Axe

An axe is a shaft, usually wood or metal, fitted with a bladed head opposite the grip. Used in combat, its wielder is called an axeman. Though less common in the series than swords or polearms, axes remain a frequent sight, especially in the hands of giants.

Axes serve as chopping tools with single or double heads, while variants such as the hatchet add a hammer on the reverse side, and combat models run heavier with broader blades. The weapon's strength lies in landing one lethal, weight-driven blow, and lighter versions can be thrown, but the swing it demands makes it slow and leaves the wielder open to quicker piercing arms like daggers and swords. Its saving grace is endurance, since even a dull axe can bludgeon a foe to death, unlike a sword that must stay sharp to stay useful.

Morgan was the first prominent axeman in the story, having swapped his severed right hand for a large single-bladed axe that earned him the name Axe-Hand Morgan. The giant Brogy swung a Bruiser Axe until it shattered after a century of dueling, and his fellow giant Kashii fought with a single-sided axe of his own. Sentomaru carries a massive double-bladed masakari, X Drake fights with a four-bladed axe, and Vander Decken IX throws rose-engraved axes paired with his Mato Mato no Mi. There even exists an Axe Dial that fires a razor-thin blast of air.