@Supernova122:
No, what I mean is Zoro and Shanks will not fight. As straightforwardly as Zoro will not fight, say, Blackbeard, and win. Whether he would show an interest or not is a separate issue, which we can now get onto.
Except in your world Zoro would have reason to think of Shanks that way.
Where is the ample evidence that Shanks is not a swordsman in this sense? You are completely leaning on Zoro 'not showing an itnerest'. That is not ample evidence.
That's heavy evidence in of itself. One thing I've noticed is your poor understanding of plausibility. You don't seem interested or perhaps aware of that as a writing issue.
It might serve you better in the future to respect that part of Oda making this comic work.
The plausibility of Shanks currently qualifying as a full blown swordsman in the same sense as Mihawk, and Zoro never ever mentioning this or showing even the slightest interest, anything even as simple as a line to Luffy like "I heard your idol used to a master of the sword, heh". These things, the lack of them, says volumes.
If you want to stay in the strict realm of hard evidence you'll never really learn anything about storytelling, and there's much you'll never see coming.
Why? Why shoudl Zoro know about the Yonkou
Are you kidding?
and whether they are great and renowned swordsmen or not? We see most of teh cast not really knowing loads about people and big things most of the time.
What chapter did Luffy get his named changed to Most Of The Cast D. Monkey?
It's perfectly believable that Zoro's aware of thsi one guy who's known as the ebst - Mihawk - but doesn't know about the other great swordsmen of the world. More than believable - we have never seen any evidence to the contrary.
He'd heard of Rayleigh, so actually no, Zoro is not Luffy.
It's quite different. Zoro beats the top guy, and he becomes the new top guy. The rest literally do not matter. Sure, fi someone comes along and says, "Hey, I'm one of the ebst swordsman in the world! Fight me!" Zoro would see that as an opportunity to test his skills and advance, but there's nothing to suggest he has some hitlist of the top guys.
I'm not implying a hitlist, I'm implying Zoro would know about the Yonkous, like he knew about the Dark King. Common sense. I mean hell you guys keep trotting out the Shanks Vs. Mihawk thing, and yet trot out Zoro obsessing over Mihawk.
You can't have your cake and eat it too. If Zoro obsesses on Mihawk he'd almost definitely know about such a rivalry.
We have these definitions, yes? That's all well and good. But you are arguing that Shanks must not fall under this definition of swordsman in the sense of Zoro and the sense of Mihawk being the 'best'. And you're arguing that Shanks must not be this type of swordsman because Zoro did not show an interest in beating him. So yeah, you are basing your argument on this one thing.
You also realize that (non) one thing is non-contradictory? And has no plot hole? Unlike your reverse of it?
If Shanks is not a Swordsman, it follows that Zoro would have no interest or comment to make.
If he is, it does not follow that Zoro has no interest or comment to make. It is implausible.
If Zoro is completely clueless about this it is at best awkward to have it be so and never bring that up from a writing perspective.
And since you're apparently in the camp of Shanks STILL being a swordsman, it quite literally means he is weaker than Mihawk. A problematic assumption to say the least.
Great counter-argument there. Note that you insist Rayleigh can't be considered a swordsman in this sense because Zoro didn't express an interest, and then insist that there has never been a swordsman present who Zoro didn't express an interest in challenging. So you're running in circles.
That circle you think you see is once again me looking at plausbility in Oda's writing.
I'm making the daring presumption that Oda isn't a sloppy idiot like Hiro Mashima.
And that he wouldn't have a guy who would most likely be a master swordsman, just waltz on by Zoro's face, and have Zoro's reaction literally be him lounging in a chair with a bored look asking him why a guy like him would be buds with Hatchi.
Hell I'm not even expecting Zoro to challenge him to a fight at this point to prove you wrong, all it would even need is a comment about his swordsmanship, even some dismissive thing like "Used to be the greatest". That would be tight sensible writing if Zoro considered Rayleigh a player in his quest.
But nothing, nada, zilch.
- Ah! Enemies! Time to fight!
–> 2) Oh, there's a swordsman, I ought to take that one on!
Not like this:
- Oh, there's a swordsman, I ought to take him on!
Except number one exactly happened in Rougetown with Tashigi, she mentioned wanting to take the swords back from pirates in the store, and Zoro threw out a challenge over the sword he had just bought. But she didn't know he was a pirate yet so she didn't accept.
Oh and to imply Zoro is not a guy looking for chances to prove his skill and toughness is really awfully an innacurate portrayal to say the least. As in Jaya, as in just a few chapters ago when he was yelling at a TV about how he was envious of Luffy.
Or for no reason at all do you imagine that attitude doesn't extend toward sword fights?
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
@TheCrystalShip:
Wait MK, are you actually shipping them, or does it just sound like it?
haha no, I think they're friends and allies.
If anything the obsession with them only having a relationship based on fighting alone sounds way more like repressed urges!