@Buccaneer:
That was a duel. Mihawk didn't threaten him, he challenged Mihawk to a duel. The result of duel is often death, and it's only honorable to accept it. If you challenge someone to a boxing match and then kick them in the nuts, you're an ass, but if you get into a fight, feel free to get the eyes, throat, nuts, or whatever. But just because life was on the line doesn't mean it was a fight for survival. That's what I meant before about different situations.
Ok understood about the different situations.
He's an exception. No, this isn't a copout. For one thing, he's the main character, and he also has powers. He's pretty much allowed to randomly level up in ways supporting characters can't.
I´m not too fond of that he´s the main character argument when it get´s to the getting stronger argument. The main cast in One Piece can´t be compared to the main cast like for instance in DragonBall, because of the reason that in OP the main cast aims to achieve different goals then the main hero does while in DB the main cast has the same goal as the main hero, which would be to become the strongest fighter in the world/universe.
In One Piece we know that Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin and the others that´ll join will achieve their dreams. If for instance in DragonBall Piccolo would achieve his goal then the goal of Goku couldn´t be achieved because it is the same. The DB main cast is in terms of portrayal far below Goku, while in OP the main cast is actually on the same level as the main hero. Of course it is clear that Luffy is the main hero. He´s the captain who protects his crew. But in terms of character portrayal all of the Strawhats are on one level. Because of that I don´t think the "the main character" argument works here.
I never said Sanji didn't train, I said he doesn't train. He's like my friend Justin, who took Muay Thai and Kali all through elementary and middle school. He's good, but he says he can kick my ass, and I'm not so sure because I've been training in the past four years and he pretty much did nothing physical over the past four years.
This is exactly what I mean. Such people never really stop to train. I know that from friends of mine who are the same. They don´t train intensively anymore but mentally they are still there and the oversight and focus of mind gets sharpened even though the body get´s no physical training. Of course the missing fitness is a defizit but this can be compensated with some training. The mental focus however is something that can´t be compensated if it isn´t there and as I´ve learned from my friends that doesn´t go away.
And that´s what I think is actually the case for Sanji, he must be dealing with his fighting skills on a mental level, otherwise he wouldn´t come up with new moves. He however doesn´t have a lack of fitness because the Strawhats often approach guys that need to get beat up. That´s sparing under serious conditions if you like.
And yeah, Sanji's had some conditiong from Zeff, I'm sure, but Zoro, besides fighting with Kuina everyday and training like a psycho kid, wandered for years as a hunter and likely has the experience/endurance advantage.
Actually I see no differences between Zoro and Sanji here. Zoro may have beat up guys by wandering but Sanji probably beat up guys that started trouble at the Baratie. It was even said in the manga that one of the reasons customers come to Baratie is to see how the cooks beat up pirates. And I seriously doubt that Sanji is the quiet one on that field. After all, he was with Zeff around at the Restaurant before any other cook joined so he must have had gained lots of experience/endurance on that level.
The only difference to Zoro is that he doesn´t need to go to find trouble. Trouble will come to him. And seeing it that the four strongest East Blue Pirates have been neither taken down by Zoro nor by Sanji, we can´t really argue which one of them has the advantage in experience and endurance because we don´t know which pirates they took down.