One Piece: Eiichiro Oda’s Original Plan for Zoro Would Have Ended His Rivalry With Sanji in an Instant Without Any Debate

Zoro and Sanji’s rivalry wouldn’t even be a thing if Eiichiro Oda had gone with his plan.

SUMMARY

Despite being in the same crew, One Piece fans are aware that Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji do not get along.

It has split the fan base into two groups: those who favor Sanji and those who support Zoro.
But if Oda had followed through on his initial plan for Zoro, this rivalry between the two Straw Hat Pirates would have come to an end much sooner.

The wings of the Future Pirate King, Roronoa Zoro, and Vinsmoke Sanji might be in the same crew, but as One Piece fans know, they do not see eye to eye with each other. They have been at each other’s throats since the beginning of the series and this rivalry has only gotten stronger since then.
Sanji and Zoro
Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece has introduced many rivalries in the series, however, none are as interesting as Zoro and Sanji’s rivalry. With a pinch of comedic elements, this rivalry makes the storyline especially the battles more interesting. However, it has divided the fans into two parts: One that supports Sanji and the others that support Zoro.

The rivalry between the two has turned into a debate among fans about who is stronger and better between Zoro and Sanji. However, this rivalry between the two Straw Hat Pirates would have ended way earlier if Oda had gone with his original plan for Zoro and the other straw hats, as it would have made Zoro way stronger than he already is.

Eiichiro Oda’s Original Plan for Roronoa Zoro

Eiichiro Oda was once asked about what Devil Fruit powers he would have given the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. He answered the question in SBS Volume 98 and talked about his plan with the Devil Fruit abilities of the Straw Hat Pirates who originally didn’t have the power in the One Piece storyline.

He talked about the Devil Fruit powers of Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Franky. According to him, he would have given Nami the Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Enel’s Devil Fruit). For Usopp, he would have liked to give him the Pocket Pocket Fruit (Blamenco’s Devil Fruit). Franky would have gotten the Arms Arms Fruit (Baby 5’s Devil Fruit) and finally, Sanji would have had the Swim Swim Fruit(Senor Pink’s Devil Fruit) and Zoro would have gotten the Fish Fish Fruit, Mythical Type Model: Seiryuu (Kaido’s Devil Fruit).
Roronoa Zoro – One Piece
Among all the characters the strongest Devil Fruit would have been Zoro’s. However, Oda clarified that Kaido’s Devil Fruit would not be for Zoro but for his swords, as it would be “insanely cool” to see Zoro’s swords turn into a dragon.

Zoro’s Devil Fruit Would Have Made Him Much Stronger Than Sanji

Although this was hypothetical, Oda giving Zoro the strongest Devil Fruit would have been a huge power gain for the Swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates. Kaido was deemed the Strongest Creature in the entire One Piece world, and a majority of it was because of his Devil Fruit abilities which allowed him to turn into a dragon.
Zoro and Sanji
If these powers could have gone to Zoro, or even his swords, it would have instantly put him at the top of the table in terms of strength. His powers would have received a huge level up and thus the debate between Zoro and Sanji’s fans would have ended instantly with Zoro being the winner by a mile.

However, it is in a way a good thing that Oda decided not to give the Devil Fruit powers to the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates as it maintains the balance between the crew. And now, as the One Piece story has entered the final saga, it is highly unlikely that Oda would decide to give one of the Straw Hat Pirates a Devil Fruit power.