Worstgen

Cinera

There are two separate instances of shading that looks like hardening:

The first was against Drake:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/656412113891491880/716692585820979240/Screenshot_20200531-174002.png

The second was tanking Kanjuro's arrows:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/656412113891491880/716693265931436032/4qzbellqmvq41.png

Cinera

The common counterargument is that this is very vague and unclear shading, and Oda would be much more explicit the first time a character actually uses hardening.

Cinera

However, I'm not sure this is true. Jinbe used hardening at the Tea Party to block some fodder:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/656412113891491880/716695673164005477/Screenshot_20200531-175223.png

Back on OJ folks raised similar counterarguments to deny it as an instance of hardening.

Cinera

However, Jinbe later went on to demonstrate hardening unambiguously against Big Mom:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/656412113891491880/716695673164005477/Screenshot_20200531-175223.png

This makes me inclined to think the earlier display at the Tea Party was also hardening.

Cinera

Because of this, I don't think the first time a character shows hardening would necessarily be highlighted. Sanji has had not one, but two instances of hardening esque shading.

It is possible these are not instances of hardening, but there's not much reason to believe that, and given that it's happened twice, hardening seems to me to be the most likely explanation.

Cinera

I expect Sanji to demonstrate hardening unambiguously in Wano, and in a fashion more akin to Jinbe's than Don Sai's (he wouldn't suddenly unlock it). If these expectations are thwarted, then I'll update towards Sanji not yet having hardening by early Wano.

Cinera

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