Yeah but nothing we can do about it, I think itβs bad writting and wouldβve liked seeing his growth to the level heβs at right now instead of it all being offscreen but it is what it is.
Zoro is low top tier now and we saw none of his journey. Not too happy about it cause I believe itβs Odaβs fault but meh.
What if Zoro just became that strong because of Hawkeye's training? Why is that a problem?
Enma was a significant COA boost for Zoro and he copied Homurasaki from Kinemon, but other than that, Zoro's other stats haven't significantly improved. Zoro's just been
that strong since he entered the New World.
Let's not forget that he's yet to reveal Asura/Kongo Yasha or the issue with his eye:
- Zoro's eye being closed is a limiter/acts as a power up when opened.
- Zoro lost his eye in a duel with Hawkeyes.
- There'll be a flashback power up involving this
Oda was very careful not to demonstrate Zoro's limits:
- Zoro destroyed Monet through raw intimidation
- Zoro clarified that Pica was never on his level and was always much weaker
- He had Issho stop him from engaging Doflamingo.
- Was Zoro simply too strong?
- He had Bird Cage stop him after he defeated Pica
- He removed him from WCI
- Was Zoro simply too strong for a desperate escape arc?
- Would Zoro's bounty have been too high if he came along?
Zoro has never been pushed to his limits postskip until he actually fought Two Yonkou.
Zoro could not have grown from a low high tier to a low top tier, because he was already a high high tier when he entered the New World.
By delaying Zoro's all out strength until Wano, Oda was able to prevent Zoro from overshadowing Luffy.
My thinking is that it is possible that zoro came out of time-skip stronger than luffy did. It sounds ridiculous but this is my thinking after noticing that zoro needed no power-up besides the acquisition of enma to achieve his rooftop feats.
I think so too. See my above post.
The problem is we saw none of his growth post skip, would you say itβs engaging writting? I think not personally.
I don't think Oda had fighters strong enough to push Zoro to his limits.
As for why we never saw Zoro's growth:
- Zoro leaving Hawkeyes island (he was the first to return) when he was merely a low high tier would have been stupid on his part.
- He bowed his head to his rival and gave up his pride to seek the strength to protect Luffy.
- He's not going to be satisfied with strength below the Yonkou Commanders.
- He was defeated by Kuma and had to give up his life and throw away his ambition just to preserve Luffy's life.
- Do you really think an in character Zoro would accept being weaker than Kuma? The cause of his failures? His strength was found wanting, and he would leave it that way?
- This is not Zoro's story. This isn't Zoro's story, so Oda doesn't need to show the growth he had against Mihawk.
- Zoro had several duels and training sessions with Hawkeyes, and he grew to a high high tier against him.
- However, it's not his story, so Oda wouldn't show them.
Again, Zoro simply returned from the timeskip a High High Tier.
