Latest One Piece Databook Officially Confirms Who Is Stronger Between Zoro and Sanji

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This article contains spoilers from the Final Saga of One Piece.

The Straw Hat Pirates are the main characters in One Piece, and they’re arguably the most compelling part of the whole story. Starting their journey in the East Blue, this crew is full of distinct personalities who have complex and fascinating relationships. They function more like a close-knit family, fiercely protective of one another. However, even with that strong bond, some crew members have a friendly rivalry alongside their willingness to sacrifice for each other.

Zoro and Sanji perfectly represent this relationship – they’re both incredibly strong and act as Luffy’s main supports, consistently willing to risk their lives for each other. Despite their loyalty, they also have a playful rivalry, always trying to one-up each other. Fans have long argued about who is the stronger fighter, and the latest One Piece guide released with chapter 1169 finally settles the debate.

Zoro Vs Sanji Is A Heated Debate In The One Piece Fandom

  • Zoro And Sanji’s Rivalry Started in Arlong Park
  • Little Garden Cemented This Rivalry

The debate over who is stronger, Zoro or Sanji, has been going on among One Piece fans for years. It’s clear the author, Oda, enjoys highlighting their rivalry. This competition began way back in the Arlong Park arc, with their first disagreement about Nami. Zoro immediately distrusted her and wanted to fight her, while Sanji sensed she had a painful past and deserved understanding.

This led to a series of happenings, and ultimately, Zoro and Sanji developed into a constantly bickering pair that the author, Oda, frequently used in the story. He’d use their arguments to lighten the mood, but also to highlight their rivalry and incredible power.

I’ve been thinking about how everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You’re good at things I struggle with, and I’m sure it’s the same the other way around. We need to really consider all possibilities, look beyond the obvious, because there has to be something we can do to help Robin. It just feels like we’re missing something.

Zoro and Sanji’s competitive relationship really took hold when they first began seriously challenging each other in Little Garden. Ever since then, they’ve constantly tried to outperform one another throughout the story. Typically, Zoro faces the tougher opponents, while Sanji tends to have an easier time with his fights. Though their strength is fairly equal, fans still enjoy debating who is stronger.

Zoro and Sanji’s bounty amounts have often been seen as a reflection of their power levels. Before the Wano arc, Sanji’s bounty was slightly higher at 330 million berries, compared to Zoro’s 320 million. Currently, Sanji has a bounty of 1.032 billion berries, while Zoro’s is 1.111 billion. Some fans interpret this as evidence that Zoro is now stronger. However, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, has stated in official materials that this isn’t actually true.

Oda’s Databook Confirms Zoro And Sanji Are Equal In Strength

  • Zoro And Sanji Are Luffy’s Wings
  • Zoro And Sanji Are Equal In Strength

With the release of One Piece chapter 1169, Oda also shared a special guidebook featuring his thoughts and early character designs. A key part of this guidebook was a comparison between the older and newer generations of characters in One Piece. Specifically, it drew parallels between the Roger Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates, noting that Roger’s key crew members, Rayleigh and Gaban, functioned as his most trusted lieutenants.

If I can’t even safeguard my captain’s dream, then my own goals are meaningless! Luffy is destined to become the Pirate King!” – Roronoa Zoro from One Piece

I’ve always thought of Luffy’s crew as having wings, and those wings are definitely Zoro and Sanji. They’re the second most vital part of the whole team, right after Luffy himself, so it’s no surprise Oda talked about them a lot. When discussing Sanji, Oda made it pretty clear that even though Sanji’s bounty is a little lower than Zoro’s, they’re actually equals in terms of strength. He sees them as a true fighting duo, standing side-by-side as Luffy’s main supports.

The question of whether Zoro or Sanji is stronger is now definitively answered: they are equals. This will remain true no matter who faces which opponent in the story’s final arc, or even who has a higher bounty. After all, bounties aren’t a reliable measure of true strength.

Zoro And Sanji Need To Be Equal As Wings Of The Pirate King

Oda isn’t randomly making Zoro and Sanji equally strong. He’s establishing them as Luffy’s ‘wings,’ and for a bird to fly, both wings need to be balanced. This imagery of equal wings represents Luffy’s freedom and ability to soar as the Pirate King – an unbalanced bird can’t fly, and neither can Luffy without equally powerful allies.

For Luffy to achieve his dream of becoming Pirate King, he needs both Zoro and Sanji by his side. They are equally important to his journey and, as the author has consistently shown, are also at similar power levels.

Zoro and Sanji both recognize each other’s power, and they’re poised to become even stronger during the events in Elbaf. It’s becoming clear that the author, Oda, is preparing them for significant power increases – Zoro will likely gain full control of his advanced Haki, and Sanji will probably unlock the same ability. If this happens, they’ll be fully prepared for the final challenges of the One Piece story, which is incredibly exciting for fans.

Zoro And Sanji Will Surpass Rayleigh And Gaban

With the recent One Piece guidebook heavily influenced by the author, Oda, it’s become clear where the story is going. Most fans expect Luffy to eventually exceed even Roger’s accomplishments, a possibility Roger himself anticipated.

Just like Luffy, Zoro and Sanji are predicted to become incredibly powerful, eventually exceeding the strength of legends like Rayleigh and Gaban, who are already considered to be at the level of the strongest pirates. This means Zoro and Sanji will reach a similar power tier in the final part of the story, which is thrilling for fans. Both are exceptionally strong characters who are sure to have major roles, constantly challenging each other to improve. Ultimately, they’re expected to stand alongside Luffy as the three most powerful figures of their time.

Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga, One Piece, follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, on their adventure to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. The story is currently in its final arc. The newest chapter, 1170, will be released in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump on January 4, 2026. In Japan, it will be available at midnight on Monday, which translates to 11:00 AM Eastern Time or 8:00 AM Pacific Time. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app, and doing so helps support the creator.

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2025-12-25 00:35