One Piece teases there may be much more to Dracule Mihawk than meets the eye hinting he may have suffered a huge betrayal that changed him forever.

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SUMMARY

 In One Piece SBS Volume #108, it is revealed that Mihawk was betrayed by someone in the past, leading to his distrustful, reclusive nature.
 Mihawk joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea to ensure solitude after growing tired of life and to avoid being chased by the Marines.
 Despite his past, Mihawk has not forgotten the betrayal or his grudge, which sheds light on his pursuit of Don Krieg in the East Blue.

One Piece has finally revealed the past of one of its most intriguing characters, Dracule Mihawk, and it explains his character perfectly. Though Mihawk is infamous as the strongest swordsman in the world in One Piece, little is known about his character beyond his alleged skill and accomplishments. But, this may not be the case for much longer, as the latest SBS volume just dropped a crucial clue about his past.

In the SBS section of Volume #108 of One Piece, Oda reveals that Mihawk experienced a great betrayal in the past, which led him to become wary and distrustful, as seen in the series in the present. It is unclear as to what this betrayal entailed or who it was that betrayed him. Oda also reveals that Mihawk holds a grudge against the Marines, but does not reveal anything as to why or whether his grudge could be connected to the said betrayal.

Mihawk’s past was revealed in response to a question about Mihawk’s former nickname as the Naval Hunter, which Crocodile mentions in chapter #1058 when attempting to get Mihawk to ally with him. Mihawk’s grudge against the Marines might explain why he once hunted them as well as why he may have agreed to form Cross Guild together with Crocodile and Buggy despite generally keeping to himself.

One Piece finally reveals who would win in an all out battle — the Yonko “Red Hair” Shanks or the World’s Strongest Swordsman “Hawk-Eye” Mihawk.

One Piece Teases Mihawk Suffered a Great Betrayal

One Piece SBS Volume #108

The SBS section of Volume #108 also explains another key aspect of Dracule Mihawk’s past, which is why he joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Considering his distaste and troubled history with the Marines, it seems odd that he would become their lapdog, but the latest comment by Oda in Volume #108 explains that Mihawk has grown tired of life and prefers solitude over the risk of trusting the company of others.

As such, Mihawk chose to become a warlord to ensure he could live in peace and exclusivity without being constantly chased by the Marines. This is consistent with Mihawk’s character, who generally travels on a tiny boat all by himself, and why he chose to make the abandoned island of Kuraigana his home. Oda’s latest comment also explains Mihawk’s lack of interest in the affairs of the seven warlords until their dissolution and why he might have agreed to hide behind Buggy’s shadow, letting him take the spotlight as the head of Cross Guild.

Mihawk Still Holds a Grudge Against the Marines

That said, this does not mean that Mihawk has forgotten his betrayal or his grudge against the Navy. After all, the Straw Hats first encountered Mihawk when he was chasing after Don Krieg, following him to the East Blue all the way from the Grand Line. Mihawk’s marine hunting past at last explains his pursuit of Don Krieg and why he was in the East Blue despite being a powerful Warlord.

Overall, Mihawk is undoubtedly one of many enigmatic characters in One Piece and this revelation has only made him even more intriguing. There are still many questions about this betrayal, who it might have been that made Mihawk so wary, and whether this could be connected to how Mihawk became the strongest swordsman in One Piece. While the revelation of his past in the SBS section casts doubt on whether it will ever be explored in the series itself, Mihawk still has a crucial role to play in the series, offering ample opportunity for his past to unfold.