One Piece Finally Proves Zoro Is Far Stronger Than Sanji, But That’s About To Change

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR ONE PIECE MANGA CHAPTER #1187

Years of debate between die-hard One Piece fans can finally come to an end because the manga has gone out of its way to establish that Zoro is stronger than Sanji. The revelation has come from one big factor leading into the final battles of the Elbaph arc, and it’s one that could change the entire Straw Hat crew dynamic by the time One Piece‘s penultimate arc ends.

With the Straw Hat’s swordsmen and the cook developing into the left and right wings of the likely future pirate king, their characters have divided fans who can’t decide which of Eiichiro Oda’s creations is their favorite. Much like Dragon Ball‘s iconic rivalry between Goku and Vegeta, One Piece‘s Zoro and Sanji have consistently butted heads over (often) insignificant matters. However, when push comes to shove, the two have learned to be able to rely on one another, with Zoro even giving Sanji respect, behind his back, of course.

While the series has been arguably coy about the two’s growing admiration for each other, the final arcs of One Piece have been putting Luffy’s crew in situations that have forced them to reexamine themselves and confront aspects that they didn’t know existed. It took fighting Pirate Emperor Kaido to finally help Zoro realize that he was capable of using Conqueror’s Haki, and a former member of Gol D. Roger’s crew is doing the same for Sanji in a very different way.

Unlike Zoro, Sanji Can’t Use Supreme King Haki…Yet

Chapter #1187 has put Sanji in a situation where if he were to fail, he’d be severely letting down his crew and the giants of Elbaph who’ve welcomed him with kindness. While battling against the super-charged Holy Knight Killingham, who serves directly under the World Government’s secret ruler, Sanji has confronted the fact that he can not win the fight unless he learns how to use Supreme King Haki. Something that Scopper Gaban, the left hand of the former Pirate King, knows a lot about. He unfortunately had to break the news to Sanji, saying, “You have the potential for it. However, you possess a streak of masochistic instability. You must be a King too.”

Many of the strongest characters in One Piece possess the ability to weaponize their own willpower and exert it against those around them, even without touching them. Characters like Luffy, Kaido, and Shanks have learned to use it and manipulate Supreme King Haki to dramatically upgrade the effects of their attacks. Zoro has accidentally used it on several occasions, hinting at still untapped reserves of power for the swordsman. But judging by Gaban’s words, Sanji too has the capacity to use Supreme King Haki, only if he is able to work through the years of trauma his childhood instilled in him.

Sanji’s Next Upgrade Will Change More Than His Power Level

It would be incredibly disappointing and surprising if Sanji doesn’t come out of his current situation against Holy Knight Killingham on top. And if things progress as expected, Sanji will be receiving his next big power-up after learning how to manipulate Supreme King Haki, but what unlocking it will do to his personality has yet to be seen. Looking back at Sanji’s past feats, adding such a powerful upgrade will easily make him one of the strongest pirates in the world and a real asset in Luffy’s journey to reach the One Piece.

By establishing that Sanji has not yet accomplished the feat of manipulating Supreme King Haki speaks to the impressiveness of his accomplishments without using it. He was able to defeat Queen of the Beast Pirates and go toe-to-toe with Doflamingo without the use of seemingly the rarest and strongest type of haki in One Piece‘s world. If Zoro doesn’t learn to control his own Supreme King Haki soon, there may be a time when Sanji is stronger than Zoro, which would be a comedic and satisfying reason for the swordsman to finally take mastering his own power seriously.

First Film

One Piece: The Movie

Cast

Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi

Created by

Eiichiro Oda

Character(s)

Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)