@BobLoblaw:
My point still stands.
Still irrelevant given where we're at in the story.
It does.
See above.
So making the SHs overpowered makes the story predictable and boring when it comes to conflicts.
This sounds like a YOU problem. If any other readers feel this way I feel sorry for them
Gonna have to deal with that if that's how you feel.
Doesn't make it true or a fact or anything like that.
Since now. He's advanced enough to do damage against the "strongest creature," so yeah.
You clearly have your own definition for what an advanced user is as well as your own specific application of it.
Even more so if you're grouping Yamato with him.
Like I said before, doesn't make it true or a fact or anything like it.
Well, obviously they're going to succeed. They're the protagonists. The problem is how to do you make it not boring and predictable when you have four people with the strongest, most unique ability in the world all in the same crew and they all get it within one arc. Think about that. Prior to Wano, no SH had advanced CoC in the crew. After the arc, four people could potentially have it.
This comes down to you thinking Oda is going to tell a boring uncompelling story and I don't agree.
Either way, the story is in its final stages. I know I'm not worried about things becoming boring or predictable.
So would you acknowledge that it would be better from a story perspective if the SHs were underdogs to BB's crew and the WG?
Just cuz you're not the underdog doesn't mean an upcoming conflict can't be good.
I don't acknowledge or agree the story would be better if the strawhats were underdogs. I've already read 20+ years of them being the underdog.
I see the strawhats vs. BB pirates as more of a good guys against bad guys story. Not underdogs against favorites. It would almost be good vs. evil if we knew more about what BB intended. So the entire angle of an underdog does not factor in to it.
Because using your logic, it would be better to just sit back and expect the SHs to steamroll everyone else in the series without the potential to fail or lose.
It seems you can only process this story in some binary option of two extremes; The strawhats according to you, can either be underdogs or they're juggernauts beating everyone with ease.
As if they can't have an enemy on equal ground.
Instead of assuming you should just ask. My logic doesn't say anything of the sort.
It is totally possible and at this point probable that the strawhats can be a equals with their upcoming foes. That still leaves the expectation of losing or winning up in the air. Not underdogs or overpowered favorites. Its really not hard to imagine.
I'm going to assume that Oda has better things planned for the Grand Fleet than handling fodder. Barto's ability is made for some badass moment that only he can provide. I think they'll all get a chance to shine, but no. I wouldn't expect them to handle any of the admirals or the Gorosei. Everyone else should be fair game.
"Everyone else" sounds like fodder to me.
The grand fleet will be taking on characters the strawhats shouldn't spend time wasting on.
If it's not admirals, Im, BB pirates, Gorosei, etc. who are they fighting exactly?
This is what I'm talking about where the story has progressed to. The strawhats have gotten stronger. Now they're taking on the crew of a yonkou. The main strawhats are fighting the top named members of the Beast pirates. That's their role. If the samurai and ninjas weren't around and the grand fleet were instead guess who they'd be fighting? All of the nameless gifters, numbers, waiters, etc. of the Beast pirates. Fills out the "war" or "raid" aspect of the story but they're still fodder to me. That's what they basically function as.
If this was pre-timeskip, a vice-admiral could fit as an antagonist of an arc. Post time skip though? They're all mostly fodder with maybe one exception (depending what rank Coby reaches).
The only way the grand fleet wouldn't be solely fighting fodder is if Oda did a repeat of what he did in Dresrosa by having some of the more known grand fleet members fight Doffy's top guys instead of the strawhats. But I doubt Oda will repeat that when the strawhats fight the BB pirates especially after he just made sure they all fought strongest of the Beast pirates.
Except it's not inevitable. I've been reading One Piece long enough to understand that.
Can't tell you what to believe but if you think that will trivialize future conflicts that's something you'll have to deal with.
It'll trivialize it for YOU. What you're saying isn't a fact.
If you end up not liking the story Oda is telling that'll suck for you.
No shit they're going to defeat a yonko. It's happening now.
It seems you're not grasping the strawhats will no longer be underdogs after they defeat Kaido and the Beast Pirates.
You talk as if its not obvious.
The SHs have always been the underdogs, though, because that's when we get a chance to see them overcome the challenge. When they take on BB and the WG, they'll have the odds stacked against them. I don't believe having two yonko-level members in the SH crew makes that possible. If Jinbe had to wait years just to not outshine Zoro and Sanji, I can't imagine what he would have to do for us to believe that Yamato could lose. Another Robin would be terrible.
If that's how you want to frame it in your mind for this underdog thing to still be a thing (when it really shouldn't), all Oda has to do is stack the odds even higher against a crew with 5 CoC users.
Also this whole Jimbe had to wait years to join in order to not outshine Zoro and Sanji is just fan made bull shit. I hope you know that. Oda has never stated anything like that. I don't even think Greg has even hinted as such. So please don't state it as fact. I never believed that nonsense.
Besides what Oda did with Jimbe in this arc is pretty much the same thing he could've done to him in Dressrosa.
There's also no reason to think Oda has to or will nerf anybody's abilities.
Going toe-to-toe with an emperor (who's defeated a dozen characters while carrying an island) with advanced CoC and a strong DF sounds yonko-level to me. Zoro won't be at Luffy's or Yamato's level any time soon.
He will be. Will have to be when he faces Mihawk.
I'm not sure what you think "soon" is anyway given we're in the final stages of the story. Especially for someone like Zoro who only drinks, sleep, and trains constantly.
Otherwise, that would put him at Luffy's level, which never happens.
Luffy just has to get stronger which he undoubtedly will.
You talk as if where Luffy is now will be the strongest he ever will be. This isn't his ceiling. Zoro can easily reach the level Luffy is at now.
The SHs will also have the Grand Fleet, Sabo and the Revolutionaries, and others likely like Law, Hancock, and others, so their crew wouldn't need to be that top heavy with 4 CoC users and a warlord.
Now you're pretending you know exactly what is going to be the major threats from the Marines and world government as well as Blackbeard and his crew.
You don't know how the final war is going to play out to say those allies will be enough.
It could turn out that all of their forces won't be enough in the face of Pluton let alone w/e else Oda decides to reveal with Im or Vegapunk or BB for that matter.