One Piece places a premium on the idea of rivalry. Its basic meaning, however, has been distorted in many instances. It’s important to note that rivals don’t always have to be equally powerful for there to be tension between them. Rivalries are not always about dominance or even seriousness. The concept that characters’ arguing is a representation of their shared power, despite their accomplishments, has been promoted by certain fans, although this interpretation appears to be erroneous. This point was driven home in the most recent chapter of One Piece (1074), which showed that petty fights between characters are meant only for comic relief and should not be used to rank them in terms of strength. If you want to learn more, continue reading this topic.
Fights are meant to be humorous, not indicative of the strength of the characters in One Piece. The fact that the two characters are rivals doesn’t imply that they are of equal strength. The dynamic is different in every circumstance. When two or more people strive for the same thing, they become rivals. This does not mean that all of the characters are on an even playing field. In all likelihood, their relative degrees of strength will vary.
For instance, in the story, Killer and Zoro are both shown as the trusted allies of their respective captains who are vying for the title of Pirate King. Both of them belong to that terrible generation. What’s more, they engaged in violent conflict in the past.
They are direct competitors in this regard. It’s also undeniable that Zoro is far more powerful than Killer. The same holds true for Luffy and Kid. Luffy and Kid are both members of the Worst Generation and have a common goal of retrieving One Piece, but Luffy has consistently shown himself to be more formidable. These are only a few of the innumerable instances in which two One Piece characters with very different levels of power were nonetheless able to be fierce adversaries. While some opponents engage in humorous sniping, others really fight with each other. Some rivalries are used for comedic effects. People in these situations argue with one another because their personalities are so different. As a result, they have a hard time getting along with one another, and their constant arguing often serves as the basis for comic relief.
Here are some characters that exhibit this dynamic:
In this case, Mr. 1 is Daz Bones, while Mr. 2 is a different guy (Bentham)
The Duo of Lucci and Jabra
It’s Kaku and Jabra
King and Queen, Buggy and Shanks, the Queen and the Clown.
The Queen and Justice Vinsmoke
In this case, we have Caesar Clown and Judge Vinsmoke
Crocus and Gol D. Roger
However, some rivalries are not founded on jokes but on real, tangible reasons. The protagonists in both stories are vying for the same things. Their bond is strong because of the constant communication between them. Nonetheless, there is a vast chasm in power between the adversaries. Given that one adversary is far stronger than the other, their dynamic is highly imbalanced. There are moments when it’s a huge chasm. Luffy and Smoker, a Marine lieutenant, have had a very lopsided rivalry from the beginning, but recently, things have taken an unexpected turn. Smoker was far more formidable than Luffy before the time jump. Since then, the roles have switched and the tables have turned.
Examples of further lopsided rivalry include:
Eustass Kid and Monkey D. Luffy
The Killer and Roronoa Zoro
Authors: “Monkey D. Luffy” and “Trafalgar D. Water Law”
Scratchman and the Eustass Kid Apoo We have Monkey D. Luffy and Koby We have Roronoa Zoro and Tashigi
Zoro and Sanji’s history together is a hotly contested topic amongst One Piece devotees. It’s fair to say that there’s a mix of humourless competition and unfair strength comparisons at play here. Disputes between Zoro and Sanji are common because of their polarising attitudes and actions, especially when it comes to females. As they strive to outdo each other in humorous quips, they end up laughing at their own jokes. Zoro and Sanji have complete faith in one another and the utmost regard for one another. Even though they fight with one another to prove their manliness, they are undeniably Luffy’s most reliable crew members. Zoro and Sanji’s dynamic as Wings, Luffy’s most reliable allies, is complicated by Zoro’s individual relationship with Luffy.
Like Roger and Rayleigh or Shanks and Benn Beckman, they often work as a captain and first officer team. Zoro has a higher standing than Sanji since he is the second strongest member of the crew (behind only Luffy) and the right-hand man of the captain. The green-haired swordsman has been featured as the series’ main protagonist on several occasions because of his exceptional fighting abilities and depiction. Though Zoro is clearly the stronger of the two Strawhat Pirates, the swordsman is clearly stronger than the third-strongest member of the group, the chef. Zoro’s status as a user of the Advanced Conqueror’s Haki and his portrayal as Luffy’s personal bodyguard in that issue of Thriller Bark elevated his status in the series.
Even though Sanji is formidable, Zoro is going to become the strongest swordsman in the world by crushing Mihawk and Shanks. As expected, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda said that Zoro is the stronger of the two “Wings,” despite the fact that the two are often paired together. Zoro’s status as the de facto number two of the Strawhat Pirates was settled once and for all by the cover of chapter 1031, which was later remembered by SBS in volume 102.
There aren’t many rivals worthy of the label
Finally, some feuds involve actual nemeses or characters who would fight to the death as equals, with the outcome of the conflict being highly unpredictable. Typically, these feuds include two or more characters who are vying for the highest honour in the One Piece universe. Sometimes, though, the two rivals are actually good friends who, for whatever reason, have developed into natural enemies of one other.
The infamous duo, Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp
Mr Gol D. Roger and Mr Edward Newgate
It’s Dracula, Mihawk, and Shanks!
Shanks and Marshall D. Teach
Calibrating with Montblanc and Kalgara Noland Both the Inuarashi and the Nekomamushi
At the conclusion of the series, Zoro and Mihawk fight to be named World’s Strongest Swordsman and Luffy and Teach’s effort to become Pirate King will be two of the most prominent rivals.
We can no longer use jokes as a basis for power scaling, as demonstrated by One Piece Chapter 1074. One of the fascinating implications of One Piece 1074 is that just though two characters have rivalries and even battle one other, it doesn’t mean that they are equally powerful. A side tale titled “Germa 66’s ahh… an emotionless expedition” appeared in the most recent episode of the series. The cover story was a flashback of a battle between Queen, Caesar Clown, and Judge Vinsmoke back when they were all in MADS. Though it may come as a surprise, all three were battling on an even playing field. Even though Caesar was physically weaker than Queen and not a fighter at all, he hit her in the face.
Queen was portrayed with his bionic arm and a look not dissimilar to his current one, suggesting that he may not have deviated too far from his current level of power. Both he and Caesar were abstaining from using their Devil Fruit abilities. The battle was obviously a set piece meant to provide comedic relief for the readers. Only that is to be inferred from it. Assuming, however, that jokes do more than just make audiences laugh and actually reflect the strength of characters, this should be seen as evidence that Queen, Judge, and Caesar Clown are all on the same footing. Since Caesar Clown is said to be significantly weaker than Vergo, a combatant who is probably inferior to Queen, this is obviously not plausible. Caesar Clown and the Queen were still facing off, and neither one was gaining an advantage.
Since they are both portrayed as MADS members without any differentiation in their strength, the fact that they are engaged in a battle between themselves should be seen as more evidence that they are of identical strength. At least, those who hold that gag rivalry may be used to infer similar strengths would argue. To be fair, it’s hard to fathom how something like that could ever make sense. Queen is not the best combatant, but he is far more powerful than Caesar or Judge. The fact that they are shown as having equal difficulty fighting one other is evidence that power dynamics play no role in comedy skirmishes.
Discussion and Conclusions
Characters from One Piece can’t be judged by how well they get along in a panel, how well they fight in a joke, or how well they play as competitors. There are several examples throughout the series that show how even among competitors, there may be a noticeable gap in individual strength. When two or more characters are competing for the same thing, it often motivates them to elevate their game and show everyone who’s boss. However, the fact that the characters are all striving for the same thing doesn’t necessarily indicate anything beyond the fact that they are competing for it.
Panels and a shared motivation won’t make two people equal if their individual accomplishments and social standing are vastly different. Furthermore, humorous disagreements should never be taken as a test of mettle. Only a small subset of One Piece readers hold this view, and with the most recent chapter, it has lost whatever relevance it may have had, as adherents to it would have to give Queen the same strength rating as Caesar Clown.