Monkey D. Luffy & Roronoa Zoro — 2018/06/17
Are they still rivals… or has the gap become permanent?
For a long time, One Piece fans believed Luffy and Zoro stood side by side.
Same crew. Same era. Same monsters.
But somewhere along the way, that balance started to feel… off.
Luffy = Zoro Was the Ideal
376: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
I wonder if Zoro is really getting a power-up in Wano.
The Luffy = Zoro balance just feels right.
He should hurry up and beat Mihawk already.
392: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
No way Luffy = Zoro works anymore.
424: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Back in the day, they really felt equal though.
431: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Honestly, before Luffy learned Gears, Zoro was stronger.
Power-Ups and Their Limits
389: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>376
Even if he gets stronger, it’s probably just returning Shusui and getting a great-grade sword.
409: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>389
That wouldn’t even put him halfway to Luffy.
>>392
Sanji isn’t really a combatant anyway.
He’d never seriously attack his crewmates.
416: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Zoro still hasn’t gone all out.
He’s only fought weaker opponents.
He’ll probably awaken or open his eye or something.
419: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Back in the day, Luffy and Zoro really felt like equals.
424: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
When they seriously fought in the city, that was peak.
That’s when I really fell for Zoro.
The Sanji Gap Problem
402: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>392
Zoro and Sanji have always had a big gap.
453: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>402
But isn’t the Zoro–Sanji gap smaller than the Luffy–Zoro gap?
I can’t imagine Zoro beating Doflamingo.
If Luffy = Zoro, that gap would be way too big.
410: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>392
The gap is already hopeless.
Sanji got destroyed by Vergo, while Zoro crushed Pica.
That alone shows the difference.
421: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>410
B-but Sanji has the raid suit…
469: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Sanji is underrated.
After the timeskip, Zoro and Sanji were equal against Pacifistas.
Vergo’s Armament was insane, and Pica’s wasn’t on that level.
I don’t think Sanji couldn’t beat Pica.
Doflamingo, Threads, and Credibility
430: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Making Zoro lose an eye was a fatal mistake.
What even is a one-eyed swordsman?
436: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>431
What about Enel?
445: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>436
That was before Haki.
Luffy would’ve died if he wasn’t rubber.
454: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>445
Devil Fruits are part of strength.
539: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>454
Beating Enel doesn’t make Luffy > Zoro.
Matchups matter.
Zoro always dominates except Mr.1, while Luffy nearly dies constantly.
528: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Zoro not cutting Doflamingo’s threads was the worst.
Let’s pretend even Mihawk couldn’t cut them.
544: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Fujitora was clearly holding back, but Zoro genuinely couldn’t cut the threads.
That’s rough.
553: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Birdcage is strong, but Doffy’s threads can’t tank Gear 4.
His durability is low compared to Cracker.
Narrative Roles Matter More Than Power
420: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Bring back the old flow.
Boss for Luffy, No.2 for Zoro, No.3 for Sanji.
455: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
From Skypiea to CP9, the gap was actually biggest.
Against Kaku and Jabra, Zoro barely won while Sanji dominated.
That was Luffy >> Zoro = Sanji.
514: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Zoro will never be stronger than Luffy,
but he’s definitely insanely strong.
He’s Rayleigh’s position.
486: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
I’ll keep reading while waiting for Zoro’s massive power-up.
Let him awaken already.
Either beat Luffy or beat someone Luffy lost to.
504: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>486
Zoro still hasn’t shown his post-timeskip limit.
He’s won every fight with room to spare.
535: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>504
He can cut it, it just reconnects.
What’s the point of a slashing specialist then?
Exhaustion, Frustration, and Acceptance
617: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
[Bad News] Zoro, Straw Hat No.2, has had zero spotlight for two full years.
628: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
>>617
Wano will make him the protagonist, so it’s fine.
656: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
Whether Zoro was serious against the threads changes everything.
If he wasn’t serious, he’s insane.
If he was, he should drop the swords.
686: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/17
People say Zoro was serious against Birdcage,
but he didn’t even use techniques.
He was just pushing.
👉 Why Japanese Fans Resist Making Zoro Equal Again
Japanese readers aren’t just power-scaling.
They’re protecting structure.
If Zoro truly equals Luffy again, Sanji collapses narratively.
Matchups break. Roles blur. The crew’s internal logic weakens.
This isn’t about disrespecting Zoro — it’s about preserving hierarchy.
👉 This Debate Isn’t About Strength — It’s About Trust
Fans want to believe Zoro hasn’t shown everything.
But every missed cut, every stalled fight, chips away at that trust.
The anger comes from uncertainty.
Not knowing whether Oda is saving Zoro… or leaving him behind.
Comments