I think its best if we wait for Zoro's dialogue next chapter (if he has) so we can properly guage where he's at mentally. There are some things I fundamentally disagree with here but this is a great post. What is a great discussion of there weren't disagreements?
A lot of this imo comes with the notion that they have legitimate unfinished business with each other which i don't agree with or implicitly tying things to Zoro but not to Luffy. A lot of what you have provided actually proves why this is central to Luffy and not Zoro. Things like:
- Kaido saying he respects the samurai, but doesn't reflect the same on Zoro. Kaido has already reacted to Zoro and his prowess in his own way. He has reacted to the new scar and his CoC, I think its unfair to say that this wasn't already achieved. Zoro also technically is not a Samurai, and I think that is very cut in dry by the way Kaido has reacted to Zoro as a whole. Kaido also can't react to Zoro if he's dead from ZKK so...I'm not sure how we are supposed to get further acknowledgement if the next step is virtually killing him.
- Enma turning black by cutting Kaido was never guaranteed. All Tengu says is in Zoro's hands, he's confident he can turn it black. It actually says nothing about it happening this arc. Enma's function/role this arc has already technically played out. He did cut Kaido
- Zoro already has damaged and cut Kaido as the story presented, Zoro failing to bring Kaido down on his own was never merited as an actual storyline that needed to be resolved.
- It has been heavily conflated that Oden's will is solely within Zoro, when we know that's not true. There is this notion that because Zoro has Enma, he must be the one fully carrying Oden's will and be the one to defeat Kaido. However, outsidr of that fact, there really is nothing tying Oden and Zoro together.
- Its actually Luffy that was always given the direct Oden parallels. When Kaido was punched the first time, Oden is in the backdrop behind Luffy, as if Kaido is looking at an opponent "like" Oden and the others. Luffy is the one that avenges the Scabbards, not Zoro. Luffy is the one Yamato suggests he should "be" Oden to defeat Kaido, not Zoro. Luffy is the one who has had directly more connections with Momo, Kinemon and the majority of Wano's citizens when it comes to the notion of defeating Kaido and liberating Wano.
- Zoro's "feat" with Kaido comes off WAY more selfish, because it's him attempting tp challenge and beat the WSC. That's not say Zoro doesn't have good intentions, but Luffy isn't just there to surpass the Yonko, he's there to avenge the samurai, he's there to defeat Kaido for Momo, he's there to liberate Wano. These are all things Luffy himself has proclaimed.
So listen I totally get the "idea" that Zoro has unfinished business with Kaido, but truly this has not really been promised or set up by the story. Kaido's dialogue has to do with the scabbards failure to be the living will of Oden. Kinemon asks Luffy to carry this burden not Zoro.
The parallel of someone surpassing Kaido like Oden is entirely a parallel to Luffy, NOT to Zoro. I really hope people don't hate me for this comment. I'm not trying to actively bash Zoro. He's still my favorite character like 80% of this forum, the problem is I cannot get behind some false expectations set by the fanbase when it comes to what they expect Zoro deserves this arc.
So like I said in the beginning, let's wait and see what Zoro's mindset is like. If he listens to Luffy and says he leaves it to him, or if he tells Law to have faith in Luffy, then I think people really need to start climbing down from this hype train. Zoro is not Luffy. Zoro receives less than half of Luffy's screentime. The manga has almost always centered on Luffy being the savior of X kingdom, not Zoro. Zoro's big moment at Thriller Bark ironically was entirely centered around Luffy and giving up his dream for him. He even threw away the notion of his dream by having his goal train him to get stronger for Luffy, he begged Mihawk for this. It is just what it is.
Tldr: Zoro's merit in the plot does not supercede Luffy's. I'm sorry but it's just fact and I hope this fanbase isn't crushed by the idea that Zoro is supposed to attain a much larger growth/feat/moment against the first Yonko defeat than Luffy.
I can't wait to be called a Zoro Hater or not a true fan without actually understanding why I'm saying what I'm saying.
