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The Straw Hats will find the One Piece, but Zoro may not be with them

'A Straw Hat Pirate would die in One Piece before the crew reaches the final treasure,' a common conception among fans who think that the information might be canon. While no official sources confirm the death of someone from the protagonist's crew, it might be a valid production for the future, given the current medical conditions of some pirates from the crew.

While Luffy might be the one with the least lifespan of the Straw Hat Pirates, there might be another one whose dedication to his captain might lead to his demise. That pirate might be Roronoa Zoro, who seemed to have abandoned his dream and has fully dedicated his life to serving his captain and his savior. This has been made obvious during various encounters and he might die before long.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.


One Piece: Exploring the Demise of Roronoa Zoro

Roronoa Zoro as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Roronoa Zoro as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Roronoa Zoro is the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates and also the first member of this pirate crew.

Since his introduction to the series, Zoro has been a dedicated person who spent every minute of his life trying to become the strongest swordsman of the Grand Line. While it might be to honor the death of his childhood friend (Kuina), it could also be something he personally desired.

In the starting episodes of One Piece, Zoro (as a bounty hunter) was caught by the Marines. However, he was saved by Monkey D Luffy in exchange for Zoro joining the Straw Hat Pirates (who had no members at that time). Ultimately, Zoro joined the pirate crew as a way to become the strongest swordsman in the world.

Zoro vs. Mihawk as seen in the manga (Image via Toei Animation)
Zoro vs. Mihawk as seen in the manga (Image via Toei Animation)

Unfortunately, this dream lost its significance soon after the clash between Zoro and Mihawk.

After losing against the former warlord, Zoro pledged his loyalty to Luffy and claimed to never lose in a sword battle against anyone. Following this incident, Zoro might have never proclaimed his dream again before anyone, as he solely focused on making Luffy's dream a reality.

During the Thriller Bark arc of One Piece, Zoro took all the pain from his captain to make sure he didn't get any critical injuries. While thata left the swordsman with some life-threatening injuries (the 'nothing happened' incident), he never complained because he did so for his captain.

Roronoa Zoro as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Roronoa Zoro as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

During the Wano arc of One Piece, Zoro fought King and proclaimed the dream of his captain while entitling him as the King of Hell. As fans might have already noticed, Zoro didn't claim his dream but instead his captain's. Moreover, after the fight against King, Zoro's critical injuries made him face an entity that looked like the Grim Reaper.

These two incidents were examples of how loyal Zoro is to his captain and that his loyalty might lead to his sacrifice for protecting his captain. Given the past encounter and how the future holds even stronger enemies, Zoro might die before the Straw Hat Pirates reach the final treasure while saving his captain.


Analysis and Final Thoughts

While this article might seem delusional to Zoro fans, it's still a valid possibility given the past encounters.

Oda killing one of the fan-favorite characters might also change the tide of the manga series and eternalize Zoro as a sign of loyalty. However, given the nature of this article, do take it only as a form of entertainment.


Related Links

  • 10 strongest attacks from Roronoa Zoro in One Piece, ranked
  • All 7 of Zoro's swords in One Piece, ranked weakest to strongest
  • One Piece: Every near-death experience Zoro has ever had, ranked
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