Chapter 756: The 4th level

[DaeJi]

@Daz:

Pretty much Zoros entire pre-skip fight resume has involved himbeing handicapped in some way, or overcoming a hurdle specific to his fighting style.

Against Cabaji and Hachan, as you say, Zoro is severely wounded prior to battle.
At whiskey peak, every single one of his opponent is a chump he could handle easily, but by throwing 100+ of them at him at once he has to break a sweat and take a hit.
At Alabasta, his opponent is completely immune to Zoros fighting style, so Zoro needs to break new ground to win.
Both Braham and Ohm were long-ranged fighters, putting short-range Zoro through a lot of hassle until he busted out long range moves of his own.
Vs both the Nyanban brothers, Hatchan, and Ryuma Zoro was fighting with less than three swords; and yes, Zoro has a few one sword-finishers, but its always been clear that his overall fighting ability is reduced when using less than three swords. In his fights against the Nyanban bros and Hachi, getting three swords was what allowed him to win at all.

Kaku is an anomaly in the sense that he was just really tough and skilled, enough to give the fight some satisfying back and forths. Even without giving Zoro some handicaps, Pica could easily get by on just being really tough.

As for the other straw hats, sure they got their own fair share of handicaps. Sanji fights a fishman karate-expert underwater, Nami fights without full knowledge of the clima tact, Franky fights while low on fuel, then once powered up his inferior but flying enemy shifts the fight to a waterfall, Chopper fights with increasingly unpredictable and unreliable transformations as he's used too many rumble balls, Luffy fights a poison man he can't touch etc.
But those handicaps made the fights great, fun, dramatic and memorable! Its time to throw some gravel in Zoros machinery Oda, we had the Welcome Back power demonstration party at Fishman Island!

Zoro fought the Meowban Brothers, Whiskey Peak bounty hunters, Mr. 1, Braham, Ohm, and Kaku at full power. He just struggled against them. Getting his swords stolen, being unable to hurt your foe due to lack of skill, lacking ways to fight long range opponents… those are not handicaps, they're Zoro needing to improve.

[Daz]

@DaeJi:

Zoro fought the Meowban Brothers, Whiskey Peak bounty hunters, Mr. 1
Braham, Ohm, and Kaku at full power. He just struggled against them,

Indeed, because-Kaku-exempted- the fights presented various conditions that increased the challenge against people he'd otherwise have handled with comparative ease. Like, if facing Mr 9/8 or Ms monday/wednesday one one one Zoro would've wasted them instantly, but throw the entire Whiskey Peak at him at once and he gets an actual workout.

But sorry, I'm honestly not quite sure what your point was?

[Myu]

I would like to repeat that given Doflamingo is the first enemy of SHs with King's Haki I expect his subordinates to be somewhat deeper than ones before with their struggle.

As in threshold in which they will leave fighting will be harsher, if you know what I mean. The vibes Zoro showed in order to protect Luffy should get a revisit perhaps. This credit on Doffy's crew still makes it possible for interesting fights. And still we have a flashback to go, after that, it will be more plausible for Doffy's family to get into a little power-upish mode in which they will seriously clash with all they have got.

[DaeJi]

@Daz:

Indeed, because-Kaku-exempted- the fights presented various conditions that increased the challenge against people he'd otherwise have handled with comparative ease. Like, if facing Mr 9/8 or Ms monday/wednesday one one one Zoro would've wasted them instantly, but throw the entire Whiskey Peak at him at once and he gets an actual workout.

But sorry, I'm honestly not quite sure what your point was?

My post was accidentally published before it was finished; the rest of it should be clearer

[The Franky Tank]

@Daz:

Indeed, because-Kaku-exempted- the fights presented various conditions that increased the challenge against people he'd otherwise have handled with comparative ease. Like, if facing Mr 9/8 or Ms monday/wednesday one one one Zoro would've wasted them instantly, but throw the entire Whiskey Peak at him at once and he gets an actual workout.

But sorry, I'm honestly not quite sure what your point was?

I think DaeJi missed that one point and/or didn't consider that part having a handicap. Sounds like some confusion on the posters part.

[Kishido]

@Daz:

Pretty much Zoros entire pre-skip fight resume has involved himbeing handicapped in some way, or overcoming a hurdle specific to his fighting style.

Well OK maybe we see them differently… But at the end we agree after all... Still I will answer my thought on them

Against Cabaji and Hachan, as you say, Zoro is severely wounded prior to battle.

We agree

At whiskey peak, every single one of his opponent is a chump he could handle easily, but by throwing 100+ of them at him at once he has to break a sweat and take a hit.

Fodder fight I do not give a damn about. Same was done in Arabasta with all SHs

At Alabasta, his opponent is completely immune to Zoros fighting style, so Zoro needs to break new ground to win.

Yeah so what, but ZORO wasn't handicapped. All he did was learning something new. Same as Luffy learned Gears later on and broke new ground… or as he had to use some Water to overcome Croc without haki. later on I will use an other example... So read further please

Both Braham and Ohm were long-ranged fighters, putting short-range Zoro through a lot of hassle until he busted out long range moves of his own.

See above… Luffy fough Wiper for a short time as well... And still the same as above...

Vs both the Nyanban brothers, Hatchan, and Ryuma Zoro was fighting with less than three swords; and yes, Zoro has a few one sword-finishers, but its always been clear that his overall fighting ability is reduced when using less than three swords. In his fights against the Nyanban bros and Hachi, getting three swords was what allowed him to win at all.

So why did he only needed one sword to defeat Ryuuma and Mr 1 and not 2? Of course he is at this fullest with 3 swords… But if you count how many times he used 1 sword or 3 swords a finisher it is nearly the same

Kaku is an anomaly in the sense that he was just really tough and skilled, enough to give the fight some satisfying back and forths. Even without giving Zoro some handicaps, Pica could easily get by on just being really tough.

True that

As for the other straw hats, sure they got their own fair share of handicaps. Sanji fights a fishman karate-expert underwater, Nami fights without full knowledge of the clima tact, Franky fights while low on fuel, then once powered up his inferior but flying enemy shifts the fight to a waterfall, Chopper fights with increasingly unpredictable and unreliable transformations as he's used too many rumble balls, Luffy fights a poison man he can't touch etc.
But those handicaps made the fights great, fun, dramatic and memorable! Its time to throw some gravel in Zoros machinery Oda, we had the Welcome Back power demonstration party at Fishman Island!

Here we agree and that's everything I'm saying… Zoro isn't the only one being handicapped but everyone is talking as if Zoro was fighting while being half dead all the time...

So if we take an example other than Luffy... You could switch around and say Sanji was always handicapped as well

Against Gin - His rips were already cracked by Pearl
Against Kurobi - You said it yourself
Against Mr 2 - Comedy but still a handicap
Against Jabra - He had to overcome Tekkai and break new grounds as Zoro against Mr 1
Against Absalom - He needed to protect Nami

And all other SHs are getting some hadicaps as well... Luffy being dumb rushing without info, even Sanji without knowledge against high calibers as DoFla and Vergo and so on... But it seems Zoro is not only a monster but a master genius as well able to have full knowledge against his opponents right on the spot.

And that's annoying. I hope at Wano he will get his ass slapped by some super samurai for once...

[Myu]

First of all I would like to start as I view Monster Trio as equally strong. As in 3 captains in one ship… Although I realized Oda is slowly tearing this apar -if it ever existed that is.

So I assume each one of three has the same strength.

But I must say Zoro's handicaps was more severe than Sanji's were. I disagree that Zoro not having 3 swords shuldn't be counted as handicap. Against his fight with fishmen he needed his 3rd sword as far as I can remember. Although his finishers are happening with one sword It is from Oda that Zoro is at full power when he has his all three swords. It can be explained that with his 3 sword he is able to fight at full power to analyze his enemy enough to finish with his Shishi shinson or what the hell whatever was that.

[Kishido]

@Myu:

First of all I would like to start as I view Monster Trio as equally strong. As in 3 captains in one ship… Although I realized Oda is slowly tearing this apar -if it ever existed that is.

So I assume each one of three has the same strength.

But I must say Zoro's handicaps was more severe than Sanji's were. I disagree that Zoro not having 3 swords shuldn't be counted as handicap. Against his fight with fishmen he needed his 3rd sword as far as I can remember. Although his finishers are happening with one sword It is from Oda that Zoro is at full power when he has his all three swords. It can be explained that with his 3 sword he is able to fight at full power to analyze his enemy enough to finish with his Shishi shinson or what the hell whatever was that.

I will repeat it. Of course these are handicaps… But he is not the only one... No matter if you see them as bigger or not... I don't see them as this drastic to the others besides the already heavily injured fights...

Cuz I see no difference between Sanji breaking Tekkai with something new and Zoro cutting Mr 1 with something new.... Or Franky lacking Cola to fight probably as Zoro is lacking a sword... And so on...

But overall Daz and I agree so there is no need to go further with it

[Myu]

@Kishido:

I will repeat it. Of course these are handicaps… But he is not the only one... No matter if you see them as bigger or not... I don't see them as this drastic to the others besides the already heavily injured fights...

Cuz I see no difference between Sanji breaking Tekkai with something new and Zoro cutting Mr 1 with something new.... Or Franky lacking Cola to fight probably as Zoro is lacking a sword... And so on...

But overall Daz and I agree so there is no need to go further with it

Yep, yep. Still I would say his problems against Daz Bones although a tad was bigger than Sanji breaking through Tekkai but not as an argument in favor of defending Zoro as an god-like entity. Just an observation of mine… Same here nonetheless. I think only thing that can be argued against his favor is his endurance. Because Zoro's victories are seriously underwhelming. A finisher move with a one-liner... He doesn't get to use that finisher moves three or four times like Luffy has to generally. This leaves room for people love him argue some really disturbing stuff.

[Lao G]

@Myu:

Yep, yep. Still I would say his problems against Daz Bones although a tad was bigger than Sanji breaking through Tekkai but not as an argument in favor of defending Zoro as an god-like entity. Just an observation of mine… Same here nonetheless. I think only thing that can be argued against his favor is his endurance. Because Zoro's victories are seriously underwhelming. A finisher move with a one-liner... He doesn't get to use that finisher moves three or four times like Luffy has to generally. This leaves room for people love him argue some really disturbing stuff.

Zoro's finishing moves and Luffy and Sanji's finishing moves are different. Not like Luffy has a finisher move anyway. And even it was used to finish somebody off, he will adapt it to his fighting style and - profit. Sanji has some burning kicks in store, which can deal serious damage, but are still not lethal in some way. Nothing is lethal in One Piece, as long as it's not a magma fist through the chest. But Zoro cuts his opponent, damaging their organs and insides with a sharp object. And last time I checked, swords cut sharper than burning kicks or rubber fists. So, of course, Zoro doesn't get to use his finisher moves too often. And he usually develops his finishers in battle, for ShiShi Sonson that is a given. One can argue whether Ashura being an on-the-spot decision technique, or he just wasn't confident enough to use it in single combat, until he wasn't sure that he can do it.
And one-liners are part of his personality, and I think this is one of his smallest flaws. Who doesn't like a cool phrase at the end of a long battle? And Sanji also had one-liners, as far as I remember and it's not like it degrades his character.
P.S. I'm not fond of Zoro btw.
P.P.S How in seven hells did this turn into another Sanji vs Zoro discussion?!

[Kishido]

@Lao:

Zoro's finishing moves and Luffy and Sanji's finishing moves are different. Not like Luffy has a finisher move anyway. And even it was used to finish somebody off, he will adapt it to his fighting style and - profit. Sanji has some burning kicks in store, which can deal serious damage, but are still not lethal in some way. Nothing is lethal in One Piece, as long as it's not a magma fist through the chest. But Zoro cuts his opponent, damaging their organs and insides with a sharp object. And last time I checked, swords cut sharper than burning kicks or rubber fists. So, of course, Zoro doesn't get to use his finisher moves too often. And he usually develops his finishers in battle, for ShiShi Sonson that is a given. One can argue whether Ashura being an on-the-spot decision technique, or he just wasn't confident enough to use it in single combat, until he wasn't sure that he can do it.
And one-liners are part of his personality, and I think this is one of his smallest flaws. Who doesn't like a cool phrase at the end of a long battle? And Sanji also had one-liners, as far as I remember and it's not like it degrades his character.
P.S. I'm not fond of Zoro btw.
P.P.S How in seven hells did this turn into another Sanji vs Zoro discussion?!

Dunno why you feel so… We were only talking about handicaps of Zoro and how shitty his fights are now

[RobZilla]

@vagabond87:

Vergo is on line over 3 Seats if it was meant to mean anything. Also he was never seated officer as it seems but he was beside that ranking, meaning that he is(was) as it was hinted Doflamingos right hand man in charge of Marines force of G5.

That panel is completely separate from the rest of the family. By that logic Monet would be on par with Trebol, Pica and Diamante.

Also, like I said , the rank given is Elite Officer. Which is what Vergo's rank is clearly stated to be.

@vagabond87:

For me Vergo is to Doflamingo same as what Zoro is to Luffy. And even as duration of being part of crew is not always indicator of strength we seen crews like Luffys and Rogers and most probably also Shanks(guess) where first mates are
people that joined first - were in crew for longest time.

Ok. Once again, joining first isn't an indication of strength, which is what we're talking about.

@vagabond87:

As for family top they all Differ and I think as for example Pica is not on par with Zoro when it comes to purely fighting abilities he makes up for that with his ability in circumstances where he has all rocks that he needs around.
While at same time I expect Diamante as top fighter to be bigger threat than Pica in any circumstances as he is mostly fighter that adds DF power to mix and doesnt base his fighting on it like Trebol or Pica. Thats my opinion on it.

When we saw Dia fight, he also used his DF powers in conjunction with his physical skill.

[Dohs]

@Katzztar:

Well the way I see it, there are 2 types of strength.
The strength seen in combat mostly is aggressive (could be called assertive strength) - the strength to cause damage to the environment and to one's enemies. The monster Trio are of this type

Then there the structural strength. Its actually resilience but in terms of strength I compare it structural strength because it acts akin to a building- the ability to withstand damage. Usopp has this, so does Luffy and Zoro. Sure all SHs are resilient but Sanji has never taken the same amount of damage that Usopp has

I see you quoting me but not saying anything about that. Was that a mistake or basically you saying that you agree with me?

[bryannmaina]

@darktravis:

Nami's underwear glimpse on the colour spread marks the third time we've seen the undergarments of our heroines.

…I focus on the weirdest things, don't I?

You must be a weirdo, like Franky

Franky: "hmm… Hentai?"

[King Cannon]

@Darth:

Well… Fishman Island was hyped for years.

The antagonist wasn't.

Dressrosa is the inverse of that. The place itself was first known half a year before they went there, but the antagonist was introduced over 10 years ago.

@Darth:

And he doesn't seems to be over fifty, from what I could tell.

Fuji is constantly referred as an old man by several characters. He also has a hunched back.

I mean, compared to the likes of Akainu and Kizaru, who are 55 and 58 respectively and don't appear to have any age-related problems, Fuji looks at least a decade older.

[Jones]

This post is deleted!

[Lao G]

@Kishido:

Dunno why you feel so… We were only talking about handicaps of Zoro and how shitty his fights are now

I still saw some people comparing Zoro's fights to Sanji's fights, which is still a branch of Sanji vs Zoro discussion . I was just trying to point out that they are completely different.

[Kishido]

@Lao:

I still saw some people comparing Zoro's fights to Sanji's fights, which is still a branch of Sanji vs Zoro discussion . I was just trying to point out that they are completely different.

No I compared the handicaps and Sanji as example… I could take Luffy as well... Or even Franky... but because Zoro and Sanji had a similar amounts of fights I chosed them.

And if you want to ask... I don't give a damn about power levels and even I as biggest Sanji fan here around say Zoro is stronger, if you actually want to know it

[vagabond87]

@RobZilla:

That panel is completely separate from the rest of the family. By that logic Monet would be on par with Trebol, Pica and Diamante.

Also, like I said , the rank given is Elite Officer. Which is what Vergo's rank is clearly stated to be.

Ok. Once again, joining first isn't an indication of strength, which is what we're talking about.

When we saw Dia fight, he also used his DF powers in conjunction with his physical skill.

For me Diamante uses his ability in addition to his fighting skills while both Pica and Trebol base their fighting style on their abilities. Pica would not be so strong without amount of rock he has around him atm
while Diamante should be equaly deadly in all kinds of surroundings. As for Trebol his sticky fruit is also base of how dangerous he is beside his aming skills and speed.

Vergo was clearly hinted to be Doflamingos right hand man and I expect that every pirate picks as right hand man second strongest person in crew.

[RobZilla]

@vagabond87:

For me Diamante uses his ability in addition to his fighting skills while both Pica and Trebol base their fighting style on their abilities. Pica would not be so strong without amount of rock he has around him atm
while Diamante should be equaly deadly in all kinds of surroundings. As for Trebol his sticky fruit is also base of how dangerous he is beside his aming skills and speed.

Yeah, I suppose it make sense for Trebol and Pica (who manipulate and/or produce substances) to be inclined to use those substances in battle.

However, since Dia obviously uses his DF in battle as well (to enhance certain items or himself), I'd say it's just semantics in this case and doesn't really point to one of them being stronger than the other 2.

@vagabond87:

Vergo was clearly hinted to be Doflamingos right hand man and I expect that every pirate picks as right hand man second strongest person in crew.

He was stated to have been with Doffy the longest, but like I said, I think that all 4 elite officers are equal in Doffy's eyes. If Vergo was indeed stronger than the other 3 by any distance, or Doffy's official right hand/first mate, in a strongly ranked crew like Doffy's I'm pretty sure he would have been given a special rank to denote it.

[vagabond87]

@RobZilla:

Yeah, I suppose it make sense for Trebol and Pica (who manipulate and/or produce substances) to be inclined to use those substances in battle.

However, since Dia obviously uses his DF in battle as well (to enhance certain items or himself), I'd say it's just semantics in this case and doesn't really point to one of them being stronger than the other 2.

He was stated to have been with Doffy the longest, but like I said, I think that all 4 elite officers are equal in Doffy's eyes. If Vergo was indeed stronger than the other 3 by any distance, or Doffy's official right hand/first mate, in a strongly ranked crew like Doffy's I'm pretty sure he would have been given a special rank to denote it.

Well Vergo was special enough not to be put on one of seats.
While he is of course one of highest executives he is also only one said to be Doflamingos right hand man, most valued subordinate and Mingos companion for longest. For me it does mean nr2 in Doflamingos crew.

As for Differences between seats- they all are deadly in their own way. And I would give 3rd place in crew to Trebol, not Diamante or Pica.

Trebol seems to be most trusted person by Doflamingo out of 3 seats - why? Because he was guarding Sugar, he was holding Mera Mera for Doflamingo and he had keys for factory.
I would put him as number 3 in Doflamingos crew, just after Vergo.

Doflamingo has to have great amount of trust and belief in Trebol to give him all most valued treasures of his- Sugar was crucial to Mingos secrets being kept in shadow, Smile - to his deal with Kaido, Mera Mera - was one of strongest Devil Fruits. All those things were given to Trebol to take care of so Mingo must trust him most. Also Trebol seems to be last one to get fight out of seats so most of times stronger people get to fight their final fights last, though its not always like that.

[Jabra]

I doubt that the seats are ranked based on their duty. Almost every member of Doflamingo's crew has the perfect ability for whatever job they were assigned to:

• Diamante's flag power allows him to ignore the weight restriction in the colosseum (his cape is steel and he carries several weapons with him)

• Trebol isn't just guarding Sugar, he also takes care of the soon-to-be toyed gladiators with his sticky ability. The two form a perfect combo, no one is better suited for protecting Sugar and supporting her with the toyification process.

• Pica is the perfect bodyguard with his stone assimilation, pretty much a no-brainer.

• And Vergo, while having no unique ability, was perfectly suited to infiltrate the Marines. Doflamingo's most trusted member got the job that required absolute loyalty. All of his members seem to be attached to Doffy, but you can't go wrong with the guy you've been the longest with.

That said, I believe they are typical One Piece "equals" with individual strengths and weaknesses.

[black-leg jex]

i'm pretty sure Vergo was meant to be like the 1st mate. Now that i think about it though why wouldn't corazon be the 1st mate seeing as he's dofla's brother. Then again we don't know their story so who knows.

[King Cannon]

@vagabond87:

Well Vergo was special enough not to be put on one of seats.
While he is of course one of highest executives he is also only one said to be Doflamingos right hand man, most valued subordinate and Mingos companion for longest. For me it does mean nr2 in Doflamingos crew.

As for Differences between seats- they all are deadly in their own way. And I would give 3rd place in crew to Trebol, not Diamante or Pica.

Trebol seems to be most trusted person by Doflamingo out of 3 seats - why? Because he was guarding Sugar, he was holding Mera Mera for Doflamingo and he had keys for factory.
I would put him as number 3 in Doflamingos crew, just after Vergo.

Doflamingo has to have great amount of trust and belief in Trebol to give him all most valued treasures of his- Sugar was crucial to Mingos secrets being kept in shadow, Smile - to his deal with Kaido, Mera Mera - was one of strongest Devil Fruits. All those things were given to Trebol to take care of so Mingo must trust him most. Also Trebol seems to be last one to get fight out of seats so most of times stronger people get to fight their final fights last, though its not always like that.

I think you're trying to rank people that don't need to be ranked. As far as Doula Mongo is concerned, they're all equally important to him.

Vergo was stated to be his most valuable subordinate in the Marines. That doesn't mean overall most valuable subordinate.

Trebòl takes care of Sugar, but that doesn't really mean that he's number 3. Diamante was entrusted with the Mera Mera and Luffy, as well as assassinating Dressrosa's royal family. Pica is pretty much Doula's bodyguard, and he's the one fighting Luffy's own number 2.

Also, remember that Doula himself mentioned that he expected Law to become his right-hand man in just 10 years after meeting him. That should speak a lot about Law's potential and possible standing in relation to the other seats. He's the special case here, not Vergo.

[black-leg jex]

also vergo being in the marines the whole time kind of negates him having a seat. It would be questionable to have a missing seat without a real reason. We know why heart is missing now because dofla really wanted law to have it.

[RobZilla]

@vagabond87:

Well Vergo was special enough not to be put on one of seats.
While he is of course one of highest executives he is also only one said to be Doflamingos right hand man, most valued subordinate and Mingos companion for longest. For me it does mean nr2 in Doflamingos crew.

It seems like he wasn't a seat member because he was in the marines before they had the whole concept of seat and armies within the crew, not because he was above it.

We know that Vergo was already a marine by the time the takeover of Dressrosa occurred, and that seems to be when they whole "seat" thing began.

As shown by the actual physical "seats" themselves.

As for Differences between seats- they all are deadly in their own way. And I would give 3rd place in crew to Trebol, not Diamante or Pica.

@vagabond87:

Trebol seems to be most trusted person by Doflamingo out of 3 seats - why? Because he was guarding Sugar, he was holding Mera Mera for Doflamingo and he had keys for factory.
I would put him as number 3 in Doflamingos crew, just after Vergo.

Doflamingo has to have great amount of trust and belief in Trebol to give him all most valued treasures of his- Sugar was crucial to Mingos secrets being kept in shadow, Smile - to his deal with Kaido, Mera Mera - was one of strongest Devil Fruits. All those things were given to Trebol to take care of so Mingo must trust him most. Also Trebol seems to be last one to get fight out of seats so most of times stronger people get to fight their final fights last, though its not always like that.

I'd say that Trebol's abilites best suit bodyguard work though, as opposed to him being stronger or more reliable than the other 2 members. His sticky sticky powers are basically the perfect defence against sort of physical attack against Sugar, and with his sniping skills, nobody at any range is safe, even if they meant to assassinate Sugar from a distance.

[RamistaR]

After the recent chapters, I would say it's :

Doffy>Vergo>Trebol>Pica>Diamante. Of course it's based on nothing

Dia is my favorite executive, but he hasn't done anything incredible yet.

PS: > stands for >. It doesn't mean >>>>>>>

[King Cannon]

Also, Vergo can't be a reliable right-hand man if he spends most of his time away from Doula Mongo.

Really, there could be a difference in power here and there, but in terms of crew rank, they're all the same.

And the fact that he believed Law could become his right-hand man somewhat implies that he didn't have a definite right-hand back then, even with all the seats around.

[vagabond87]

@RamistaR:

After the recent chapters, I would say it's :

Doffy>Vergo>Trebol>Pica>Diamante. Of course it's based on nothing

Dia is my favorite executive, but he hasn't done anything incredible yet.

I would put Pica at end of the line and Diamante after Trebol.

Pica would be chopped to pieces already if not for his ability. He just keeps escaping from clashes with Zoro as it seems he has no chance of besting him in CQC.

Robzilla- for me Doflamingo send his best man to infiltrate marines, best man for toughest job.

King Cannon - Pica is Doflamingos man in the castle only because of his ability. As for words about Law becoming right hand man I would say it was because of his potential strength and because of how Doflamingo
expected Law to rot and degenerate inside after terrible childhood so they would be very alike in their ideology but Law went other way because of something that Corazon did to save him from that kind of fate.
Vergo being longest companion doesnt mean that he is impossible to be switched or in fact Vergo for me was first mate but he dedicated his life to Doflamingo the most- he being a pirate became a marine on wish
of his captain and he would stay in Marines for all we know so Doflamingo was without his right hand man in fact and he seemed to see Law as that person in like 10 years.

[RamistaR]

Yeah from my POV, Doffy cares for his crewmembers without distinction, just like Luffy.

So 3 of them have the title of "seats". But you obviously need a chain of command when you're a king.

[vagabond87]

@Jabra:

I doubt that the seats are ranked based on their duty. Almost every member of Doflamingo's crew has the perfect ability for whatever job they were assigned to:

• Diamante's flag power allows him to ignore the weight restriction in the colosseum (his cape is steel and he carries several weapons with him)

• Trebol isn't just guarding Sugar, he also takes care of the soon-to-be toyed gladiators with his sticky ability. The two form a perfect combo, no one is better suited for protecting Sugar and supporting her with the toyification process.

• Pica is the perfect bodyguard with his stone assimilation, pretty much a no-brainer.

• And Vergo, while having no unique ability, was perfectly suited to infiltrate the Marines. Doflamingo's most trusted member got the job that required absolute loyalty. All of his members seem to be attached to Doffy, but you can't go wrong with the guy you've been the longest with.

That said, I believe they are typical One Piece "equals" with individual strengths and weaknesses.

With that as I partially agree many people would have to agree with Sanji being equal to Zoro

And while they in fact hold same value to crew we all know that Zoro is somebody who would win a serious fight to death if he would have fought Sanji.
My point is that I expect Vergo to be stronger than any of seats as right hand man of Doflamingo.

@RamistaR:

Yeah from my POV, Doffy cares for his crewmembers without distinction, just like Luffy.

So 3 of them have the title of "seats". But you obviously need a chain of command when you're a king.

Yea you are right that no chain of command is needed. I am just pointing to fact that some people out of seats seem to be more trusted than others thanks to how capable they are when it comes
to getting their jobs done.

[RamistaR]

@vagabond87:

Yea you are right that no chain of command is needed. I am just pointing to fact that some people out of seats seem to be more trusted than others thanks to how capable they are when it comes
to getting their jobs done.

What do you mean ? Trebol, Diamante and Pica have all failed in their tasks.

[King Cannon]

@vagabond87:

I would put Pica at end of the line and Diamante after Trebol.

Pica would be chopped to pieces already if not for his ability. He just keeps escaping from clashes with Zoro as it seems he has no chance of besting him in CQC.

Robzilla- for me Doflamingo send his best man to infiltrate marines, best man for toughest job.

King Cannon - Pica is Doflamingos man in the castle only because of his ability. As for words about Law becoming right hand man I would say it was because of his potential strength and because of how Doflamingo
expected Law to rot and degenerate inside after terrible childhood so they would be very alike in their ideology but Law went other way because of something that Corazon did to save him from that kind of fate.
Vergo being longest companion doesnt mean that he is impossible to be switched or in fact Vergo for me was first mate but he dedicated his life to Doflamingo the most- he being a pirate became a marine on wish
of his captain and he would stay in Marines for all we know so Doflamingo was without his right hand man in fact and he seemed to see Law as that person in like 10 years.

The point is that Doula Mongo doesn't appear to have a true right-hand man. All the Elite Officers have stuff that point that they could be Doula's right-hand.

Vergo: His most trusted and oldest subordinate. However, he spends most of his time away from Doula, which is not something I would expect from a right-hand man.

Pica: The one fighting Zoro, who is Luffy's own right-hand man and tends to fight the main antagonist's right-hand.

Diamante: The one with his very own subplot in Dressrosa, which arguably makes him the main secondary antagonist. Also, perhaps, the best fighter thanks to his Colosseum role.

Trebòl: The one who guards Doula's most valuable member.

Sugar: Hell, why not? She's the special officer and most valuable asset of the crew after all, even though she's not a seat.

Corazon: Doula's own younger brother.

If I were to put this into a metaphor, I would say that every one of those guys are the five fingers that form Doula's right hand (Sugar would be a $1.000.000 ring placed in the ring Trebòl finger). Vergo is the thumb, trusty and reliable. Diamante is the middle finger because he's that kind of guy. Pica is the index finger because he's pointy with those shoulder spikes. Corazón is the amputated pinky finger that Doula is trying to replace with a brand new pinky Law finger (this makes sense because operations and stuff).

[vagabond87]

@RamistaR:

What do you mean ? Trebol, Diamante and Pica have all failed in their tasks.

But they were best in those roles for many years as it seems if they are set for it and doing it for many years already. One big fail from each of them was easily forgiven by Doflamingo so
they hold a lot of value in places they were put. Failing once in 10 years does not mean that somebody is bad at their jobs but either circumstances or bad usage of resources/misinformation was at fault.

@King:

The point is that Doula Mongo doesn't appear to have a true right-hand man. All the Elite Officers have stuff that point that they could be Doula's right-hand.

Vergo: His most trusted and oldest subordinate. However, he spends most of his time away from Doula, which is not something I would expect from a right-hand man.

Pica: The one fighting Zoro, who is Luffy's own right-hand man and tends to fight the main antagonist's right-hand.

Diamante: The one with his very own subplot in Dressrosa. Also, perhaps, the best fighter thanks to his Colosseum role.

Trebòl: The one who guards Doula's most valuable member.

Sugar: Hell, why not? She's the special officer and most valuable asset of the crew after all, even though she's not a seat.

Corazon: Doula's own younger brother.

If I were to put this into a metaphor, I would say that every one of those guys are the five fingers that form Doula's right hand (Sugar would be a $1.000.000 ring placed in the Trebòl finger). Vergo is the thumb. Diamante is the middle finger because he's that kind of guy. Pica is the index finger because no reason. Corazón is the cut off pinky finger that Doula is trying to replace with a brand new pinky Law finger.

Well Interesting way to put it. I would argue with Sugar in a way but after second thought it makes sense to put her so high.

[RamistaR]

Anyway, did you guys notice how the shape of Nami's clothes makes sense before she eventually wears them ?

[King Cannon]

@RamistaR:

Anyway, did you guys notice how the shape of Nami's clothes makes sense before she eventually wears them ?

One wonders where Franky finds suits that fit his body.

I'm also surprised that Luffy can apparently write.

[Jabra]

I'm surprised that Zoro can read.

[RomanceDawn]

God I absolutely love this color spread! Straw Hat's in their dressing rooms getting ready for the big day! Not sure it was worth no Jinbe though. ;)

The story is progressing and while I do understand the annoyance with the constant running to or from something, it just kind of reminds me of The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Lots and lots of travel between larger story points and that doesn't really bug me. Things happen during these segments but I know not everyone sees it like that. The whole "I'll take Doflamingo's head" over and over is what irks me.

Like others have said I really really really hope Robin is about to get a good fight with Gladius. An interested match up no less. I am anticipating how Robin will get around his explosions and shrapnel since any and all limbs are subject to damage. Of course teaming up with the barrier man could remedy much of that but I'm sure Oda will handle it in interesting ways.

Seeing Sugar up again just makes Usopp "Homer" victory even better I think. I never once thought that would be the end of her and had a feeling she'd be up again for round two. Please Oda let her find Usopp and give them an epic and equally silly battle! Her new phobia is just so… Oda right? I love it!

Despite Buffalo getting wrecked twice now I think both him and Jora still have a role to play in the epic multi-man melee. At this point I'm guessing Sanji and the gang got a few good hits in, took a few and got away. While they very well may not be in attendance when Doflamingo goes down I just don't see that playing out. I'm still betting on them coup de bursting their butts to and from Zou with the Hearts in hand to help finish off the mega villain that's been 10 years in the making.

[kouch_lee]

@RomanceDawn:

At this point I'm guessing Sanji and the gang got a few good hits in, took a few and got away. While they very well may not be in attendance when Doflamingo goes down I just don't see that playing out. I'm still betting on them coup de bursting their butts to and from Zou with the Hearts in hand to help finish off the mega villain that's been 10 years in the making.

That should've happened before the birdcage. Now no one can enter or leave the island now (apparently), so unless they made a last minute comeback right before that, and have been weirdly hiding all this time, I don't see it happening unless Oda breaks some rules.

Also, they already did a bit of "outta Dressrosa, no wait, let's go back to Dressrosa, no wait, we better get as far as possible". A fourth "ok, now for reals, back to Dressrosa everyone!" would feel weird, honestly. Most I can see happening is them coming when everything's done and settled to pick them up, after securing Momo with Law's crew and everything, but with Big Mom's interruption and everything. . .I think they better start searching for a new ship (and a part-time navigator) to get to Zou on their own. . .

[desa]

@RobZilla:

He was stated to have been with Doffy the longest, but like I said, I think that all 4 elite officers are equal in Doffy's eyes. If Vergo was indeed stronger than the other 3 by any distance, or Doffy's official right hand/first mate, in a strongly ranked crew like Doffy's I'm pretty sure he would have been given a special rank to denote it.

Could be like Whitebeard commanders. Marco having same rank as Curiel and stuff.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@King:

Also, remember that Doula himself mentioned that he expected Law to become his right-hand man in just 10 years after meeting him. That should speak a lot about Law's potential and possible standing in relation to the other seats. He's the special case here, not Vergo.

He mentioned 10 years! When?

[King Cannon]

@kouch_lee:

That should've happened before the birdcage. Now no one can enter or leave the island now (apparently), so unless they made a last minute comeback right before that, and have been weirdly hiding all this time, I don't see it happening unless Oda breaks some rules.

Also, they already did a bit of "outta Dressrosa, no wait, let's go back to Dressrosa, no wait, we better get as far as possible". A fourth "ok, now for reals, back to Dressrosa everyone!" would feel weird, honestly. Most I can see happening is them coming when everything's done and settled to pick them up, after securing Momo with Law's crew and everything, but with Big Mom's interruption and everything. . .I think they better start searching for a new ship (and a part-time navigator) to get to Zou on their own. . .

Considering that Oda is being so secret about that subplot, with no updates whatsoever, there's probably a plot twist there.

[Dahaka. 0]

@King:

Considering that Oda is being so secret about that subplot, with no updates whatsoever, there's probably a plot twist there.

I don't see it. I mean them coming back to Dressrosa.

Seriously, that would be downright bad writing to remove half of the crew from to story only to bring them back for the climax, while offpaneling everything they've been doing.

Tea Party is coming, so I won't be suprised if Sanji and the others end up there.

[King Cannon]

This post is deleted!

[Clessenur]

Sanji has to go back to Dressrosa, Violet haven't stabbed him yet.

[King Cannon]

@Dahaka.:

I don't see it. I mean them coming back to Dressrosa.

Seriously, that would be downright bad writing to remove half of the crew from to story only to bring them back for the climax, while offpaneling everything they've been doing.

Tea Party is coming, so I won't be suprised if Sanji and the others end up there.

You have to wonder why it's being offpaneled though. Even most stuff that Oda offpaneled during the arc had small updates on them.

Basically, the intended idea of going to Zou might not happen. If it was supposed to happen, then why not show it in a page or 2?

[Darth]

@King:

You have to wonder why it's being offpaneled though. Even most stuff that Oda offpaneled during the arc had small updates on them.

Basically, the intended idea of going to Zou might not happen. If it was supposed to happen, then why not show it in a page or 2?

Because Oda plans for using it on cover story?

[Ussop]

@King:

You have to wonder why it's being offpaneled though. Even most stuff that Oda offpaneled during the arc had small updates on them.

Basically, the intended idea of going to Zou might not happen. If it was supposed to happen, then why not show it in a page or 2?

Cause Zou is the most likely place they go after Dressrosa arc is over and sunny team started whatever the next arc is about ?

[Admiral Issho]

@Darth:

Because Oda plans for using it on cover story?

you mean a new one or that they would appear in jinbes?

[Dahaka. 0]

@King:

You have to wonder why it's being offpaneled though. Even most stuff that Oda offpaneled during the arc had small updates on them.

Basically, the intended idea of going to Zou might not happen. If it was supposed to happen, then why not show it in a page or 2?

It's being offpaneled because:
a) it's irrelevant to current arc
b) it's most likely a start of a new, CurlyHats centered arc, and since Oda can't start it in the middle of the current one, we wait until it's done.

As I said, I won't be surprised if there's gonna be a tea party arc next and team sanji is gonna be at the center of it. Well, actually I'm like 90% sure it's gonna happen, lol. But who knows.

[desa]

@King:

You have to wonder why it's being offpaneled though. Even most stuff that Oda offpaneled during the arc had small updates on them.

Basically, the intended idea of going to Zou might not happen. If it was supposed to happen, then why not show it in a page or 2?

I suppose for the same reason we didn't get update on Zoro and Usopp going after Nami during the Baratie arc.