Like many here, I believe that Zoro will kill Kaido. However, my view recently on ZKK has generally been: Zoro fights King then gets his Ryuma moment after Luffy has defeated Kaido. With the release of this chapter, I think there’s an increased chance that Zoro *won’t* fight King. These are just my thoughts. They could end up being correct, or they could be completely wrong. It's up to Oda. Whichever path he decides to go to, I hope it's good.
Let me explain by going over Act III, the raid on Onigashima specifically.
In chapter 980, we first learn of Zoro’s intentions of fighting Kaido in this arc.
In chapter 989, Zoro again reiterates his ambition to go to Kaido. He tells Luffy he'll go with him to the rooftop. Luffy doesn’t tell Zoro to focus on Queen, who is standing right next to him. In fact, they both completely ignore Queen and try to get to the rooftop. The chapter ends with Luffy saying he'll go take out Kaido and ordering everyone else to watch his back. This was one of the original reasons why people doubted Zoro even going to the rooftop at all; in the end, we all saw what happened.
From there, did Luffy and Zoro get to Kaido immediately? No, they were prevented from getting there because the enemies blocked the path. It took an additional 10 chapters for them to face Kaido alongside the other supernovas. What happened during that span of 10 chapters? Luffy is escorted floor by floor by Sanji and Jinbe. And in the end, he is protected by the Minks, while Zoro gets into a fight with Apoo and makes retrieving the antidote his temporary objective.
In chapter 995, Queen notices the name Vinsmoke in the bounties he's holding. A connection is now established between Queen and Sanji. A connection that doesn’t exist between Zoro and any subordinate. This may seem off-topic for now, but keep it in mind for later.
In chapter 997, Zoro sees Kiku’s arm fall off the rooftop and realises that there is no time to waste; he immediately accomplishes his secondary objective of getting the antidote from Apoo. When Queen is going to waste more time by shooting out plague bullets, Zoro sends a slash to him and tells him he did not come here to waste time on a bunch of nonsense. We see a sense of urgency from Zoro.
Zoro reveals to us what his true objective of the arc is. It’s to slice Kaido into pieces. Now, many people misinterpret this part for some reason. I think it’s mainly due to the TCB scans. In the TCB scans, Zoro says, “I came here to cut down Kaido”. People see the word "cut" in "cut down" and think it means the same thing. They believe that Zoro's objective was to give Kaido a cut. So, in their minds, he's clearly achieved his arc goal since he cut Kaido hard in 1010. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Cut down is something employed in One Piece to imply defeat or death. It is not meant to signify just a “cut”. The Viz makes this even clearer. Zoro came here to slice Kaido into pieces. In a literal sense, it means to kill someone, while figuratively, it means to defeat someone. Zoro has done neither. Therefore, he hasn't achieved his goal of the arc.
Zoro now realises the dangers of wasting time on subordinates. He understands that he and Luffy have to get to Kaido immediately. Otherwise, Kaido will hurt the members of the alliance. Even here, Zoro sees King and isn't interested in him at all. He doesn't want to waste time fighting him; he wants to get to Kaido immediately.
Here comes Marco, who allows Zoro to get past King and Queen so that he doesn’t waste time and instead goes to Kaido immediately. He is the solution to Zoro’s problem. Zoro finally gets to Kaido, where he always wanted to be.
Fast forward to chapter 1003, Zoro finally cuts Kaido. If Zoro’s goal was to give Kaido a cut, he could have left right here. Or after Luffy got back to normal health. He would have "accomplished" his goal with that cut. In chapter 1008, Zoro is actively thinking of a way to defeat Kaido. Clearly, his goal is more than just cutting him.
In chapters 1009 and 1010, Zoro’s own goals change. As a result of the brutal attack he took, he himself doesn’t expect to fight till the end. Instead, he wants to give Kaido a massive hit so that Law and/or Luffy can finish the fight instead. He uses Asura, which gives Kaido a deep wound that will eventually scar him. Unfortunately for Zoro, this attack doesn't even knock Kaido off his feet and seems mostly ineffective. Zoro fans want to hype up Asura since it resulted in a scar, but they forget that moment is pretty much a failure for Zoro. He couldn't even do what he wished for.
Luffy, as expected, takes over for Zoro and Law and tells them that he can now defeat Kaido. They can go down now and tell everyone that Luffy will win. In Luffy’s mind, the damage given to Kaido in combination with his newfound CoC ability is enough to get the victory.
In chapter 1012, Zoro and Sanji express their trust in Luffy by saying that he will win. Zoro hopes that his contribution with Asura is enough to allow Luffy the victory.
However, as we see in the ending of chapter 1013, they were dead wrong. Zoro’s contribution with Asura was nowhere near enough, and Luffy’s CoC epiphany wasn’t enough either.
In chapter 1014, an announcement is made that Luffy has lost and that he is sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Bao Huang says that "Kaido will now descend and begin to clean up the stragglers!!" The assumption here is that Kaido is free to do whatever he wants to members of the alliance. He is going to wipe out anyone he wants.
In chapter 1015, another announcement is made to everyone. An announcement telling everyone that Luffy is still alive and that he isn’t dead like previously announced. Luffy will return, and he will win, says Momonosuke. This is also the chapter when Sanji gets to start his fight with Queen. The reason why I’m bringing up Sanji and Queen is up that people don't understand why they're fighting. Sure, the similarities between Queen and Sanji’s past opponents definitely exist. However, the main reason behind the fight is their connection with Judge. A connection that was established 20 chapters ago. This connection isn't a bonus; it's the main reason for their fight.
In chapter 1016, we finally get to see Yamato against Kaido. She is aiming to delay him until Luffy returns. We're aware of this because we're the readers. However, characters like Zoro don't know that Yamato is currently holding off Kaido. To them, Kaido is destroying the alliance.
Now, in this week's chapter (1017), Zoro is finally about to get healed. And once again, we see that sense of urgency in Zoro. He wants to get the drug as fast as possible so that he can get back going. He doesn't want to waste time. Think to yourself, does it make any sense for Zoro to be in a hurry to get the drug so that he faces off a subordinate who is already preoccupied with someone else? It doesn't make much sense to me, at least. This is the same idea that we saw earlier in chapter 997. Zoro is in a hurry to get to Kaido because he doesn't want Kaido hurting members of the alliance as long as he's capable of stopping it. Now, Zoro has a brand new shot at achieving his goal. He will temporarily be at full strength, and his injuries from Hakkai will be ignored. With this new opportunity, why would Zoro be in a rush to fight King? I don't see any reason.
Does this mean that Yamato will pack her suitcases once she sees Zoro arrive? No, it's a matter of timing. You could ask yourself the same question with Luffy. When will Luffy show up? He'll show up at the perfect moment. Not too early, not too late. If Zoro is to go to Kaido, then the same idea applies here. The two heroes will show up at the perfect moment. Most likely, when Yamato is about to get defeated.
Many people also think that Zoro v King is obvious because Sanji vs Queen happened. Why did Oda add a connection between Sanji and Queen if the matchup was already obvious? It seems unnecessary. Why couldn't he do the same with Zoro and King? Also, the reasons why Zoro v King is considered "obvious" aren't unique to Zoro and King either. In fact, I'd argue that Marco v King has a lot more going for it in comparison. They're both birds. Marco is paralleling Zoro from Enies Lobby. Fought two executives then focused on one once Sanji arrived. They're literally in front of one another. King being a swordsman isn't even unique to him anymore; Queen pulled out a sword to fight Sanji! Even if you think that Marco is going to get defeated soon. You still have Izo and Kawamatsu available.
I remember having a conversation with Cinera about a related topic and ended up saying that Zoro fighting Kaido alongside Luffy, in my opinion, would reduce the likelihood of ZKK. I don't think ZKK is as likely if Luffy isn't capable of getting a clear moment where he individually beats Kaido. Having Zoro fight King and later slay Kaido (after he's Luffy beats him) is the simplest way to give them their big moment. However, even knowing this. I'd rather stick with what seems to be implied currently rather than my preconceived ZKK route.
Either way, we'll find out soon enough if this entire post is correct or if it's all wrong.
Hopefully, either way, it's good.
Also, feel free to point unclear sentences or incoherent ideas.
Let me explain by going over Act III, the raid on Onigashima specifically.
In chapter 980, we first learn of Zoro’s intentions of fighting Kaido in this arc.
In chapter 989, Zoro again reiterates his ambition to go to Kaido. He tells Luffy he'll go with him to the rooftop. Luffy doesn’t tell Zoro to focus on Queen, who is standing right next to him. In fact, they both completely ignore Queen and try to get to the rooftop. The chapter ends with Luffy saying he'll go take out Kaido and ordering everyone else to watch his back. This was one of the original reasons why people doubted Zoro even going to the rooftop at all; in the end, we all saw what happened.
From there, did Luffy and Zoro get to Kaido immediately? No, they were prevented from getting there because the enemies blocked the path. It took an additional 10 chapters for them to face Kaido alongside the other supernovas. What happened during that span of 10 chapters? Luffy is escorted floor by floor by Sanji and Jinbe. And in the end, he is protected by the Minks, while Zoro gets into a fight with Apoo and makes retrieving the antidote his temporary objective.
In chapter 995, Queen notices the name Vinsmoke in the bounties he's holding. A connection is now established between Queen and Sanji. A connection that doesn’t exist between Zoro and any subordinate. This may seem off-topic for now, but keep it in mind for later.
In chapter 997, Zoro sees Kiku’s arm fall off the rooftop and realises that there is no time to waste; he immediately accomplishes his secondary objective of getting the antidote from Apoo. When Queen is going to waste more time by shooting out plague bullets, Zoro sends a slash to him and tells him he did not come here to waste time on a bunch of nonsense. We see a sense of urgency from Zoro.
Zoro reveals to us what his true objective of the arc is. It’s to slice Kaido into pieces. Now, many people misinterpret this part for some reason. I think it’s mainly due to the TCB scans. In the TCB scans, Zoro says, “I came here to cut down Kaido”. People see the word "cut" in "cut down" and think it means the same thing. They believe that Zoro's objective was to give Kaido a cut. So, in their minds, he's clearly achieved his arc goal since he cut Kaido hard in 1010. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Cut down is something employed in One Piece to imply defeat or death. It is not meant to signify just a “cut”. The Viz makes this even clearer. Zoro came here to slice Kaido into pieces. In a literal sense, it means to kill someone, while figuratively, it means to defeat someone. Zoro has done neither. Therefore, he hasn't achieved his goal of the arc.
Zoro now realises the dangers of wasting time on subordinates. He understands that he and Luffy have to get to Kaido immediately. Otherwise, Kaido will hurt the members of the alliance. Even here, Zoro sees King and isn't interested in him at all. He doesn't want to waste time fighting him; he wants to get to Kaido immediately.
Here comes Marco, who allows Zoro to get past King and Queen so that he doesn’t waste time and instead goes to Kaido immediately. He is the solution to Zoro’s problem. Zoro finally gets to Kaido, where he always wanted to be.
Fast forward to chapter 1003, Zoro finally cuts Kaido. If Zoro’s goal was to give Kaido a cut, he could have left right here. Or after Luffy got back to normal health. He would have "accomplished" his goal with that cut. In chapter 1008, Zoro is actively thinking of a way to defeat Kaido. Clearly, his goal is more than just cutting him.
In chapters 1009 and 1010, Zoro’s own goals change. As a result of the brutal attack he took, he himself doesn’t expect to fight till the end. Instead, he wants to give Kaido a massive hit so that Law and/or Luffy can finish the fight instead. He uses Asura, which gives Kaido a deep wound that will eventually scar him. Unfortunately for Zoro, this attack doesn't even knock Kaido off his feet and seems mostly ineffective. Zoro fans want to hype up Asura since it resulted in a scar, but they forget that moment is pretty much a failure for Zoro. He couldn't even do what he wished for.
Luffy, as expected, takes over for Zoro and Law and tells them that he can now defeat Kaido. They can go down now and tell everyone that Luffy will win. In Luffy’s mind, the damage given to Kaido in combination with his newfound CoC ability is enough to get the victory.
In chapter 1012, Zoro and Sanji express their trust in Luffy by saying that he will win. Zoro hopes that his contribution with Asura is enough to allow Luffy the victory.
However, as we see in the ending of chapter 1013, they were dead wrong. Zoro’s contribution with Asura was nowhere near enough, and Luffy’s CoC epiphany wasn’t enough either.
In chapter 1014, an announcement is made that Luffy has lost and that he is sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Bao Huang says that "Kaido will now descend and begin to clean up the stragglers!!" The assumption here is that Kaido is free to do whatever he wants to members of the alliance. He is going to wipe out anyone he wants.
In chapter 1015, another announcement is made to everyone. An announcement telling everyone that Luffy is still alive and that he isn’t dead like previously announced. Luffy will return, and he will win, says Momonosuke. This is also the chapter when Sanji gets to start his fight with Queen. The reason why I’m bringing up Sanji and Queen is up that people don't understand why they're fighting. Sure, the similarities between Queen and Sanji’s past opponents definitely exist. However, the main reason behind the fight is their connection with Judge. A connection that was established 20 chapters ago. This connection isn't a bonus; it's the main reason for their fight.
In chapter 1016, we finally get to see Yamato against Kaido. She is aiming to delay him until Luffy returns. We're aware of this because we're the readers. However, characters like Zoro don't know that Yamato is currently holding off Kaido. To them, Kaido is destroying the alliance.
Now, in this week's chapter (1017), Zoro is finally about to get healed. And once again, we see that sense of urgency in Zoro. He wants to get the drug as fast as possible so that he can get back going. He doesn't want to waste time. Think to yourself, does it make any sense for Zoro to be in a hurry to get the drug so that he faces off a subordinate who is already preoccupied with someone else? It doesn't make much sense to me, at least. This is the same idea that we saw earlier in chapter 997. Zoro is in a hurry to get to Kaido because he doesn't want Kaido hurting members of the alliance as long as he's capable of stopping it. Now, Zoro has a brand new shot at achieving his goal. He will temporarily be at full strength, and his injuries from Hakkai will be ignored. With this new opportunity, why would Zoro be in a rush to fight King? I don't see any reason.
Does this mean that Yamato will pack her suitcases once she sees Zoro arrive? No, it's a matter of timing. You could ask yourself the same question with Luffy. When will Luffy show up? He'll show up at the perfect moment. Not too early, not too late. If Zoro is to go to Kaido, then the same idea applies here. The two heroes will show up at the perfect moment. Most likely, when Yamato is about to get defeated.
Many people also think that Zoro v King is obvious because Sanji vs Queen happened. Why did Oda add a connection between Sanji and Queen if the matchup was already obvious? It seems unnecessary. Why couldn't he do the same with Zoro and King? Also, the reasons why Zoro v King is considered "obvious" aren't unique to Zoro and King either. In fact, I'd argue that Marco v King has a lot more going for it in comparison. They're both birds. Marco is paralleling Zoro from Enies Lobby. Fought two executives then focused on one once Sanji arrived. They're literally in front of one another. King being a swordsman isn't even unique to him anymore; Queen pulled out a sword to fight Sanji! Even if you think that Marco is going to get defeated soon. You still have Izo and Kawamatsu available.
I remember having a conversation with Cinera about a related topic and ended up saying that Zoro fighting Kaido alongside Luffy, in my opinion, would reduce the likelihood of ZKK. I don't think ZKK is as likely if Luffy isn't capable of getting a clear moment where he individually beats Kaido. Having Zoro fight King and later slay Kaido (after he's Luffy beats him) is the simplest way to give them their big moment. However, even knowing this. I'd rather stick with what seems to be implied currently rather than my preconceived ZKK route.
Either way, we'll find out soon enough if this entire post is correct or if it's all wrong.
Hopefully, either way, it's good.
Also, feel free to point unclear sentences or incoherent ideas.
