I agree that Yamato will be below Sanji if she joins but I don't think the reason is to preserve the Zoro/Sanji "rivalry"
I think it's more so the fact that Sanji has always been the cemented #3 of the crew and that's never changed despite the constant clamors of "X character will take Sanji's spot in the M3"
Well we do see eye to eye if you believe Sanji is above Yamato IF Yamato joins.
IF Yamato doesn't join then Yamato being above Zoro/Sanji is a possibility.
Sanji is cemented as the number 3 in part because of the rivalry. Not much of a rivalry if Zoro is 2 and Sanji is below 3. Zoro would never let Sanji hear the end of it if there was a real noticeable gap between the two of them in the crew.
Plus the fact his name has the Japanese number 3 in "San" surely plays a part.
You need to read FI arc and the beginning of the raid...
Pseudo-nerfing the SHs the Oda's way is to give them "lesser" opponents or not giving one at all...
This...
People are just overreacting and gatekeeping TBH...
Why do I need to reread FI arc and beginning of the raid?
So Yamato will get downgraded by fighting lesser enemies even though being a more capable fighter??? Or worse no opponent at all!?! I can't see Oda having Yamato join in Wano after all the shenanigans to fight a scrub or to not have an opponent at all in the next arc. Yamato has to catch up with the the other Strawhats in prominence with less time until EoS. What else would give Yamato prominence besides fighting? Yamato has yet to have a defined role.
If someone disagrees with someone joining the crew is that gatekeeping? If so, then don't most if not all do it in this thread???
Depends.
I'm a Zoro fan and I hate the idea of her joining but not because I feel threatened she may overtake Zoro.
It's just stupid, zero background, no interactions with crew. She only repeats two lines which is I'm Oden and I knew Ace so I will sail with Luffy!
There are multiple reasons why Yamato won't join as you pointed out. I don't disagree.
The dynamic of the crew is important and someone new should not disrupt it but instead add to it. Jinbe has been carefully handled as inserting a former Warlord would have upset the dynamic if Jinbe joined pretimeskip.
If Oda was going to have Yamato join, this dynamic would be considered like Jinbe's postponing truly joining until the M3 definitely have or will surpass Yamato in said arc. So if Yamato "joins" it won't be this arc IF Yamato is above Zoro/Sanji.
Yamato destroys sanji for now ; that has nothing to do with sanji hate just facts
@Berry Rich
As I stated if that's true Yamato isn't joining this arc. Yamato would have to ride with Luffy to the next arc and drop below Sanji before being an official crewmate.
Why would Oda even do this dance with a new crewmate? It's a messy setup.
Why make it about the rivalry.
Sanji will always be a close number 3 in the crew because he’s one of the three leaders of the crew and that he is one of luffys two most trusted crew mates.
Sanji and zoro are wings because of what they mean to Luffy not because Sanji is Zoros rival.
And no Yamato won’t change that. She’ll eventually go the way of Jinbe which everyone said “Jinbe will break the monster trio” and now Sanji can literally low diff Jinbe
The rivalry is not the only factor but a key factor.
Nami is a leader too. Zoro and Sanji are Luffy's most trusted combatants. The rivalry between Zoro and Sanji helps push them to maintain that status.
Sanji low diff Jinbe??? Not sure about that. Maybe mid-high diff but more likely high diff. Jinbe is a crewmate now so has the plot armor growth rate like the rest of them. And I doubt Jinbe has shown all of his techniques especially the secret ones.
