Hajrudin: from Coliseum ambition to the New Giant Warrior Pirates

October 29, 2026

The essentials in 30 seconds: Hajrudin arrives in Dressrosa dreaming of greatness, but above all he learns to choose his allies there. His defeat by Luffy, his liberation thanks to Usopp and his fight against Machvise mark three distinct stages. The giant finds a new direction without abandoning his ambition or identity.

Hajrudin enters the Corrida Coliseum as a contender who seems capable of crushing everything in his path. His size, equipment and confidence suggest a fighter destined to remain at the centre of the arena for a long time. Yet his encounter with Luffy immediately shifts that promise: the giant will be more than a spectacular obstacle in the hero's way.

What makes him interesting emerges chiefly after the competition. Humiliated, deprived of his freedom and then released, Hajrudin must decide what to do with his restored strength. His journey through the Dressrosa arc tells a particular story of change: seeking greater power and choosing a shared cause are not incompatible ambitions, but they demand different kinds of proof.

An ambition that extends beyond the tournament

A native of Elbaf, Hajrudin comes seeking the Mera Mera no Mi offered as the prize. To him, the fruit represents more than a new technique. It could give exceptional scope to an already gigantic body and support his desire to establish himself among the giants. The tournament's stakes are therefore tied to the future he imagines for himself.

The Coliseum encourages this reasoning. Every fighter arrives with a reputation, silhouette or talent the crowd can recognise immediately. Hajrudin has all three. His presence seems to offer a simple answer to the competition: bigger, stronger, more impressive. The story, however, is careful to put this apparent certainty to the test quickly.

We must distinguish the character's goal from its fulfilment. Hajrudin dreams of a leading position; entering the arena does not mean he has achieved it. That distance between aspiration and achievement is precisely what gives him room to develop. His story remains interesting because a future title cannot solve his present difficulties.

Luffy immediately shows him a limit

In Block C, Hajrudin attacks Ucy, the bull Luffy has befriended. The pirate's response is swift and decisive. This contrast is essential: the giant sees the tournament as a demonstration of strength, while Luffy responds to a bond formed in the middle of the fight itself. They differ over what is worth launching an attack for.

The defeat prevents Hajrudin from becoming merely a measure of power. His build offers no immunity against a smaller opponent. Above all, it takes away the path he had imagined: winning the fruit, enhancing his prestige and leaving with a striking demonstration of superiority. The adventure will offer him something else without asking his permission.

This break becomes clearer when considering the place of Luffy figures in a collection devoted to decisive encounters: the captain does not always change a rival through a speech. Sometimes he does so through a very brief action whose consequences only emerge once the duel is over.

One Piece Figure - Monkey D. Luffy (New World Captain's Coat)

Becoming a toy reveals violence that size cannot protect against

The fate of the Coliseum's defeated fighters exposes another dimension of Doflamingo's regime. Their strength does not protect them from the system that captures them and turns them into toys. Hajrudin is among the fighters who abruptly go from a highly visible public identity to an existence nobody else remembers.

For a character built around an imposing presence, this change is particularly telling. You can occupy a great deal of space and still be erased. The violence of power no longer consists of defeating a body in an arena, but of removing the possibility of being recognised. The giant has not chosen an honourable defeat: he undergoes an organised stripping away of his identity and freedom.

This experience changes the meaning of the gratitude he will later feel. Being freed means more than regaining his size. It allows him to reclaim a history, relationships and the ability to act. Hajrudin's gratitude responds to that complete restoration, even if the story retains a comic element when he celebrates his saviour.

Usopp becomes the focus of a shared debt

Sugar's defeat restores the victims' original forms. Hajrudin associates his freedom with Usopp, elevated to the status of saviour by those who have just escaped being forgotten. The scene reverses the visible balance: the small, exhausted sniper finds himself held aloft and admired by a giant who, only hours earlier, sought nothing but the tournament prize.

The contrast does not reduce Hajrudin to a gullible character. Above all, it highlights the gap between Usopp's actual control over events and the immense impact of his action. Those he saved do not judge his courage by the account he would give of himself. They see what they have regained. Their perspective creates a reputation the sniper could not have built alone.

Hajrudin must now choose how to respond. He could use his freedom to leave, protect himself and postpone his ambition. Instead, he chooses to join the fight. His debt becomes a concrete decision rather than a polite expression. Gratitude begins to guide his behaviour.

Machvise: a test of endurance and will

The fight against Machvise gives this commitment a painful measure. The Donquixote Family member uses the Ton Ton no Mi to increase his weight enormously. The problem is therefore more than facing a massive opponent: Hajrudin must withstand pressure his own giant body cannot simply neutralise.

The official synopsis of episode 709 describes the moment when he rises despite his injuries and gathers his remaining strength into an attack. Victory does not erase the damage he has suffered. It shows a fighter pushing his commitment to a dangerous physical limit, then leaving what follows to others.

This final consequence matters as much as the blow itself. Hajrudin does not become capable of finishing the entire battle alone. His effort creates an opening for the allies still standing. Zoro can continue because another fighter has agreed to deal with the obstacle threatening to stop him. Heroism is thus shared among several people.

Zoro figures can connect the swordsman to this passing of responsibility. A Dressrosa scene benefits from showing actions that respond to one another, rather than a single figure supposedly performing every feat. The group's success depends precisely on these complementary interventions.

Bandai One Piece Figure - Roronoa Zoro (20cm - Classic Version)

Gungnir: an attack's name and the weight of an image

Hajrudin's decisive attack is named Gungnir, associated with Odin's spear in Norse mythology. The official feature on this fight highlights the reference. It connects his action to heroic imagery already present in the character's appearance and aspirations.

This name should not, however, be turned into an additional power. The reference gives the fight a particular flavour; it proves neither invulnerability nor guaranteed victory. Hajrudin's body suffers, and that vulnerability is precisely what keeps the symbol from overwhelming the scene. The warrior evokes a legendary weapon while remaining someone who can break.

The movement also marks a change of direction. The man who hoped to receive an exceptional fruit performs his most striking action with the means he already possesses. His dream is not cancelled, but proving his worth can no longer be postponed until the day he obtains the ideal reward.

A new crew and a freely chosen alliance

After Dressrosa, Hajrudin joins the Straw Hat Grand Fleet as captain of the New Giant Warrior Pirates. This affiliation gives political form to the gratitude born during the battle. It does not make him a crew member living aboard the Sunny: he keeps his own group, responsibilities and path.

This distinction separates the fleet from a conventional expansion of Luffy's crew. Its captains do not disappear behind the hero. Bartolomeo expresses boundless admiration, Cavendish has his own concerns about prestige, and Hajrudin brings an ambition connected to the giants. Their alliance accepts this diversity rather than erasing it.

A collectible Thousand Sunny model can represent the symbolic meeting point of these loyalties without suggesting all the captains live aboard it. One Piece ships are particularly useful for visualising this distinction: several crews and several ships, but a common history born from a shared event.

Why Hajrudin is more than his size

His journey rests on three experiences his physique cannot resolve: losing, depending on someone else and acknowledging a debt. None prevents him from remaining proud. Instead, they give substance to that pride. Being a warrior worthy of his ambition now requires responding to what he has been given.

Robin, who takes part in the struggle against Dressrosa's system, reminds us how much recognising people matters in this arc. Nami and Robin figures offer another perspective on this collective battle beyond the tournament fighters. This theme can be paired with a blue crew-logo mug, a simple symbol of a group capable of embracing very different bonds.

One Piece Figure - Nico Robin (New World Archaeologist Style)

Frequently asked questions

Does Hajrudin win the Mera Mera no Mi?

No. He enters the tournament to obtain the fruit, but Luffy defeats him in Block C. The tournament's outcome therefore does not fulfil the plan he arrived with.

Why does he respect Usopp so much?

Sugar's defeat restores his original form after his transformation into a toy. Hajrudin considers Usopp his saviour and chooses to turn that gratitude into help during the battle.

Is his fight against Machvise an easy victory?

No. He suffers serious damage and has to draw on his remaining strength. His victory has a real cost; it does not prove he could fight every battle in Dressrosa one after another.

Does he travel aboard the Thousand Sunny?

He leads his own crew within the Grand Fleet. His relationship with Luffy is an alliance, distinct from being an everyday member of the Straw Hat crew.

Explore more of the One Piece world

Review the order of the One Piece arcs to place Dressrosa in context.
Compare this commitment with that of Sai and the Happo Navy.
Revisit Usopp's journey through the eyes of the people he saves.

Key takeaways

Hajrudin earns his place in Dressrosa by turning personal ambition into a commitment to others. His strength impresses, but his decisions give weight to his character. To extend this reading into a collection, the Trafalgar Law shop and One Piece mugs offer ways to revisit the world of alliances running through this arc.

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