HIGHLIGHTS

Zoro and Sanji are fan favorites in One Piece, with their strength and personalities making them the best duo in the series.
While Zoro aims to be the greatest swordsman, Sanji remains an integral part of the crew, even if he is the weakest of the Monster Trio.
Zoro would never accept a Devil Fruit to gain power, while Sanji might consider it, but his rivalry with Zoro would push him to rely on his own skill.

Of all the powerful side characters in One Piece, Zoro and Sanji are the favorites of most of the fan base. Their distinct personalities, coupled with their unbridled strength and hilarious moments, make for the best duo in the entire series. They both have a crucial role within the Straw Hat Crew that no one other than them can provide, and their strength is quite a big factor when it comes to how the Straw Hats are viewed in the world of One Piece.

However, they have always been a step behind Luffy in this regard. Although the reason is obvious, on account of Luffy having arguably the most powerful Devil Fruit of them all, it is no secret that if the Wings of the Pirate King were to eat Devil Fruits themselves, they would gain an incredible boost in power that would greatly lessen the gap between them and their captain. So, let’s take a look at whether these 2 should get Devil Fruit powers or not.

Zoro’s Current Strength

First Appearance
One Piece, Episode 1, “I’m Luffy! The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King”

Debut Date
October 20, 1999

Dubbed the ‘Pirate Hunter’, Roronoa Zoro was the first official member of what would become the legendary Straw Hat Pirate crew. Known as a master swordsman, Zoro has seen an incredible amount of growth over the years, fully realizing the extent of his strength as well as mastering Haki to best serve his swordsmanship. He is a character who loves to fight and prides himself on his skill with the blade.

To face one who is extraordinary, I cannot allow myself to be ordinary!

Over the course of the series, Zoro has fought against some of the most powerful characters in the entire One Piece franchise, who have either been masters of their weapons, Haki, or their Devil Fruits. Through the continued dedication he has to his craft and the promise he made to a friend, Zoro hopes to become the greatest swordsman in the world, as only someone of that stature can hope to accompany Luffy as the Pirate King.

Sanji’s Current Strength

First Appearance
One Piece, Episode 20, “The Famous Cook! Sanji of the Floating Restaurant”

Debut Date
April 12, 2000

Though he is the weakest of the Monster Trio, ‘Black Leg’ Sanji is still one of the strongest characters in all of One Piece. Although recent chapters confirmed Zoro to be the stronger of the two, Sanji remains one of the most integral pieces of the Straw Hat crew, without whom the whole structure would fall apart. His strength is still legendary, as his current bounty is 1.2 billion Berries.

I don’t care if you’re a God. If you lay even one finger on Nami, I’ll become the Devil of the Blue Sea!

Just like Zoro, Sanji has only gotten stronger over the years due to his innumerable battles with extremely deadly opponents. He has fought the likes of Doflamingo, who is one of the legendary Shichibukai, or Seven Warlords of the Sea, as well as Admiral Kizaru, who occupies one of the highest ranks in the entire Navy. Due to these battles, Sanji has become a masterful user of many techniques and can even use Haki very proficiently.

sanji

Will They Accept The Help Of A Devil Fruit?

Devil Fruits are one way in the series to get an incredible boost of power without any real effort being put in. Although Haki is the direct counter to it, the right Devil Fruit can take even the weakest and most unassuming of characters and turn them into a powerhouse capable of taking down hundreds by themselves. This, precisely, is the reason why Zoro would never accept the help of a Devil Fruit.

Hey, Twirly Eyebrows. If we conquer this battle…

Ever since his introduction to the series, Zoro has been built up as a man of focus, willpower, and dedication. Due to this, he has always been motivated by the desire to work towards becoming the greatest swordsman on the planet, so for him to accept the help of a Devil Fruit to offset all the work he put in would be completely out of character. The promise he made to Kuina of becoming the best swordsman in the world is a central part of his character and one that he still remembers as his primary motivation, even over 1100 chapters later.

Out of the two Wings of the Pirate King, Sanji is probably the one more likely to eat a Devil Fruit. This is because his character arc does not place much of an emphasis on the need to get stronger or the fighting spirit like Zoro’s does. However, this still doesn’t mean that he would if he were given the opportunity, especially because of his fierce rivalry with Zoro.

Yeah, we’re going to catch a glimpse of Luffy as the King of Pirates.

These two are always competing, something which draws the best out of both of them. However, if Sanji saw Zoro getting stronger without the help of a Devil Fruit, he surely would not want an easy path to trump his rival. Knowing his character, Sanji would want all the bragging rights that he could get, so he would much rather surpass Zoro because of his own skill.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.