29 Years Later, One Piece Finally Settles The Zoro vs Sanji Debate

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The anticipated Elbaph Arc in One Piece takes a turn for the worse with the unexpected arrival of the Holy Knights. Luffy and his crew were welcomed warmly in the fabled Land of the Giants, but the celebration doesn’t last long after the villains show up and target the children. Unfortunately, by the time the strongest fighters joined the battle, Imu invaded the island and gained the upper hand in no time. The series is delving deeper into the past, the history of the Holy Knights, and everything fans need to know before the latest arc is over. However, while the battle is going on, the manga is also focusing on giving the characters a major power boost. For almost three decades now, fans have been divided over Zoro and Sanji, Luffy’s most powerful allies.

The two are neck and neck in terms of strength, while Zoro slightly takes the lead in terms of raw power; Sanji is unmatched when it comes to speed. Whether it’s the bounties or the opponents they are fighting, the manga has always made it clear that Sanji will be one step behind Zoro. The debate between them seemed to have settled in the Wano Country Saga when Zoro awakened his Conqueror’s Haki, but Sanji didn’t. Zoro only had the lead for a short while before the Elbaph Arc confirms Sanji also has what it takes to use this legendary power.

One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Confirms Sanji Can Awaken His Conqueror’s Haki

The latest Chapter 1187 of the manga features a brief flashback during Sanji’s fight with Killingham. Sanji remembers when Gaban said that he has the potential to awaken the Color of the Supreme King. Not only is this ability necessary to defeat the Holy Knights, but it’s crucial for Sanji to use this power if he wants to make Luffy the Pirate King.

Unlike the common misconception that one needs some grand kingly ambition to awaken this ability, the most crucial requirement is having strong willpower. Sanji already qualifies in that aspect, but as always, he is one step behind Zoro in the power ranking. Ideally, the Wings of the Pirate King should be on almost equal footing, which is why the difference between their strength has never been significantly great.

Before the Wano Country Saga, fans only knew how Conqueror’s Haki is used to intimidate weak-willed opponents and force them to either faint or surrender. The power may seem cool, but it’s basically useless against stronger foes, or so the series implied. Now that the manga has made it clear that there exists a kind of Advanced Conqueror’s Haki that only a few capable fighters can wield. The Holy Knights have demonic abilities that render them unstoppable to any attack except for Conqueror’s Haki.

As someone who is always on the front lines of the battle, Sanji would’ve been at a clear disadvantage without it. Fortunately, he is only one step away from awakening the one power he needed to be on the same level as Zoro again. The sudden update is not surprising at all since it was obvious that, as Luffy’s left-hand, Sanji will keep getting stronger. After Gaban’s introduction in the latest arc, the parallels between him and Sanji are as clear as the parallels between Luffy and Roger, as well as Zoro and Rayleigh.

Sanji Is Skilled Enough Even Without Conqueror’s Haki

While Sanji having this ability is completely necessary, we can’t rule out the fact that his abilities are extraordinary even without it. Advanced Conqueror’s Haki is a technique that involves using Conqueror’s Haki with Armament Haki to strengthen attacks. Sanji has always had exceptionally powerful Armament Haki, so it wouldn’t take him a lot of time to master this legendary power.

Even so, Sanji has enough strength to make up for it. A lot of characters like Akainu and Kizaru are some of the strongest fighters in the entire world without ever awakening this haki. Ever since the beginning of the story, Sanji and Zoro have considered each other their rivals. Although it’s debatable, Zoro can be considered only slightly stronger than Sanji, but the difference isn’t great.

After awakening his latent mutations in the Wano Country Saga, Sanji is now faster than a light beam, and his exoskeleton is incredibly durable. His Diable and Ifrit Jambe allow him to use fire despite not having a devil fruit ability. Ifrit Jambe, in particular, creates hot blue flames that can produce blazes resembling lightning. Even Sanji’s Observation Haki is considered one of the best in the entire world, even better than Zoro’s.

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