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In One Piece, [Chapter 817: Raizou of the
Mist](http://readms.com/r/one_piece/817/3248/18), there's a scene right after
Luffy and his crew first encounter Raizou, where they all start asking him to
perform some stereotypical ninja techniques.

In this scene, many different characters have requests that mostly parallel
Naruto and old Japanese lore, seen in this panel:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WvikC.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WvikC.png)

Zoro asks for a different request, asking that the ninja "hide in the ceiling
and get pierced by a spear".

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xO57O.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xO57O.png)

This is the part I'm most confused about; what kind of reference is Zoro
making when he asks for the ninja to hide in the ceiling and get pierced by a
spear?


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2016-02-27T19:37:20.257
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question
one-piece
Asking a ninja to hide in the ceiling and get pierced by a spear?


This is a [common
trope](https://books.google.com/books?id=MuNLyoXB-8oC&lpg=PA142&ots=MYzxAuD2B6&dq=ninja%20ceiling%20spear&pg=PA143#v=onepage&q=%20spear&f=false)
in period dramas involving samurais and ninjas.

You see, when ninjas hide under floors or in attics, they need to be wary of
spears and swords from samurai. It's routine in many dramas to stab the
ceiling and walls to check for concealed ninja. If you stab and get blood, you
got your ninja.

A very [well-known
story](https://books.google.com/books?id=tnE8CgAAQBAJ&lpg=PT235&ots=bSSPbnYPnr&dq=ninja%20ceiling%20spear&pg=PT235#v=onepage&q=ninja%20ceiling%20spear&f=false)
is of a figure called 穴九右衛門 ("Hole" Kuemon). Kuemon was a ninja sent to
assassinate the Lord of a castle. In the process of infiltrating, he got
stabbed in the head by a spear and almost got caught. However, he was able to
lie still, wipe the blood off, and await another opportunity. Eventually, he
succeeded and he returned with a scar on his head, earning him the moniker "穴"
(hole).


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answer