An axe is a shaft (usually metal or wood) with a bladed head attached to the opposite end of the handle. If used in combat, the user is known as an axeman.
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Strengths and Weaknesses[]
Compared to the standard swords and polearms, axes are not as commonly used in the series, but are still relatively frequent weapons, especially among giants. Axes themselves have a variety of uses and are designed to be a chopping tool with a single or double headed blade, while varieties like the "hatchet" have a hammer on the other side. The axe head was altered slightly to fit the needs for chopping, while ones designed for combat are much heavier with a larger blade.
In combat, the strength of the axe is its ability to deal a single lethal blow, often relying as much on the weight of the blade as the force of the thrust itself. Lightweight versions can also serve as throwing weapons. Otherwise the axe is normally a slow weapon because of the swinging force needed to make it effective, leaving the wielder vulnerable to faster, piercing weapons such as daggers or swords.
There is one more advantage to the axe over most other weapons; its endurance. Even a blunt axe has damage potential to also bludgeon a victim to death. This is a contrast to the sword, which needs to be kept relatively sharp to be most effective.
Types[]
Axes are essentially broken down into two categories; though there is sometimes overlapping, normally axes are designed for a specific purpose.
Tool-based[]
Though an axe could be used as a weapon, several characters have been seen using axes built for other means, as chopping wood. Some notable examples can be seen in the Water 7 Saga, being used by Galley-La Company employees, or in Tom's flashbacks.
Weapon based[]
These axes were designed for battle. Morgan is the first significant person within the series to be known as an axeman, having replaced his severed right hand with a large single-bladed axe, living to his epithet "Axe-Hand Morgan".[1]Brogy wielded a Bruiser Axe[2] that ultimately shattered after 100 years of battle.[3]Kashii, like his captain Brogy, uses a single-sided axe.[4]Sentomaru uses a giant, double-bladed broad axe that is known as a masakari,[5] but only utilizes it in tougher situations.[6]X Drake uses a peculiar type of battle axe, in which it has four blades, one in each cardinal direction.[7]Lonz uses a giant double-bladed axe.[8]Vander Decken IX uses a large amount of giant axes, embossed with rose design on the center, either with single or double sided blades; he would either use them for close combat (single-side)[9] or as throwing projectiles (double-blade) that is combined with his Mato Mato no Mi.[10]Boo has three double-sided axes, to which he can imbue with Armament Haki to increase their strength.[11] During the Raid on Onigashima, the Charlotte Family's eldest son, Perospero used his candy based power to create a single-bladed axe out of hardened candy to finish off Nekomamushi.[12]
