No that it took him (and all the other guys Apoo was fending off) this long when he's been serious from the start about ending the fight as soon as possible and joining the scabbards against Kaido.
Isn't that how drama works? Why did Lufgy spend 10 chapters of the doff fight in Base form instead of jumping to G4?
Why is it that since Luffy is using G4 all over want, people automatically believe he already has something better. The rules of drama dictate that Luffy wouldn't be spamming G4 unless it was no longer hus best move. Since he'll be building up how serious he gets as the fight goes on.
Zoro started by a casual swipe at Apoo. then he used 720 phoenix. Then he rushed him with Drake using haki last chapter. And EVERY SINGLE TIME he kept on saying "I don't have time for this" and we know he's trying to conserve his strength. So at the very least, he expected that him and drake could finish Apoo both fast and without using up a lot of energy. But Apoo would t go down.
Then he saw the arm and now all the drama about him saying he can't waste time and having to help kin'emon and friends has reached the peak. So Zoro actually uses a reasonable move considering Apoo by definition of being a supernova is not a scrub and then it ends. One shot.
It's drama. We'be been wondering for like 5 chapters why Zoro keeps complaining about this and this is the reason.oda was building up to a dramatic finish. Because the outcome would've been the same if Zoro tried this 5 chapters ago bit then there wouldn't have been any drama. It would've just been a stomp for the sake of a stomp. And oda wouldn't do a supernova dirty like that. Even if it's Apoo