I read your post but I don't see any difference ... the key points still remain, of Zoro being the #2 MC
The samurai's name is Ryuuma, and a dragon also made an appearance, so this is a prototype for "Monsters" = Ryuma is the MC of Monsters
At that time, I was thinking about the kind of protagonist I was good at, and I already had an image of a character similar to Luffy. = Ryuma is similar to Luffy
Then, I thought I'd try to elevate a supporting character into a main character tier. I thought that if I had two main characters, I could land myself a series. = There are 2 MCs in One Piece Luffy & Zoro
Ryuuma is a character that I designed with the intention of being that "number two" = Zoro