I think it's time to give up. Oda is pulling a Japanese Folk tale, and by giving Yamato one of the most obscure animal gods of all times just to put up with the line up
- Monkey: check
- Phoenix: check, although it's a pheasant?
- Momotaro: check
- Dog: Yamato is kinda a dog
So unless some miracle shit happens, Oda is playing this tale to the book, by having Marco joining the other 3, which leaves Zoro no choice but to fight King
And it's a good thing. King will be a good fight for Zoro. The sooner we as Zoro fans accept that, the better we will avoid the same trap that haunted the Sanji fans ever since a.k.a "Sanji vs King".
Sure I will be disappointed that Zoro won't fight Kaidou, but he's done more than enough, and to be honest, I was scared that after the rooftop, that was the end for him. But if Oda is also giving him a 1v1 fight with King. Then I will be more than happy.
Sure there still a chance of Zoro going to Kaidou, but it's incredibly slim with the reveal of this chapter, and we have to deal with that.