To be honest, when I became interested in manga in 2009, I read all the iconic works. Naruto, Bleach, Berserk, Kenshin the Tramp and so on, but I avoided van pease. I just didn't like the redneck in the straw hat. But then I just saw Zoro in the picture next to him. And in early 2011, I read van pease. And Zoro has been the one I read the op for almost 13 years now.
Well my first official exposure to One Piece was through Screw Attack, I was watching one of their death battles and saw Luffy and it immediately turned me off, I am like wtf?
I am supposed to watch this abomination as a protagonist and this is what everyone is talking about?
But then my best friend who ironically doesn't give a shit about One Piece anymore, neither watches nor reads it kept trying to convince me to watch it back in 2016, right when Trump was running for presidency, he was a Big fan.
When I first watched, I kinda liked Luffy and first thing I did was look up
"Top 10 One Piece characters" and back then top tens list was the biggest "Top 10 Website" and I saw Zoro at top and initially I was like he's cool but what's the hype?
Then Alabasta made Zoro my favorite character too.