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AlthoughOne Piecehas had a fairly consistent ranking of power over the years, it seems like the Straw Hats consistently come in to change the status quo. Alongside the rest of the Worst Generation, Luffy and his crew have upset the entire power balance of theOne Pieceworld, dethroning Kaido and Big Mom, and becoming one of the most threatening presences in the series. In many ways, the Worst Generation quickly rose through the ranks ofOne Piece, becoming some of the biggest threats the series has ever seen.
At the same time, however, although Luffy is very obviously one of the members of the Worst Generation, Zoro, the swordsman of the crew, is also considered to be a member as well. Although not every member of the generation is a captain,the Worst Generation inOne Pieceis supposed to be the group of characters that completely changes the landscape of the world. Based on his penchant for training and ambition, plus his position as a member of the Worst Generation, Zoro may, at one point in the future of the series, surpass Luffy.
Luffy Has Always Been The Strongest Straw Hat In One Piece
Zoro Has Come Close But Has Never Surpassed His Captain
Since the beginning of the series, it’s always been fairly clear that Luffy is the strongest member of the Straw Hat Crew. While it was a bit closer earlier in the series, Luffy’s physical strength and incredible use of the Gum-Gum Fruit made him a nearly unstoppable force. Especially inthe modern storyOne Piece, with the advent of Gear 5, Luffy has reached unprecedented levels of strength, fighting on a level near the Emperors of the Sea.
Only I can call my dream stupid! - Zoro
Despite being a bit weaker than Luffy, Zoro’s consistent training and hard work have helped him become one ofthe strongest characters inOne Piece, surpassing some of the incredibly strong villains that Luffy fought in the past. Additionally, Zoro’s goal to become the strongest swordsman in the series comes with the fact that he has to defeat Mihawk, the current strongest swordsman, and someone who many fans put on the same level as characters like Shanks.
Luffy Is Currently A Little Weaker Than Characters Like Mihawk And Shanks
If Zoro Defeats Mihawk Before Luffy Gets Stronger He Might Surpass Luffy
Right now, Luffy is most likely still at a level below Shanks, whose supreme mastery over Haki puts him on an entirely different level thanthe Straw Hat Captain. While it’s a bit harder to tell without large amounts of evidence, if Shanks and Mihawk are on a similar level, then Mihawk is most likely stronger than Luffy too. With a fight between Mihawk and Zoro brewing before the end of the series, there is still one more opportunity for Zoro to surpass Luffy.
The only way that Zoro can still surpassLuffy’s incredible strength inOne Pieceis to defeat Mihawk before Luffy is on the same level as Shanks. If Luffy is still weaker than Shanks by the time Zoro defeats Mihawk, then this may be the one point in the story where the Pirate Hunter surpasses his captain. While it’s most likely true that Luffy will once again learn a new technique that will put him on top, for a brief moment, Zoro will at least be on top of the Straw Hat Crew.
It Would Be Nice To See Zoro’s Training Pay Off
Zoro Works Harder Than Any Straw Hat In Terms Of Training
With the sheer amount of training thatthe Pirate Hunter Zorodoes on a daily basis, it would be nice to see all his hard work pay off in some capacity. More often than not, while Luffy is goofing off and hanging out with Usopp and Chopper, Zoro is spending hours honing his technique and building strength. Seeing some recognition for this hard work would be a nice treat for Zoro fans, especially if he impresses Luffy by passing him in terms of fighting.
You do what you’re able to, the best that you can and then you turn to the others and expect the same from them. - Zoro
Sadly, based on howOne Piece’spower scaling and worldhave always been since its early days, something like this most likely isn’t going to happen. Since the beginning, Luffy has always been the strongest member of the crew, and it seems that no level of hard work is going to surpass Luffy’s dreams and determination. In the end, although Zoro will be extremely close to Luffy’s level in the future ofOne Piece, it seems far more likely that the duo will be on an equal level at the end.
