When did i say Zoro beat Arlong you? I said the potrayal when they were both injured. Arlong disposed of Sanji and calls him complete trash. Then Sanji hypes him to be on another level. Then he fights Zoro and start giving shock reactions and saying he can't afford to have this man live.
It doesn't matter for Sanji cause he never done it. Injured or not injured. Luffy and Zoro does it while injured and not injured. Sanji never done it period. So what can we refer to for us to believe he can do it at all?
Sanji got his ass beat by Gin and Vergo crack his shin and it was still hurting him later in the arc.
Sanji has never ever done it. Maybe he will beat King and finally prove it this arc
Are you reading some mistranslations ?
First of all, Arlong calls both Zoro and Sanji weaklings after shooting them with the water bullets
Sanji's the first one to get back up from the attack both he and Zoro took, and then he hypes Arlong
to be
on another level when compared to other Fishmen.
like nothing they have faced until that point. Which is accurate, Arlong is the strongest opponent they have faced. Stronger than Hachi and Kuroobi.
So i've already established that Arlong trashtalked both Zoro and Sanji for what he could do to them with his water bullets, and one could argue that his trash talk was even more relevant for Zoro who took a long time to get back up after that attack compared to Sanji.
Then there's Zoro trying to take Arlong on, which once again, he can't really do anything against him
Arlong outright mocks him for being unable to scratch his nose, saying that's the best he could hope for even if he had any real power.
And look, we can explain Zoro's inability to perform to some extent because of his injuries, and i'd agree with this, since it's basically what i've been saying all along. All Zoro could do against Arlong is impress him with his determination to fight in spite of those injuries
That's what made Arlong say that he should dispose of him now. Zoro was given a clear avenue to highlight his determination via fighting with those injuries. In terms of feats against Arlong, he couldn't do shit.
And that's perfectly understandable and not something i'm holding against Zoro.
Now as for Sanji ever defeating the second strongest, i'd say Kuroobi vs Hachi is questionable for Arlong's second strongest subordinate. It might actually be the case that Kurooby was stronger, and Zoro's injuries explain why Sanji was allowed to fight him instead.
But the Vergo and Gin examples need to be looked at through their purpose in the story, and Oda making sure Sanji get's injured prior to those encounters needs to be acknowledged. It literally plays significant narrative purpose with Gin taking note of Sanji's injuries and that serving to showcase Sanji's determination and as part of what pushed Gin to side with him against his captain. Not to mention that Vergo was the strongest person in PH, but his role was to be defeated by Law, and Sanji was injured so that in the fight with Vergo he only get's to complete his objective of protecting Tashigi and the marines.
:queenhear:
