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The concept of rivalry is very important in One Piece. However, it has frequently been twisted from its original meaning. To begin with, being rivals isn't the same thing as being close in strength, since a rivalry can be unbalanced.
Rivalries can also involve more comic relief than actual power. While some fans have tried to push the idea that characters bickering among each other is a sort of portrayal of their similar strength, regardless of their feats, this belief seems to be rather flawed.
One Piece 1074, the latest installment of the series, highlighted how funny quarrels are just for amusement purposes, and shouldn't be used to powerscale the strength of characters. Follow this thread to find out more.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1074 and purely reflects the opinions of the writer.
Squabbles are for comic relief, not to represent how powerful One Piece characters are
The concept of rivalry needs to be put into context
Two characters being rivals doesn't necessarily make them comparable in strength. It depends on the dynamic, which varies from case to case.
A rivalry is a competition between people with similar goals. It doesn't inherently imply parity between the characters involved. They may very well have different levels of strength.
For instance, both Killer and Zoro are portrayed as the right-hand men and partners of their respective captains who compete to become the next Pirate King. Both are also members of the Worst Generation. Moreover, they once fought each other.
As such, they can definitely be considered rivals. However, it's also indisputable that Zoro is far stronger than Killer. The same can be said for Luffy and Kid. Both are Worst Generation members who aim to find the One Piece, but Luffy has proved himself to be more powerful than Kid.
These are just a few of the countless examples that demonstrate that in One Piece characters can be rivals even if there is a noticeable gap between their individual strengths.
Some rivals bicker hilariously, others fight for real
Some rivalries are for comic relief purposes. These dynamics involve people squabbling because they have opposing personalities. As such, they don't get along and end up bickering, resulting in funny gags.
Some examples of characters who share such a dynamic are:
- Mr 1 (Daz Bones) and Mr 2 (Bentham)
- Lucci and Jabra
- Kaku and Jabra
- Shanks and Buggy
- King and Queen
- Queen and Caesar Clown
- Queen and Judge Vinsmoke
- Caesar Clown and Judge Vinsmoke
- Gol D. Roger and Crocus
Other rivalries aren't based on gags, but have a serious and concrete basis. The characters involved in them compete for similar goals. They frequently interact, making their connection long-lasting.
However, the rivals are separated by a big gap in strength. As such, their dynamic is rather unbalanced, given that one rival is much stronger and the other is much weaker. Sometimes the gap is massive.
The rivalry between Luffy and Marine officer Smoker has always been very unbalanced, but with an interesting development. Before the time skip, Smoker was much more powerful than Luffy. Now the tables have completely turned, with their standings having been reversed.
Other examples of such unbalanced rivalries include:
- Monkey D. Luffy and Eustass Kid
- Roronoa Zoro and Killer
- Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar D. Water Law
- Eustass Kid and Scratchman Apoo
- Monkey D. Luffy and Koby
- Roronoa Zoro and Tashigi
The connection between Zoro and Sanji is very debated among One Piece fans. Admittedly, it seems to be a combination of gag rivalries and unbalanced strength rivalries.
As a result of this opposing behavior, especially with regard to women, Zoro and Sanji often end up quarreling. They generate funny gags while trying to one up each other in order to prove their point.
In truth, Zoro and Sanji mutually trust and respect each other. While they sometimes compete among themselves as a means to establish their manliness, there's little doubt that they are Luffy's biggest pillars within the crew.
While Zoro and Sanji have their dynamic as Wings, Luffy's greatest support, Zoro has a further dynamic with Luffy. They are frequently paired as captain and right-hand man, making them a duo similar to Roger and Rayleigh, or Shanks and Benn Beckman.
Being the second strongest of the crew only below Luffy, as well as the latter's right-hand man, Zoro has a superior status compared to Sanji. Throughout the series, the green-haired swordsman has always been emphasized as a fighter with greater feats and superior portrayal.
While it's not like Zoro is light years stronger than Sanji, it's also clear that the swordsman, as the number two of the Strawhat Pirates, is notably stronger than the cook, who is only the third strongest member of the bunch.
Things like Zoro being an Advanced Conqueror's Haki user, as well as being portrayed as Luffy's personal bodyguard with the issue in Thriller Bark, put him on a higher pedestal of power and influence.
Admittedly, Sanji is strong, but he can never be seriously compared with Zoro, who is going to surpass Mihawk and Shanks in order to become the World's Strongest Swordsman.
Unsurprisingly, despite pairing Zoro and Sanji as the "Wings", One Piece author Eiichiro Oda also stated that Zoro is the strongest of the pair. The cover of chapter 1031, further recalled by SBS in volume 102, closed any debate, portraying Zoro as the undisputed number two of the Strawhat Pirates.
Few rivalries are truly worth the name
Finally, there are some rivalries that feature a connection between true nemeses, i.e. characters who would fight to death as equals, with the winner of the battle being extremely uncertain.
Most of the time, these rivalries involve characters who compete for the greatest achievement in the One Piece world. However, sometimes the two contenders are friends who, for various reasons, became counterparts to each other.
- Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp
- Gol D. Roger and Edward Newgate
- Dracule Mihawk and Shanks
- Marshall D. Teach and Shanks
- Kalgara and Montblanc Noland
- Inuarashi and Nekomamushi
At the end of the series, two of the main rivalries will certainly be the competition for the title of World's Strongest Swordsman between Zoro and Mihawk, and the struggle to become the Pirate King, which will antagonize Luffy and Teach.
One Piece 1074 made it clear that powerscaling can't be based on gags
Among its various interesting implications, One Piece 1074 emphasized how characters having a rivalry and even fighting each other doesn't imply that they have comparable individual strength.
The latest installment of the series included the side story, called Germa 66's ahh... an emotionless excursion. The cover story showed a flashback of Queen, Caesar Clown, and Judge Vinsmoke fighting during their past days as members of MADS.
As surprising as it may seem, the three were fighting themselves on completely equal grounds. Queen was even punched in the face by Caesar, despite the latter being much weaker than him as well as a non-physical fighter.
Queen was depicted with his cybernetic arm and an aspect not much different from his current one, meaning that he may not have been far from his present level of strength. He wasn't using his Devil Fruit power, but Caesar wasn't using it on him as well.
Obviously, the scene was just a gag fight with the only purpose of amusing readers with a moment of comical relief. It should not be considered anything more than that.
However, going by the assumption that gags aren't just for fun but portray the power of characters, this moment should be used as proof that Queen, Judge, and Caesar Clown are equally strong.
Such a thing is clearly not possible, given that Caesar Clown is implied to be much weaker than Vergo, a fighter who is most likely inferior to Queen. Still, Caesar Clown and Queen were confronting each other on par, with no one being able to come out on top.
Considering their shared portrayal as MADS members with no distinction over their individual might, the further cue provided by their fight should be enough to say that they are equally strong. That is at least according to believers of the idea that gag rivalries are proof of comparable power.
Admittedly, such a thing doesn't make any sense. While Queen is not the most amazing fighter, he is still way stronger than either Caesar or Judge. The fact that they are depicted struggling on par is inherent proof that gag fights and comical relief rivalries have zero meaning for power levels.
Final thoughts
The strength of One Piece characters can't be valued on the basis of them standing together in a panel, having gag fights, or acting as some sort of rivals. Countless examples in the series demonstrate that rivals can still have a notable difference in individual strength.
A rivalry can help characters progress because it triggers the contenders to improve, bringing out their best to prove their superiority. Still, the fact that characters compete for the same goal doesn't have any inherent meaning other than their competition.
If their feats and status are very different, some panels together and a common drive don't suddenly make them equals. Moreover, funny squabbles must never be misinterpreted as a sort of strength-related comparison.
This argument is supported by only a minority of One Piece fans, but after the latest chapter, this has lost any possible significance, as it would lead believers of this theory being forced to rank Queen with the same strength of Caesar Clown.
