest One Piece Magazine.

One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku sheds light on Trafalgar Law's first sword Kosho

Trafalgar Law vs Kalik Meidara

The story of the One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku is a direct sequel to the events recounted in the previous One Piece novel Law, which focused on Trafalgar Law’s adventures as he left Donquixote Doflamingo’s vicious “Family” and formed the Heart Pirates after meeting Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin.

On one of their first voyages, the Heart Pirates were ambushed by the Kalik Pirates, a crew who used to kidnap civilians and sell them into slavery. Their leader, Kalik Meidara, attacked Trafalgar Law while his subordinates fought against Bepo and the others. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin fended off the assailants quite well.

A pirate with a bounty of 50,000,000 berries placed on his head, Kalik Meidara appeared as a sturdy, muscular man wearing a helmet made of animal bone. He had exceptional physical strength, which he used to wield a large axe. As the battle raged, Law managed to dodge Meidara’s axe, slipping past it to strike Meidara with an Injection Shot.

This technique involved Law using his sword to stab and pierce the target as if he were giving an injection with a syringe. It must be noted that Law didn’t use his current sword, Kikoku, during the battle against Meidara. At the time, Law still didn’t have Kikoku. He owned another sword called Kosho, a katana ranked among the 50 Skillful Grade Blades.

Law’s Injection Shot caused Meidara to fall to the ground, coughing up blood. With Law already celebrating his victory, Meidara, although covered in blood, stood up and attacked him again. Meidara revealed that he had underestimated Law, believing him to be just a weak rookie, but he would not make the same mistake twice.

Law's Counter Shock technique (Image via Toei Animation)

Meidara unleashed a powerful swing with his axe, which Law tried to block the attack with his sword, Kosho. However, the sword snapped under the force of Meidara’s axe. Thankfully, Law was able to dodge the blow in the nick of time. After delivering another barrage of attacks, one of which grazed Law’s forehead, Meidara began to feel weakened by the wound that Law had inflicted on him earlier.

This allowed Law to strike Meidara with Counter Shock. To perform the attack, Law placed his hands on Meidara’s chest, releasing a powerful electrical charge on him. The move finished off Meidara for good. Just as Meidara collapsed, a huge wave hit the ship. Too exhausted from the battle, Law could not prevent himself from falling into the sea.

Law meets Hakugan

Hakugan as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

As a Devil Fruit user, Law had lost the ability to swim, so he sank into the water helplessly until he lost consciousness. That said, he woke up sometime later, with Bepo tenderly rubbing his back. Law immediately asked about the rest of the Kalik Pirates, to which Shachi and Penguin replied that they had been defeated and tied up.

When Law asked how he had survived, Bepo pointed to a young man named Hakugan. During their last raid, the Kalik Pirates kidnapped a group of people, including Hakugan. After seeing the Heart Pirates fighting off his captors, Hakugan decided to rescue Law when the latter fell into the sea.

To thank him for saving his life, Law offered to take Hakugan and the others abducted by the Kalik Pirates back to their home on Welbems Island. During the trip, which lasted three days, Law couldn’t help but regret the loss of Kosho, his beloved sword. All that remained of Kosho was the hilt as the broken blade fell into the sea.

Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin (Image via Toei Animation)

Humiliated and saddened by what had happened, Law kept Kosho’s hilt to remind himself of his weakness. After the three-day trip, Law and the others finally arrived at Welbems Island. They accompanied Hakugan to meet his fellow villagers, although he was nervous.

Hakugan explained that the people in his village began to ostracize him after his face was disfigured by the severe burns he received while saving an old woman and her daughter from their burning house. As a result, he decided to cover his face with a white mask.

Recognizing Law and the others as pirates, the villagers hid in fear. However, the village’s chief rushed out to hug Hakugan and even thanked the Heart Pirates after learning what they had done to rescue Hakugan and the other abducted villagers.

Hakugan and Nanagi, Law and Lami

Law as a child with his father, mother, and little sister (Image via Toei Animation)

As Law and his comrades decided to spend a few days on Welbems Island to recover from the battle against the Kalik Pirates, Hakugan offered to stay at his place and explained that his parents had died two years earlier. Hakugan’s father was an honorable warrior who protected the village from both pirates and the Nagels Kingdom’s soldiers.

Suddenly, Hakugan’s little sister Nanagi entered the room where Law, Hakugan, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin were having dinner. Nanagi ran to the kitchen to grab knives, which she used to threaten Law and the others, saying they all looked suspicious. Seeing the girl, Law was reminded of his late little sister, Trafalgar Lami, who died during the terrible Flevance Incident.

Hakugan calmed down Nanagi, explaining what had happened, but the little girl still refused to trust Law and the others. This prompted Law to tell her they would only stay for three days and immediately leave if they caused any trouble in the village.

Law as a child with his mentor Corazon (Image via Toei Animation)

For three days, Law practiced with some swords and read medical books. Meanwhile, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin befriended Nanagi, proving to her that they were good people despite being pirates. So, she was happy to ask the Heart Pirates to spend more time in the village.

As time passed, Law started thinking about Donquixote Doflamingo and how to kill him to avenge Corazon finally. Realizing that in his current condition, he wouldn’t stand a chance against Doflamingo, as he wasn’t strong enough to defeat someone like Kalik Meidara without breaking his own reason, Law resolved to become stronger.

Thus, he asked Hakugan to help him find a new sword to replace the broken Kosho. Hakugan told Law that he would take him to the best weapon shop in the area the next day. As for Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin, they decided to train their fighting and swimming skills in order to support Law better in future fights.

One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku, in summation

Law using Kikoku to fight against Doflamingo (Image via Toei Animation)

The first chapter of One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku focused on one of the first adventures of the Heart Pirates, revealing how Trafalgar Law defeated the more experienced pirate Kalik Meidara but lost his beloved sword in the battle.

The tale emphasizes both Law’s fighting skills and his connection to his sword, Kosho, laying the narrative groundwork for him to get a new sword, the nodachi Kikoku, which is now his signature weapon.

One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku also delved into the story of Hakugan, a young man who would eventually join Law’s crew and become the helmsman of the Heart Pirates. Ultimately, the novel offers a particularly touching moment when Hakugan’s little sister, Nanagi, reminds Law of his late little sister, Lami. This innocent kid died in one of One Piece’s darkest incidents.

The forthcoming chapters of One Piece novel Law: The Hour of Kikoku will likely show Hakugan officially joining the Heart Pirates and explain how Law got his sword Kikoku.