All Monster Trio moments in One Piece, listed as of the Elbaf Arc

One Piece’s iconic Monster Trio comprises Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Vinsmoke Sanji, the three strongest members of the Straw Hat Pirates. As the group’s top three fighters, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji fend off the most dangerous enemies to protect their weaker comrades. Within the Straw Hat crew, no one, apparently not even Jinbe, can match the strength of these three.

When Jinbe joined the Straw Hats, many fans assumed he would take Sanji’s position in the Monster Trio, especially as he was given an even higher bounty than Sanji. However, it’s safe to say that Sanji remains firmly in his place alongside Luffy and Zoro. Throughout One Piece, the Monster Trio is often separated, with the story focusing on either Luffy and Zoro or Zoro and Sanji. Each of these two dynamics is special in its own way.

Both Worst Generation members and all-powerful Conqueror’s Haki users, Luffy and Zoro, have a special link, just as Roger and Rayleigh did in the past. Despite not getting along with each other, Zoro and Sanji support Luffy as his “Wings,” the two crewmates who help him more than anyone else. Of course, the best is when Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji act together, as in One Piece chapter 1127.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1127.

Every Monster Trio moment listed in chronological order as the Elbaf Arc begins in One Piece chapter 1127

1) The show-off against the monster lizard in Arabasta

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji vs the Sandora lizard in One Piece chapter 162 (Image via Shueisha)

During their journey through the Arabasta Kingdom, the Straw Hat Pirates faced many dangers and difficulties in the desert. To make things worse, a group of weird crane-like birds stole their supplies. As Luffy chased the birds, he stumbled across a humongous lizard.

Annoyed by the rigors of the journey, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji decided to vent their nervousness on the monster, striking it with, respectively, Gum-Gum Whip, Dragon Twister, and Epaule Sprawl all at once. Needless to say, the giant lizard was completely overwhelmed.

Funnily enough, Nami sympathized with the defeated lizard, noting how it never stood a chance against the entire Monster Trio at once. However, that didn’t stop Luffy from asking Sanji to grill the reptile, turning it into skewers.

2) Meat, swords, and women

The Monster Trio members as seen in One Piece episode 353 (Image via Toei Animation)

After the Straw Hat Pirates arrived on Thriller Bark, Gecko Moria sent his zombies to capture Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji to steal their shadows. Bewildered by Thriller Bark’s creepy environment, the remaining Straw Hats returned to the Thousand Sunny, where they found their comrades asleep.

Given the predicament, it was no time for the crew’s three strongest fighters to sleep. Still, a person whose shadow was stolen would remain asleep for at least one day. With every other attempt to wake them up being useless, Usopp suddenly said the following:

“Look, there’s a beautiful female swordmaster carrying lots of meat!!”

Usopp knew what he was doing, as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji immediately got up in sync. Admittedly, all that was needed was to push the right buttons, which was a hilarious demonstration of how obsessed the Monster Trio members are with their favorite interests.

3) Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji lead the crew against the fake Kuma

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji attack the Pacifista in One Piece episode 402 (Image via Toei Animation)

As the Straw Hat Pirates left Shakky’s Bar in Sabaody, Bartholomew Kuma appeared before them. “Kuma” was soon revealed to be just a Pacifista, an overwhelmingly powerful cyborg created in the image and likeness of the original Warlord.

The Pacifista proved tough enough to force the Monster Trio to fight together. After dodging the lasers fired by the cyborg, Zoro noted the difference in the techniques of Kuma’s Paw-Paw Fruit. Then, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji dashed against the Pacifista, striking it with a formidable joint attack.

Named 'Three-Sword Style Gum-Gum Diable Mouton Jet 600 Pound Phoenix Cannon,' this move combined Luffy’s Jet Cannon, Zoro’s 108 Pound Phoenix, and Sanji’s Diable Jambe: Mouton Shoot. The attack sent the Pacifista crashing into a nearby building, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the cyborg due to its remarkable toughness.

4) The formidable combo to defeat a Pacifista

The Monster Trio defeats a Pacifista in One Piece chapter 510 (Image via Shueisha)

Even though the Pacifista could withstand the attacks of the Straw Hats, the accumulated damage eventually caused it to malfunction. Thus, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji settled the score with another combined attack. First, Sanji used Diable Jambe: Flambage Shoot to strike the Pacifista, throwing it to Zoro.

The pain from the wounds he suffered to protect Luffy from Kuma during the Thriller Bark Arc still lingered, but Zoro tried to gather his strength and activate the Nine-Sword Style mode. Zoro then performed Asura: Demon Nine Flashes, slashing the Pacifista before it could fire a laser.

Zoro’s attack broke through the Pacifista’s armor, wounding the cyborg deep enough to draw blood. Lastly, Luffy finished the job by using Gear 3 to hit the Pacifista with a devastating technique. Luffy’s Gigant Rifle brutally crushed the cyborg to the ground, shutting it down. Admittedly, the Monster Trio combo attack left no way out for the Pacifista.

It was a great moment highlighting the Monster Trio’s teamwork and combat prowess. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come for the Straw Hat Pirates, as Sentomaru, Admiral Kizaru, and another Pacifista soon confronted the group. Silvers Rayleigh stopped Kizaru, saving the Straw Hats from the Admiral, but the events still led to the separation of the crew.

5) The upgraded Monster Trio two years later

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji fighting the Kraken in One Piece episode 525 (Image via Toei Animation)

During One Piece's two-year time skip, all the Straw Hat Pirates underwent intensive training to improve their fighting skills in view of the New World. As for the Monster Trio, Luffy trained under the tutelage of Silvers Rayleigh, Dracule Mihawk taught Zoro, and Sanji learned from Emporio Ivankov.

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji displayed a glimpse of their newfound strength during the submarine travel towards Fish-Man Island when the Kraken, an octopus-like creature many times larger than the ship itself, attacked the Thousand Sunny. Shortly before, the same fearsome monster had destroyed the ship of the Caribou Pirates with a single swipe of one of its many tentacles.

To protect the Thousand Sunny, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji faced off against the Kraken. Sanji used a technique called Blue Walk to move incredibly fast despite being underwater, effectively matching the speed of a Fish-Man. He performed Diable Jambe: Bien Cuit Grill Shot, burning one of the Kraken’s tentacles.

Next, it was Zoro’s turn. The green-haired swordsman used a new move named Three Sword Style: Crossing the Six Paths to cut off another tentacle, slicing it into six pieces. Finally, Luffy activated Gear 3 to enlarge his fist, which he imbued with Armament Haki Hardening. He hit the Kraken with the Gum-Gum Elephant Gun, blowing the monster away.

Caribou, who had tried to hide on the Thousand Sunny to observe the Straw Hats but was discovered and captured by Franky, witnessed Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji’s battle with the Kraken. Impressed by their strength, he couldn’t help but refer to them as “a trio of monsters.”

6) The Monster Trio returns in One Piece chapter 1127 spoilers

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As per the first spoilers of One Piece chapter 1127, the Straw Hat Pirates finally begin their highly-anticipated adventure in Elbaf. Stuck inside a massive castle made of LEGO-like blocks, Nami and Usopp are cornered by a giant cat that suddenly transforms into an even bigger lion.

Fortunately, the Monster Trio members arrive to save the day. Dressed in Viking outfits, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji appear out of nowhere and strike the lion with a combo attack, instantly defeating the beast. Luffy activates Gear 4 to launch Gum-Gum Elephant Whip, while Zoro performs Three-Sword Style Black Rope Dragon Twister, and Sanji unleashes his Ifrit Jambe to use Epaule Strike.

Helpless in front of the sheer power of the Monster Trio, the lion drops to the ground. Oddly enough, it turns back into a cat. As the Straw Hats are reunited in the castle’s backyard, it’s revealed that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji have defeated and eaten a huge rabbit known as the “Ear God” shortly beforehand.

While Luffy was delighted at the thought of roasting and eating such tasteful animals, Zoro was pretty much indifferent, and Sanji was intrigued by the nutritional qualities of their prey. Nami could only express her bewilderment at their casual behavior.

It was very nostalgic to see Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji fighting together like in the old days. For several years, One Piece has been focusing on either Luffy and Zoro as the captain and right-hand man duo or Zoro and Sanji as the two Wings, never highlighting the Straw Hat crew’s top three fighters all at once. This was the first Monster Trio moment in a long time, perhaps hinting at a trend reversal.

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Edited by Shreya Das