Baratie clearly shows Sanji’s baseline mindset was that an ambition is not worth dying for. It’s not debatable, it’s fact in black and white. You can argue that he changed but you cannot defend this point.
The difference is that Sanji had no plan nor intention to eventually escape and return on WCI. He completely gave up and despaired. He at least had the opportunity to think about a solution and made no such effort, he was totally done with any and all ambition including making Luffy Pirate King. Zoro’s situation with Kuma was completely different. For Zoro to escape there he’d have to actively sacrifice Luffy’s life which he’d never do. No different to Luffy telling everyone to run on Saboady but at least he brought everyone back together and didn’t give up like Sanji.
Sanji’s character is about kindness and chivalry not dominance or leadership, unlike Law who is an equally prevalent and overall stronger character who does have those qualities.
Killer shares Zoro/Luffy’s dynamic with Kid so not sure why you’re using him as evidence against me here — if Kid comes back stronger and ends up a high top-tier it wouldn’t be far fetched at all for Killer to awaken CoC. Furthermore, Law’s equal status portrayal with Luffy and Kid — two conquerors, is insanely huge for his case. Clearly, Law Kid and Luffy are framed as the top 3 pirates of the new gen bar BB, separated from everyone else.
Again, I have no issues with Sanji getting CoC. But it’s perfectly reasonable to have a problem with Sanji suddenly awakening CoC and Law not doing so when Law objectively has a much stronger case. Thus, I hope Law gets CoC too.
Baratie shows that Sanji rejected dying for his own ambition. It does not show an absence of will(haki). In that same conflict, he allowed Pearl to beat him nearly to death because surrendering the Baratie meant surrendering Zeff’s life and dream. Sanji was fully prepared to die; he placed another person’s cause above his own. You have silently converted CoC into “willingness to die specifically for your personal ambition,” a criterion the manga has never established.
i agree that WCI shows Sanji genuinely despairing and failing to formulate a solution. But the people being gambled were Zeff, his crew and even the family he hated. His kindness and pathological tendency to carry everyone’s survival alone destroyed his judgment. Chapter 856 confirms that he still wanted to return; he simply believed every available escape condemned somebody else. Oden similarly surrendered his authority, reputation and initiative for five years to protect hostages. Ace abandoned his own Pirate King pursuit to advance Whitebeard’s. Temporary surrender and placing others above your ambition plainly coexist with CoC. This has never been an issue in the past, but now that Sanji enters the game, it’s an „asspull“.
“Sanji is about kindness, not dominance or leadership” creates another criterion only when discussing Sanji. Kindness describes what his will serves, not how powerful it is. Zoro’s character is primarily built around swordsmanship, discipline and loyalty, rather than ruling people. Rayleigh, Gaban, Ace and Katakuri also served another person. CoC has never required someone’s defining character theme to be dominance.
Your Killer answer concedes my argument. Chapter 1000 includes Killer in the same new-generation framing. Saying he might qualify later if he becomes stronger means that framing alone certifies nobody. Law being grouped with Luffy and Kid establishes his status among the leading pirates of his generation; it does not transfer every ability possessed by the other two. Their equal post-Wano bounties did not make Law an Emperor either, right?
Law has a very strong and more conventional case for CoC. But you calling Sanji-without-Law an asspull turns your personal ranking into a canon eligibility rule.
Across these replies, the supposed requirement has moved from never abandoning ambition, to dominance, to leadership, to strength, and finally to association with other conquerors. Every version is applied wherever it elevates Law over Sanji. I respect the „faith“.