Power-scaling is a big point of contention among One Piece fans, especially with new character introductions and their display of feats causing a stir worldwide. Yamato is no different. A recent Twitter post comparing Kaido's daughter to Straw Hat Luffy's right-hand man Zoro has been circulating online, leading to mixed responses from fans.
Eichiro Oda's One Piece began serialization in Shonen Jump magazine in 1997, and has consistently held top spots in popularity rankings. One Piece's long runtime attests to its popularity, having reached 1000 in both the chapter number and anime episode count. Not only has the series been regarded as the big 3 of shonen alongside Naruto and Bleach, it has also become the best-selling manga of all time.
One Piece fans compare the feats of Zoro and Yamato, try to decide who would come out on top if they were to fight
The One Piece universe has a host of different characters introduced in each arc, with different allegiances and a host of power systems (Devil Fruits, Haki, Fishman Karate, Rokushiki, swordsmanship).
Fans of this battle-shonen soon took to comparing Kaido's daughter Yamato to the fan-favorite green-haired swordsman after both were revealed to have Conqueror's Haki.
One Piece, like most other battle shonen, has been criticized for its lack of strong female characters, at least as far as fighting prowess is concerned. Yamato's desire to take after the legendary swordsman Oden, along with the reveal of her Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and Advanced Conqueror's Haki, seemed to posit her as a welcome exception - especially after she went toe-to-toe with her father for several seconds.
The Land of Wano was based in feudal Japan, and in One Piece, had been foreshadowed to be the home of legendary samurai and by extension, Zoro's place of origin. The demonstration of Zoro's skills against Big Mom and Kaido set the internet on fire. Manga readers have still not stopped talking about the wound he landed on Kaido, or the time he managed to stop the emperors' combined attacks.
Why fans are saying that Yamato is stronger than Zoro.
Yamato confronted Kaido on the rooftop in Episode 1041 of the anime (manga chapter 1027). Before that, Zoro, along with the rest of the supernovas, including his Captain Straw Hat Luffy, had faced the two emperors, Big Mom and Kaido.
Zoro had his own feats to boast of, like the time he learnt to cut fire, and in Chapter 1009, stopped what fans have been calling the strongest attack in the world. This was before he proceeded to wound Kaido himself in Chapter 1018. After these match-ups, fans have naturally taken to the internet, deeming Zoro and Sanji greater than Yamato in terms of fighting prowess.
Others disagree, believing that Yamato's feats against Kaido far surpass Zoro's. This has sparked a heated debate on Twitter, with equal takers for both sides:
The fact that Yamato has a Mythical Zoan Devil fruit like Luffy, does seem to put her on an edge beyond Zoro, even if both possess Advanced Conqueror's Haki. However, Zoro has surpassed enemies far stronger than him in the past, as befits a man fated to be the greatest swordsman in the world as well as the pirate king's right-hand man.
One Piece can be read on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+, MangaPlus and Viz Media. The anime episodes are streamed on Crunchyroll and produced by Toei.