Would probably embark on a journey to find my father, or join the marine like grandpa wanted, only to quit in disgust later and embark on a journey to find my father.

None of that Pirate King stuff.

This chapter…
All my tears. ;____;

But did your friend actually jump ropes with intestines? Was he a medical student?

Just asking because I've had a prof who put half a human head in a paper lunch bag to lug it around.
Also suddenly feeling very sorry for people and animals with facial injuries, and more so for animals who don't have faces.

After Tashigi appeared in the room and made assumptions about Zoro, he may very well be trying to prove a point to her and Monet with his follow up actions. But what was he doing before that?

It came off as being irresponsible, and he was not characterized as irresponsible before.
And a capable man can also be arrogant, in the way he sees himself, and acts and interacts with others. He can have skills and intellect high above all other men, be able to back up all his taunts and boasts, and still be arrogant.

@gotta<3OP:

What part of Zoro's characterization doesn't match previous stories?

Zoro had his stupid moments (cutting off his own feet etc.). But he was somewhat level-headed, and place his crew in high priority.

He did not hesitate to take out weaker opponents/ladies who were of threat to the crew before. But now right after he gave a speech of care to Luffy, he hung back as Monet hurt and could have quite possibly killed Chopper and the ladies, and even knowing Monet is tricky, he still held back while fighting her. Why? She wasn't a threat to him, but she was to the others. Why not eliminate her quickly and go aid Nami and co.? He didn't know Sanji was coming. And for all they knew, there could have been another dangerous enemy that Nami and Robin cannot handle just around the corner.

And what would he had done if Tashigi didn't come along? Waste more time with Monet, then knock her out?

This chapter to me felt like Oda's attempt to give Tashigi a fight, and to rebridge the subplot between her and Zoro. But the execution bothers me.
Still, a much more exciting arc than Fishman Island. Very much looking forward to what will happen next.

But it is not the sexism, but how characterization doesn't match previous stories, that is jarring to me. Again I hope Oda follows up with more Zoro characterization that would shed some light. I wonder if he's had some major character change after 2 years of hanging out with Mihawk. More arrogant perhaps?

A lot of Shonen Jump mangas have been dotted with sexist undertones, and many fail at creating interesting female characters who are not just space fillers. Don't stop them being fun reads though. And One Piece is already a step above in both regards.

@Demonicpoodle:

A problem with manga is people seem to want the main characters to be perfect (or even all characters?) because there's inevitably going to be fan clubs and all that created around them. Yet when you use flawed characters in books, they get automatic praise for being multi-dimensional. It's a thin line to tread on for manga writers.

I am perfectly fine with flawed main characters in manga! I would love it if this character flaw of Zoro's came back to bite him in the ass later.

I think for many people, the issue is not that Zoro is flawed, but rather that it came out of nowhere, and contradicts what was shown about the character. Now if Oda explains this more in depth later, while still keeping with what he's previously shown about Zoro, I would have been fine with it.

…Look up all the way back to many pages...
This thread, oh this thread. I cannot wait for a new chapter to come out.

My biggest problem isn't Zoro is/isn't sexist. He can be as sexist as he wants. It is a god damn shonen jump manga. It is Oda's execution that bugs me. So far to me it just doesn't make sense.

I usually give a lot of preferential treatment to the elderly because of how I was raised. Doors, buses, helping random grandmas whom I've never met before with grocery shopping and carrying, not get offended when they are being sexists or racist without realizing it because of their times. (One ladies next door said "Why are you Asians so evil" to my face while we were discussing the news, but she is cool with me, she loved her Vietnamese caretaker, the times she grew up dictated her habits and sensitivities. I would have blew up had she being a younger woman, but not her.) Am I a huge ageist? Hell yeah. And not changing anytime soon.

Yet if an elderly person is being a total ass (pushing and shoving another elderly, screaming abuse at the cashier without good reason), I would taken great offense, I would call him or her out on it.

Monet is weaker than Zoro and no threat to him. But she is tricky, and she has done some really questionable things. She is a threat to a lot of other people on Zoro's team. I've always thought Zoro was characterized as a somewhat sensible man. So unless Oda is trying to build up some character flaw that will in the future, come back to bite Zoro in the ass, I am simply not buying how this chapter was written.

@CCC:

Meh. Still not buying it… ...This is as much about the author's decision re: plotting/character development as what we assume are the characters' motivations themselves, and about how those decisions by the author reflect on the tone of the story on the whole.

Thank you so much for putting into words what bothered me the most about this chapter.
The choices Oda made here, instead of further developing his characters, really made me scratch my head. Hopefully more will be explained later, before more people try to explain it via the generalization of sexist shonen mangaka.

Oh Oda, why must you make likeable female characters, and then abuse every single one of them so?

How did Tashigi survive this far in the New World, and become 2nd to Smoker with the way Oda keeps presenting her anyway? Is Zoro just messing with her because she looks like Kuina but lacks her strength (as remembered by a very young Zoro)?

Also Zoro are you trying to be mysterious? Not fighting enemies who are not worth your time?
Serious New World is Serious Luffy! > Leave the fighting to the rest of the team until Robin gets stabbed
Gets ass kicked consistently by childhood female friend > You can be strongest swordsman even if you are a girl! > Suddenly STAIRS! > Hit women > Won't hit women > Hit women > She is a woman rage @ Enel > Beautiful Lady Swordsman wake-up call > Won't hit women without good reason > But will cut her in half with good reason> But won't really kill her anyway > You were going to cut her down anyway

Oda you better explain more later. This never really came up before with Zoro. Why now? Is it to only give Tashigi a chance to have a half-assed fight? Because it looks to be that way to me right now…