Since some Sanji fans apparently can’t enjoy a power-up gracefully, let’s talk about what this chapter actually proved and why it supports what other fandoms have been saying for years.
For the vast majority of the timeskip, Sanji was significantly weaker than Zoro, which means the gap between him and Luffy was even larger. This chapter doesn’t erase that argument. If anything, it explains why Sanji needed so much help catching up.
Look at what Zoro and Sanji actually needed to overcome their opponents.
Zoro fought Sommers. Sanji fought Killingham. Neither Holy Knight particularly impressed me with raw strength. Their biggest selling point was regeneration. Take that away, and both fights end fairly quickly.
But even against two opponents whose main advantage was refusing to stay down, the difference in what Zoro and Sanji needed is telling.
Zoro needed to master his advanced Conqueror’s Haki, then immediately destroyed Sommers. Before finishing him, he was practically using the fight as a training session.
Sanji, meanwhile, needed to overcome his worst nightmare, unlock advanced Conqueror’s Haki, improve his Armament Haki, upgrade his flames, and stop feeling pain to overcome Killingham.
Congratulations on the upgrades. But when one character needs refinement and the other needs an entire renovation, that tells you something about where they started.
Zoro came into his fight significantly stronger. Sanji’s growth doesn’t somehow disprove that.
That’s the part some of you keep trying to skip. Sanji being stronger now doesn’t mean people were wrong about him then. A power-up isn’t a refund on every argument you lost before it.
It doesn’t erase Vergo using him as a hype tool. It doesn’t rewrite Whole Cake Island, either.
There’s a reason Sanji mentions being able to shatter bullets now. Back in Whole Cake Island, gunfire was a legitimate problem for him, and he needed his Germa brothers’ help getting Luffy to safety.
You can appreciate that improvement without pretending the weakness never existed. Whitebeard was collecting gunshot wounds while sick, dying, and old enough to be Sanji’s grandfather, yet continued fighting a war. Those bullets certainly contributed to his injuries, but they weren’t stopping him from fighting monsters.
Sanji overcoming something that previously threatened him is character progression. It is also an acknowledgment that it previously threatened him. Both things can be true.
Now, about Sanji supposedly being stronger than Luffy.
Please enjoy your chapter responsibly.
Having advanced Conqueror’s Haki does not automatically put you on Luffy’s level. You don’t receive the ability and inherit everyone else’s feats along with it.
I still don’t have Sanji above pre–Gear 5 Luffy. Unlocking the same category of Haki doesn’t mean you’ve demonstrated the same strength, mastery, endurance, or overall combat ability.
Look at their opposition.
Sanji’s strongest defeated opponent is still Queen, in my opinion. I’ve never rated Queen particularly highly compared with the YC1 characters, and Sanji’s abilities were especially effective against him.
I also don’t think Killingham has clearly demonstrated greater raw strength than Queen. Being harder to put down because of regeneration doesn’t automatically make you a stronger fighter. At minimum, there’s an argument that they belong in a similar general range.
Meanwhile, Luffy unlocked advanced Conqueror’s Haki and proceeded to exchange blows with Kaido in base for a significant stretch.
After unlocking Gear 5, he fought Kaido, fought Kizaru, handled Kizaru and Saturn together, and even fought Imu—where he got his ass beat, but you get the point. Look at the caliber of opposition he’s facing.
Luffy has repeatedly demonstrated that he can contend with top tiers. He is one.
Until Sanji independently fights someone of that caliber and performs well, putting him above Luffy is pure agenda. You’re asking us to award him a ranking before he’s submitted the résumé.
These upgrades put Sanji in YC1+ territory for me. That is a substantial improvement.
He can be somewhere above King and Katakuri while still sitting below Zoro and Law. That’s a perfectly respectable place to be.
But apparently “Sanji got significantly stronger” isn’t enough. Some of you need “Sanji is stronger than Luffy,” and then act surprised when everyone starts picking the argument apart.
When you compare him with someone who has better overall feats even in areas you’re trying to claim for Sanji you invite the exact pushback you’re complaining about.
The Monster Trio hierarchy remains some version of:
Luffy > Zoro > Sanji.
The gaps can change. Sanji can grow. He can have impressive moments and excellent power-ups. None of that requires the order to change. He will always remain the weakest.
He hasn’t shown me Kaido level, Luffy level, or Admiral level. He has shown me a major improvement over where he used to be.
Enjoy it. Let him establish what he can actually do before promoting him three divisions.
Sanji finally getting stronger doesn’t mean we were wrong about how weak he was. It means he finally addressed the problem.
Great job on being right about him being a conqueror though, maybe yall have future sight.
By the way never forget:
For the vast majority of the timeskip, Sanji was significantly weaker than Zoro, which means the gap between him and Luffy was even larger. This chapter doesn’t erase that argument. If anything, it explains why Sanji needed so much help catching up.
Look at what Zoro and Sanji actually needed to overcome their opponents.
Zoro fought Sommers. Sanji fought Killingham. Neither Holy Knight particularly impressed me with raw strength. Their biggest selling point was regeneration. Take that away, and both fights end fairly quickly.
But even against two opponents whose main advantage was refusing to stay down, the difference in what Zoro and Sanji needed is telling.
Zoro needed to master his advanced Conqueror’s Haki, then immediately destroyed Sommers. Before finishing him, he was practically using the fight as a training session.
Sanji, meanwhile, needed to overcome his worst nightmare, unlock advanced Conqueror’s Haki, improve his Armament Haki, upgrade his flames, and stop feeling pain to overcome Killingham.
Congratulations on the upgrades. But when one character needs refinement and the other needs an entire renovation, that tells you something about where they started.
Zoro came into his fight significantly stronger. Sanji’s growth doesn’t somehow disprove that.
That’s the part some of you keep trying to skip. Sanji being stronger now doesn’t mean people were wrong about him then. A power-up isn’t a refund on every argument you lost before it.
It doesn’t erase Vergo using him as a hype tool. It doesn’t rewrite Whole Cake Island, either.
There’s a reason Sanji mentions being able to shatter bullets now. Back in Whole Cake Island, gunfire was a legitimate problem for him, and he needed his Germa brothers’ help getting Luffy to safety.
You can appreciate that improvement without pretending the weakness never existed. Whitebeard was collecting gunshot wounds while sick, dying, and old enough to be Sanji’s grandfather, yet continued fighting a war. Those bullets certainly contributed to his injuries, but they weren’t stopping him from fighting monsters.
Sanji overcoming something that previously threatened him is character progression. It is also an acknowledgment that it previously threatened him. Both things can be true.
Now, about Sanji supposedly being stronger than Luffy.
Please enjoy your chapter responsibly.
Having advanced Conqueror’s Haki does not automatically put you on Luffy’s level. You don’t receive the ability and inherit everyone else’s feats along with it.
I still don’t have Sanji above pre–Gear 5 Luffy. Unlocking the same category of Haki doesn’t mean you’ve demonstrated the same strength, mastery, endurance, or overall combat ability.
Look at their opposition.
Sanji’s strongest defeated opponent is still Queen, in my opinion. I’ve never rated Queen particularly highly compared with the YC1 characters, and Sanji’s abilities were especially effective against him.
I also don’t think Killingham has clearly demonstrated greater raw strength than Queen. Being harder to put down because of regeneration doesn’t automatically make you a stronger fighter. At minimum, there’s an argument that they belong in a similar general range.
Meanwhile, Luffy unlocked advanced Conqueror’s Haki and proceeded to exchange blows with Kaido in base for a significant stretch.
After unlocking Gear 5, he fought Kaido, fought Kizaru, handled Kizaru and Saturn together, and even fought Imu—where he got his ass beat, but you get the point. Look at the caliber of opposition he’s facing.
Luffy has repeatedly demonstrated that he can contend with top tiers. He is one.
Until Sanji independently fights someone of that caliber and performs well, putting him above Luffy is pure agenda. You’re asking us to award him a ranking before he’s submitted the résumé.
These upgrades put Sanji in YC1+ territory for me. That is a substantial improvement.
He can be somewhere above King and Katakuri while still sitting below Zoro and Law. That’s a perfectly respectable place to be.
But apparently “Sanji got significantly stronger” isn’t enough. Some of you need “Sanji is stronger than Luffy,” and then act surprised when everyone starts picking the argument apart.
When you compare him with someone who has better overall feats even in areas you’re trying to claim for Sanji you invite the exact pushback you’re complaining about.
The Monster Trio hierarchy remains some version of:
Luffy > Zoro > Sanji.
The gaps can change. Sanji can grow. He can have impressive moments and excellent power-ups. None of that requires the order to change. He will always remain the weakest.
He hasn’t shown me Kaido level, Luffy level, or Admiral level. He has shown me a major improvement over where he used to be.
Enjoy it. Let him establish what he can actually do before promoting him three divisions.
Sanji finally getting stronger doesn’t mean we were wrong about how weak he was. It means he finally addressed the problem.
Great job on being right about him being a conqueror though, maybe yall have future sight.
By the way never forget:
