One Piece: Zoro being as strong as Luffy may not be as far fetched as fans think

Modified Oct 15, 2024 11:30 GMT

One Piece could be setting up Zoro as closer to Luffy in power than what people may think (Image via Toei Animation).

One Piece is a series where fighting is not usually the main topic, but that doesn't stop the fandom from doing power scaling, which was recently evidenced by a user on X named @fenayer1 as a comparison between Luffy and Zoro was made. There is no denying that Luffy is clearly stronger than the swordsman of his crew, but there is evidence that they might be closer in power than most fans may think.

In that regard, it is interesting to see how author One Piece Eiichiro Oda has been setting up Zoro as closer to power to Luffy than what could be assumed from reading the manga somewhat casually. However, considering the swordsman's training and discipline throughout the years, there is an argument to be made which makes sense, especially considering his feats.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author.

Explaining the feats that reveal that Zoro is closer in power to Luffy in One Piece than what fans may think

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One of the first feats can be seen when entering Fishman Island, as Luffy defeats a large fish after training with Silvers Rayleigh, and Zoro defeats an even larger one, after training with Dracule Mihawk, suggesting that the latter is stronger in their "base form". In that same arc, Hyouzou had a somewhat decent showing against Luffy, but the latter's swordsman made quick work of the former, leading to another feat.

During the Dressrosa arc, Luffy's Grizzly Magnum managed to knock away the head of Pica's Golem, but Zoro's 1080-pound Cannon cleaved through the latter's torso. It was also in this arc, Luffy was pushed away by Admiral Fujitora and Zoro was able to keep up to a degree, which shows that the latter can at least compete against someone of that caliber.

Then there is the iconic moment in Wano, where Kaido crushed the protagonist twice and the swordsman managed to wound him to a degree. There is also the clash with Rob Lucci in the Egghead arc, where Luffy transforms into his ultimate Gear 5 and does not fully defeat him while Zoro wins without any problem.

The importance of Zoro being closer to Luffy in terms of power

Zoro and Luffy as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation).

One of the most important moments of Zoro's character in One Piece was his defeat against Dracule Mihawk during the days of the East Blue Saga, he swore to "never lose again". It seems that author Eiichiro Oda took this comment very seriously as Zoro has been on a massive run of victories throughout the story, hence why his power might be closer to Luffy's.

This does make sense to a degree since Zoro has been the hardest worker of the Straw Hats as far as training goes, he managed to learn from Mihawk during the time skip. He is also the strongest Haki user in the crew after Luffy, which is another major element to consider since most of the Straw Hats don't excel in this department.

Final thoughts

There are several instances in One Piece where Zoro achieves feats when Luffy struggles with the same situation. These have been small signs that the swordsman of the Straw Hats is closer to his captain in terms of powers than most fans may think.

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Edited by Bharath S