Zoro Said “If Usopp’s First Words Aren’t an Apology, He’s Staying Behind”…But His First Words Weren’t an Apology at All

This article features Japanese fan reactions to this Water 7 scene, showing how Japanese viewers interpreted the moment between Zoro and Usopp.

IronHarborStrider
Zoro laying down that ultimatum—“If Usopp’s first words aren’t an apology, he’s staying behind”—might be one of the coldest lines in the series.
Usopp scrambling with excuse after excuse while Zoro pretends not to hear him… and then finally breaking down with a real apology, followed by Zoro’s little smile when Luffy calls his name?
Peak Straw Hat drama.

↳ RustPeakCaller
Why’s everyone acting like Usopp isn’t even standing there? The whole crew just hard-ignored him and it kills me every time.

↳ StormlineCobalt
Still one of my favorite comedic moments. The timing is perfect.

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HarborSoulVoyager
There’s something genuinely sweet about how Zoro treats his crew.
He acts tough, but when he thought Usopp fell, both he and Sanji panicked like crazy. Moments like that show how soft he actually is under all that muscle.

↳ SteelMossDrifter
Zoro’s childhood friend literally died from falling down a staircase. Of course he’d lose it if he thought Usopp went off a cliff.

↳ IronFrostBeacon
And yet Usopp can tank a “10-ton hammer” gag attack without a scratch. Peak One Piece logic.

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RustlinePhantom
Zoro being the low-key saint of the crew will never not be funny to me.

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CinderShoreWanderer
People forget this man wears the shirt of his dead childhood friend…
and somehow that isn’t even the strangest part about him.

↳ TidebreakerLantern
He also fights with that same friend’s sword by literally holding it in his mouth.
This crew is absolutely unhinged in the best way.

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IroncrestVoyager
One of the coldest moments in the whole series is when everyone keeps saying “I’m leaving the crew,” and Zoro’s the only one who actually brings real leadership.
“Anyone who can’t stand behind Luffy when it matters will break this crew apart. Luffy is the man who’ll become Pirate King.”
That line alone shows why he’s the backbone of the Straw Hats.

↳ HarborRuneCharger
Zoro really is No.1 when it comes to holding the crew together. No hesitation, no drama—just absolute loyalty.

↳ CloudbreakerTide
Honestly, I could read that entire arc just for Zoro. His clarity in that moment still hits hard.

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StormHarborRanger
I totally forgot what Zoro and Usopp were even doing because the story pacing went wild for a bit.
Turns out they, along with Robin, Franky, and Law’s crew, were already heading to Wano ahead of everyone else.

↳ IronTideHopper
Why’d they leave Sanji behind though?

↳ RustlineVoyager
Sanji was dealing with Big Mom’s whole mess at the time. His situation basically forced a detour.

↳ CobaltMoorSeeker
Okay but then why send the others to Wano early?

↳ BlazeCrestDraft
Going in as one big group would’ve blown the whole infiltration. Splitting up made way more sense.

↳ SilverPeakNomad
Plus, the alliance always had Wano as the main target. Kaido’s crew was entrenched there, so the Straw Hat–Law alliance aimed straight for Wano from the start.

↳ HarborShadeBreaker
The original plan was actually for Luffy to go alone. A huge squad would’ve ruined the stealth approach.

↳ TideForgeHawk
Remember, Sanji got taken away, so part of the crew was dispatched just to retrieve him. That wasn’t part of the main Wano plan.

↳ FrostGaleCarver
And don’t forget—someone had to head there first to gather allies and set up the groundwork. Wano was always a massive operation.

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HarborLeafStrider
The moment Usopp came running back and everyone yelled “Usopp…!!” with pure joy still gets me every time.
You could feel how badly the crew wanted him back.

↳ StormCrestVoyager
Honestly, Zoro looked the happiest out of all of them and that cracks me up.
The guy pretends to be stoic, but he wears his emotions louder than anyone.