07.01. Roronoa Zoro & Sanji
Author: stillarium
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji and Roronoa Zoro
Spoilers: Until recent chapters (606 etc.)
Word count: 6000?
Note:
One Piece is a humorous and very popular shonen manga/anime with a strong emphasis on friendship. The mangaka Eiichiro Oda has stated that there will be no romance depicted between the members of the Strawhat crew since it wouldn‘t fit in with the mood -and also they‘re all in love... with adventure. ;D Nonetheless, Zoro/Sanji is one of the most present pairings in fandom and I was surprised there isn‘t a manifesto about them here. I‘m going to try and elaborate on their relationship.
Nakama is a japanese term for „comrade“ and in the case of One Piece it has a meaning that is hard to put into words. It‘s like an unbreakable bond, because the Straw Hats would do *anything* for their nakama. Also, I‘m going manga-verse mostly, but I will put scenes from the anime and movies in a seperate section.
Marimo is a green round algae (just google the word) that actually does look like Zoro's hair.
x.x.x.x.x Blackleg Sanji, the love-cook x.x.x.x.x
On first glance, Sanji is a cool, laid-back guy. A great cook who only uses his legs in battle for powerful kicks since his hands are too precious for him. However, that changes whenever he meets beautiful women which always turns him into a love-struck fool whose eyes (and recently, also blood) turn into gigantic hearts.
Sanji has a strict policy on never hurting women - it‘s probably not as much as that he won‘t, but he can‘t. He likes to see himself as a gentleman and he is, despite his occasional perverted outbursts.
His dream is to find the All Blue, a mythical ocean where one can supposedly find all the fish from over the world. To understand this, a look into his past is necessary: Unlike his nakama, Sanji was born into the North Blue. As a boy at the age of 10, he already worked in the galley of a luxurious ship where he was laughed at for his childish dream. In turn, he looked down unto the others because they ate the leftovers from their guests, which he thought was disgusting and pathetic. One day, the ship was attacked by the pirates under the lead of Red-Leg Zeff. Bravely, Sanji stood against them, especially when even they insulted his unrealistic dream of finding the All Blue. Later, the ships sank and Zeff, who had the same dream as Sanji, saved him. They were stranded on a deserted island over the course of months and while Sanji was given a small bag with food, Zeff had one big sack to himself. They both sat on their own side of the small island while the days passed. When Sanji finally ran out on food and he wanted to attack Zeff and his rations in his despair, he realized that Zeff never had any food to begin with: There was only gold in his huge bag. He had eaten his own leg in order to survive.
After they were saved, Sanji worked for Zeff and never wasted food again. As a cook in the restaurant ship Baratié, he gives food to anyone who needs it, no matter who they are, to the point of feeding people without money or even enemies. Luffy took an immediate liking to Sanji and finally convinced him to join his pirate crew.
x.x.x.x.x Pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, the marimo x.x.x.x.x
Zoro was Luffy‘s very first nakama. He is without doubt an incredibly strong and loyal man and his only weakness seems to be his direction sense... or lack thereof. Zoro is very fixated on his dream of becoming the strongest swordsman and he wields three swords.The only thing he seems to be doing besides necessities like eating and sleeping is to train with ridiculous amounts of weights and handicaps.
The green-haired man who is considered the first mate, even though it has never been officially stated, is usually very serious. That‘s why it‘s so surprising when he suddenly shows another side of him, the one that honestly believes you have to shout like Tarzan when you swing with a liane and that the fastest way to get rid of being handcuffed to someone else is to cut one hand off.
Zoro was already very strong in his childhood: He was even able to beat the adults. The only person he was never able to beat was the daughter of his sensei, Kuina. After their 2000th fight (and Zoro‘s 2000th loss) he challenged her to a battle with real swords - and lost. Crying tears of bitterness, he told her about his dream to become the strongest swordsman... only to find out that she had the same dream. But unlike him, she believed that because she was a woman, she would never be able to reach this goal. Eventually, he as a man would surpass her. Zoro, angry that she would just give up like that, made her make a promise with him. One day, one of them would become the strongest swordsman in the world. And if he surpassed her it would be because he had became stronger, and not she weaker!
The next day, Kuina fell down the stairs and died. Zoro begged her father to give him her sword, which he henceforth wielded with his mouth additionally to his two swords. He promised that he would become the strongest swordsman and his fame would be so great that it could be heard all the way from heaven.
= The clash =
Just going by their personality, it is already no surprise Zoro and Sanji clash. Sanji adores women: In his opinion, they wouldn‘t have to work at all while he (and the other male crew members) did everything for them. Zoro treats women and men the same; he doesn‘t hesitate to knock them out or kill them when female adversaries try to trick him, seen e.g. when he fights 100 headhunters at Whiskey Peak (the only exception being Lt. Tashigi, because she reminds him of Kuina). Sanji would rather die than hurt a woman while Zoro would die for his pride, an attitude they could never understand respectively.
On the ship, Zoro keeps to himself; when he‘s not training, he‘s sleeping the whole time while Sanji in his function as a cook is more caring and nurturing - especially towards the females. Zoro‘s dream is something he has to work towards while Sanji‘s is to reach a mythical place that might not even exist.
While Zoro‘s personality is pretty straightforward, Sanji‘s depends strongly on which gender he deals with. While they do agree about most battles and important decisions, Sanji is also the one who thinks in a more stragetic way, often being the trump card that saves the others.
Additionally, they are the strongest members besides Luffy which leads to a strong rivalry and countless contests as who is stronger or literally whose (prey) is bigger. The fact that they‘re so fixated on each other would already be enough of a basis for most slashers, but to really see the essence of their relationship, one would have to go through their whole story as nakamas, which I intend to do.
x.x.x.x.x Their story x.x.x.x.x
= Baratié =
When Zoro and Sanji first met in the Baratié, there was a bit of tension, but it wasn‘t nearly as bad and they didn‘t clash from the beginning. Anime-wise, Zoro saw Sanji first when he was threatening Lieutenant Fullbody for ruining food , while they had a more casual first meeting in the manga. Interestingly enough, Sanji already shows how much of a love-cook he is, but Zoro doesn‘t seem to care at this point.
When Zoro talks about his ambitions and that they were going to the Grandline, Sanji calls the crew crazy, but since we know he would like to go to the Grand Line to find the All Blue himself if it wasn‘t for the debt he felt towards Zeff, it‘s possible he was secretly impressed.
The first major scene that could be interpreted as ZoSan is when Zoro is cut down by Mihawk.
For someone who hardly knows Zoro and isn‘t even part of the crew yet, Sanji sure cares a lot about it - he even gets a whole page for his reaction. He is utterly unable to understand why Zoro would throw his life and dream away just for the sake of his pride. It really seems like Zoro has made an impact; Sanji looks like he‘s taken aback, fascinated and worried at the same time.
When the battle against Don Creek reaches its peak, Sanji remembers Zoro's determination once more.
= Arlong arc =
The next time they meet each other is in Cocos, Nami‘s home island. And there their rivalry and lovehate begins. To protect them, Nami acts indifferent and as if she were their enemy. While Sanji still ignores everything that speaks against her favor, Zoro sees her as the witch who stabbed Usopp. Zoro actually attacks Nami, when Sanji steps in and attacks him. The cook taunts him about his loss against Mihawk which is ironic considering how worried he was. One could interpret his actions as Sanji playing it down... or just taking a shine to fighting with Zoro.
Random cute panels of them
together
discussing
things and facepalming about Luffy:
Sanji preoccupied by Zoro, even the enemy comments on it
Zoro suddenly collapsing because his wounds reopened , Sanji worrying and therefore not paying attention to his own enemy again
In their first battle alongside each other against Arlong and his crew, they already show how well they work together.
Sanji actually saves Zoro - it‘s the first time of many to come - which is IMO very important. Usually Zoro is one of the crew members the others rely on because of his bizarre strength. It's not often that he himself needs help and I noticed Sanji is often the one to supply help when he needs it.
A moment later, Sanji launches himself into a very dangerous situation in place of the already badly injured Zoro.
Sanji deals with the enemy and stands in front of a weakened Zoro.
But they're defeated by Arlong.
With their last power, Zoro gives Sanji cover so he can dive down again to retrieve Luffy. Again, it‘s remarkable how well their chemistry works from the start, Zoro just says „30 seconds“ out of nowhere and Sanji immediately is on the same wavelength.
And finally, a (very bad quality D:) panel about them sitting together and celebrating the victory.
Phew, and that was only the first bit about them, but I think you get the idea of them being in panels together a lot and often having the same reaction, so I will cut down on those from here or it would never end. xD
In Logue Town, they again react similarly to Luffy almost being executed and a bit of a quarrel regarding Lt. Tashigi who wants to fight Zoro (Sanji of course opposing that). After Luffy is saved, Sanji actually asks Zoro if he believes in god, proof that they do have civilized conversations sometimes or at least the attempt thereof. Zoro‘s reaction foreshadows something that is affirmed during the Skypia arc - he‘s an atheist who only believes in his own strength.
When they land on La Boum, there‘s a good example of their similarities, with Nami and Usopp being the opposite. But not only their reaction here, both of them agree on wanting to leave while Nami and Usopp want to save La Boum.
There‘s a hilarious scene where they deal with Claucus, when Zoro first holds Sanji back and then they switch.
The scene is even better in the anime IMO, though I only found it in german now:
= Little Garden =
Need I say more? Let the pictures speak for themselves in this case.
Also, the two giants that live on Little Garden, Dori and Broki, seem to be a parallel to Sanji and Zoro. They have been fighting over 100 years and even forgot what they were fighting about, but it was all a friendly competition and they are best friends. Reminds us of someone else, right?
They were separated over rest of the trip; Zoro and the others were almost turned into wax figures while Sanji pretended he was Mr. 3 and talked on the phone to Crocodile. But as soon as they got back together, they talk about their competition again. Note the reaction of the giants! The result of everything.
= Drum Island =
They are separated again during this arc, but once they return from Drum Island, they‘re drinking together with Zoro even pouring Sanji a glass... and then they immediately fight again.
= Alabasta =
When Zoro insults Sanji, he totally overreacts, like he always does whenever Zoro says something to him (bottom left panel).
A cute moment with Chopper where they have a mutual understanding.
Zoro calling Sanji a prince.
And here Mr. Prince is coming to the rescue and Zoro‘s reaction is... priceless. If you look a page before that, he was just as surprised as the others and in the anime he was even drawn with a bit of a blush, so it really feels like he is covering it up by shouting at Sanji to get the key. I think this is one of the moments where he was really impressed by Sanji, just like Sanji was after his fight with Mihawk (which he covered up by taunting Zoro about it as well). If I remember correctly, the quote was even funnier in german. (Sanji was all like „I would die for you <3 <3“ and Zoro: „Then just do it already.“)
Bickering again. It‘s apparently the first time Sanji calls Zoro marimo! But what I find interesting here is that despite how it seems like just one of their usual quarrels, Sanji did actually realize that Zoro was worried about Luffy. One could imagine that he deliberately mentioned it to let Zoro know that he‘s worried as well but they should have faith... and what‘s better distraction than a fight between them?
A great moment, in which Sanji accuses Zoro of being the okama (=transvestite) Mr. 2. In sync + two seconds!!
Sanji is worried about Zoro once more when he gets hit by some bullets and then pretends he doesn‘t care when he lands on the ground.
Random funny panels: where Zoro lies with his leg draped half across Sanji‘s bed, but Sanji‘s lying on the floor. XD Luffy's bottomless stomach: Is this magic? They're even clapping the same way!
= Skypia =
Sanji, Zoro and Luffy go diving. When they‘re back from their trip, Zoro and Sanji finish each other‘s sentences and there‘s also this adorable page, where Sanji agrees to Zoro and they worry about their treasure.
"CPR! I‘ll take Nami!" - "Idiot!"
Taking their bickering unto the next page
When they arrive at Heaven‘s Gate, Zoro proclaims with a happy face that maybe they‘re already dead!
Sanji is having a very happy face here as well.
More bickering after Luffy almost drowns because Sanji thought maybe he could swim in the clouds.
Zoro is bringing rats and frogs for dinner, Sanji seems fine with that - Nami isn't.
Obeying the chef isn't easy at all sometimes...
Eating together!
Not much else worth mentioning happens in Skypia, because again, they were mostly in different teams.
From here on, I don‘t have notes, so I will have to go from my memory, no little panels and moments etc. :/ If you‘re interested I can still edit these later on!
For now...
= Davy Back Fight =
One of the major arcs for the pairing. Zoro and Sanji team up to play a ball game. It begins with them fighting over who is going to be the one carrying the ball, the ballman.
At first, their teamwork is horrible. No one wants the other one to help and since the enemies, three giants, are playing dirty and using weapons, they‘re pretty much wiping the floor with Zoro and Sanji. But then of course they pull themselves together , form a team and make an epic comeback.
It‘s also one of the few times (the only one I can think of right now) Zoro asks for help, in this case Sanji covers him for 10 seconds.
= Water 7 & Enies Lobby =
Nakama-wise, this arc put the spotlight on the fight between Usopp and Luffy and Nico Robin. I don‘t remember much regarding Zoro and Sanji, only that Sanji belittled Zoro for not finishing off the Frankie brothers who later beat up Usopp. During the fight between Luffy and Usopp, Sanji was trying to mediate between them and to prevent Usopp from leaving, even kicking Luffy when he said Usopp should just leave. Zoro remained silent over the whole time and supported Luffy, but Sanji later agreed on Zoro‘s harsh opinion that if Usopp wanted to come back he had to properly apologize.
There is however one big moment for them, where Zoro speaks to Sanji over the phone (den den mushi) and warns him. Is Marimo-kun actually worried about me?
A funny moment in Enies Lobby:
Their new bounty posters and the reactions of Zoro and Sanji to Blackleg Sanji:
= Thriller Bark =
Zoro getting spirit breaked and Sanji‘s reaction:
Then we encounter Zoro and Sanji‘s zombies that were created through each of their shadows (which were extracted while they were unconscious). The zombies lost all memories of their former life and even though Sanji‘s penguin-dog zombie Inuppe first was a gentleman who didn‘t want women to get hurt, he later attacked Nico Robin. But somehow, he still bickered and fought with Jigourou, who was made with Zoro‘s shadow. It seems that even though they‘ve lost memories of everything, they still clash and fight over stupid things like who was the one to receive the order.
During the fight against Oz, Zoro and Sanji agree on one major thing: While the others want to only stall time until Luffy gets Moria, Zoro wants to beat Oz for good so at least Luffy would get his shadow back and not everyone would be lost once it was daytime, a sentiment that Sanji shares.
After Moria was defeated, there is THE major moment for all shippers: The battle against Kuma. Zoro fought against him, but was already injured from the battle before. From the beginning, he clearly didn‘t have a chance anyway. When he was down on his knee and about to get wasted by Kuma, Sanji was the one to save him, a scene that reminded me of their very first battle together during Arlong Arc. He didn‘t have a chance either though and after Kuma blew everything up, Zoro, being the only one who was still able to fight but severely weakened, took one last swing at him. When Zoro realized it was useless, he did something quite unexpected: He bowed down and begged Kuma to spare Luffy and take his life instead. In that moment, Sanji stood up and in return offered his own life instead of Zoro‘s, standing in front of him. But Zoro knocks him out, the emphasis on Sanji gripping his shoulder, then slipping down to his hand and letting go as he becomes unconscious. In the anime, he was even shown trembling, though more because he could hardly stand than because he was afraid I‘m sure, but it did make the scene stronger.
Now this scene does mean a lot: Zoro, whose dream was always his priority, was willing to give his life away not only for Luffy, but also for Sanji. Personally, I don‘t think Zoro is the type who would have given up his life for anyone of the crew. It is very hard for me to imagine him sacrificing himself for e.g. Nami, Brooke or Frankie. I'm sure if Nami had stepped up for him the way Sanji did, he would have never let her give her life instead of his - or any other crewmember for that matter. But if the situation had been different from the beginning and Kuma had demanded Nami's head (for whatever reason) and not Luffy's, I'm not entirely convinced Zoro would have begged him to spare their life while offering his own. Even though it's not always obvious, he cares greatly about his nakama and he would do anything to protect them, but giving up his own dream (and Kuina's dream with it) is one step further and it's not something that just anyone from the Strawhats would do for everyone. Take Brooke as an example: He later admits that he saw them, but he obviously didn't try to sacrifice himself for them, either. This, in my view of things, makes Zoro's act much more stronger. We know Sanji would have sacrificed himself for any woman in need, but Zoro isn't like that. And IMHO, it's tough anyway to imagine Nami, Frankie, Brooke... taking the stand for Zoro. Not that they don't care for him, but the impact it would have left wouldn't have been nearly as strong as it was with Sanji and Oda was bound to know that, too.
Anyway: In this case, while Sanji was just as ready to give his life away for Zoro (and Luffy), he does spark questions. I read someone‘s opinion that Sanji actually wanted to show Zoro how reckless he is and that he should live on. That he already expected Zoro to push through with his stubborn mind anyway and was just trying to show it was absurd for him to exchange himself for Zoro, just as it was also absurd if Zoro exchanges himself for Luffy. It‘s certainly an interesting take on this scene as well, though I do believe that Sanji was fully prepared to take his place, since he seemed genuinely surprised and upset when Zoro knocked him out.
After Sanji awakens, he immediately runs to Zoro, even though Nami is shown hurt in the same panel. When he finally finds him, Zoro is covered from head to toe in his own blood and refuses to tell what happened. He doesn't wake up for a few days, Chopper even comments that this had been his most serious injury so far. Then as two witnesses speak up, Sanji drags them off and wants to hear about what happened in private, an odd behavior that makes the others wonder. And as he hears everything, he is still thinking about what Zoro would have wanted. He wouldn‘t want Luffy to find out and so Sanji forbids those two to speak of Zoro's heroic act. He says that as long as everyone is fine, it‘s good, but we don‘t get to see his facial expression as he utters those words. When I watched this scene in the anime, I couldn‘t help but feel fascinated by the atmosphere and how Sanji handled everything behind the others‘ back. He was the one who naturally worried the most about Zoro, since he was also the one most involved. But seeing him brooding over it all by himself, smoking while we didn‘t really get to see his expressions or know his feelings while Zoro was in a coma... I think if I hadn‘t been shipping it by then, this would have surely made me. And to top it all, Brooke admitted that he saw it by accident and was deeply touched by the two of them. I think this is a really strange and meaningful thing to add in, someone even commenting about what they were willing to do for each other. Sometimes, I can‘t help but think about why Oda added it in. Sure, the scene where someone else offered himself for Zoro worked best with Sanji, but those scenes afterward make it very hard for slashers to *not* see anything.
= Sabaody Archipelago =
There are a few strong Zosan scenes here as well. When all hell breaks loose and the Strawhats are hunted by everyone, Luffy gives the order for everyone to scatter and meet at the ship. Usopp and Brooke are supposed to take Zoro with him. Sanji notices that Zoro has not recovered from his wounds. He is in a group with Nami and Franky, but as the enemies target Zoro because they realize he‘s already half finished, Sanji just leaves them to go after the others.
This is also a very important detail, he actually leaves a woman, and Nami out of all, so he could go after Zoro, Usopp and Brooke.
Zoro wants the others to leave him behind since he‘s a burden, but they refuse of course and then Sanji comes to help. In the anime, Sanji even clings himself to the enemy‘s leg to prevent him from doing more damage.
But then the real Kuma appears and sends everyone off, starting with Zoro...
= After the timeskip =
After half an eternity in both the manga and realtime, the Strawhats are back together and we get to see Sanji and Zoro‘s reunion!
Sanji is carrying a bounty poster of Zoro with him who got lost when he tried to fish (possibly a welcome gift for their cook?). They‘re immediately back to their good old bickering and Zoro starts calling Sanji # 7, because he was the seventh to arrive. I bet he‘s pretty proud because it was probably the first time in his life that he arrived firstly, lol. Later on, Sanji pretends Zoro is stupid and they participate in a short fight where they‘re competing again with „I cut him down!“ and „I broke his neck!“ . Oda was giving them comparatively much screentime just for their bickering, considering how much was going on in the chapters at that time.
And that‘s pretty much present time!
---
x.x.x.x.x Moments in anime and movies x.x.x.x.x
This list is by far not complete, because I haven't watched all the movies and episodes, feel free to point me out to other scenes. :3
Movie 3 (Chinjuujima no Chopper Oukoku) :
More bickering!
Zoro and Sanji each fight someone who claims to have the strongest kicks and to be the best swordsman. Their comments afterwards:
"Compared to his, your sword is just a piece of shit." - "There's another man in this world who kicks with more amazing power than you'd ever be able to. He's a pain in the ass though."
Movie 4 (Dead End no Bouken): Once more in sync.
Zoro blushing!
Movie 5 (Curse of the Sacred Sword): Even though the movie was horrible, there are a few short moments: Sanji is actually defending Zoro while he is gone, saying he wouldn‘t just leave the ship while it‘s his watch. Zoro calls Sanji by his name when they fight...
Movie 6 (Baron no Omatsuri and the Secret Island): Just... Zoro and Sanji on that boat. Bickering, paying attention to each other instead of their enemies and Zoro actually apologizing that Sanji had to wait when he takes care of said enemies. Also, there‘s this scene where Zoro is pushed out of harm‘s way, though it is unclear whether he pushed Sanji into the ring or Sanji pushed him outside.
Movie 10 (Strong World): Their moment at the stairs („Oh, it‘s just you“) and their perfect teamwork in the first fight against Shiki.
One Piece Special 3: Sanji straddling Zoro
Episode 57: Washing dishes:
Episode 131: A morning kiss?
Episode 226: Almost kissing again when Foxy freezes them with his beam.
Filler episode after Enies Lobby: A woman calls Zoro broccoli-head and he actually says "It's not broccoli! It's Marimo!". He only realizes afterward that it was mistake, going "No, wait!"
x.x.x.x.x The pairing: Why and what makes it special? x.x.x.x.x
I think what immediately sticks out and is also one of the main aspects I love about them is how they're nakama and rivals at the same time. They constantly bicker and fight like an old married couple, but when it counts they work together so well. There‘s a lot of tension between them and while they act like they can‘t stand each other, they surely do because there is no way you would constantly seek out someone when you supposedly hate their guts. They really are opposites when it comes down to how you should treat women, but in important decisions regarding their nakama and battles, they are mostly on the same side, even completely in tune. They don‘t need words to communicate. There were so many silent understandings in their battles, where they worked together flawlessly. People, be it fans or the team, just know that when Zoro and Sanji are put together, things will be interesting which must be one of the reasons they throw us fanservice in the anime or e.g. put them together sometimes in the movies. And their snark is so dominant it‘s even present in artwork and covers. It‘s like they‘re kids who pull each other‘s hair as a sign of affection and to get each other's attention. They would never admit that they even remotely like each other, but their actions speak otherwise.
They even have so many cute nicknames for each other, starting with the famous marimo. Who would feel insulted by that? Likewise, Zoro calls Sanji question mark once because of his curly eyebrow. In german, their nicknames are very harmless as well: There's for example "broccoli head" or "meat tenderizer". Note that their nicknames are exclusive. While there are characters like Robin who give everyone a nickname, Zoro only calls Sanji by nickname, mostly cook, ero-cook or love-cook. I don't remember him calling Sanji by name in canon at all right now (I know he did during one of the movies) but if he did, it couldn't be more than a few times. Sanji adds -chan and -swan to Robin and Nami's names or generally makes female names sound more affectionate, but he never nicknames the guys... except for Zoro, that is. The most noteworthy nickname here is of course marimo, though Sanji does call Zoro by name sometimes and at times, he even added a "kun" to Marimo or Zoro, most likely with the intention of teasing him.
I also like the power balance. In fandom, ZoSan is so much more dominant than SanZo which is a pity if you ask me, because this is one of the pairings where there is no stereotypical seme and uke. They are even the same age and almost the same height, Sanji being shorter by 1 cm. Sure, Zoro might seem like the more dominant "manlier" one, but I don't think he really is, because when it comes down to e.g. emotional matters, Zoro is much more green (no pun intended?) than Sanji who does seem to be more caring and.. 'fatherly'. And on serious occassions, to me, Sanji is just as masculine as Zoro, like when he stood up in front of him to protect him and the others from Kuma. That is IMO a very important issue as well, that they‘re equal. I think their bond is one of the strongest in One Piece. It‘s surely no coincidence the giants who have been fighting for a hundred years are similar to them or that their zombies, even though they're rid of all their memories and Sanji's dog-penguin-zombie even kicks Robin, STILL have to bicker and fight each other. You just know that if one of them was gone, the other one would have a hard time getting over it, because there would be something missing. They‘re pushing as well as supporting each other.
And what‘s even better, that besides the fighting (be it together or against each other) there are moments where they understand each other. These moments are rare, but they are there.
They have been trying to understand each other since the beginning, with Sanji being so thrown back at how Zoro would rather lose his life than pride. It‘s just the way they are, Sanji, who almost experienced starvation during his childhood, values life so much that he would feed his own enemies. Zoro on the other hand has never won against a girl and never will since she has alrea died, so he can‘t understand why Sanji would treasure women that much. To him, they‘re just people which is why Sanji‘s ero-cook-mode feels so stupid to him. I once read the comparison with Sanji bringing life and Zoro death, something I had never thought of but thought was interesting. It is true to a certain extent, since Sanji practically gives people life by giving them food while Zoro as a swordsman is bound to deal with the bloodiest fights of them all. In a way, it does reflect on their lifestyles. Sanji enjoys beautiful things like ladies and good food (Zoro seems to be the only one who never praises him on that even though he is clearly satisfied with Sanji's dishes), while the only thing Zoro really enjoys is drinking. Besides that, he is pretty stoic, goal-orientated and working towards getting stronger. There are a few exception though where he is genuinely happy just because of a good meal (or remember how he stole the jacket on Drum Island? XD), which makes it all the more adorable on the rare occasions it does happe.
It‘s hard now to imagine Zoro without Sanji or vice-versa. They would be more laid back... In a way, they make each other much more interesting. Just think about how easily Zoro can rile up Sanji. Whenever he flirts with someone, Zoro only has to make a small comment and in an instant Sanji is fighting with him and overreacting, completely switching his attention from whomever he was trying to woo to Zoro. It really makes one think what Sanji‘s priorities are and why exactly Zoro constantly interrupts his stupid moves, if he is just trying to provoke Sanji or if he‘s subconsciously jealous. Another funny thing is that they never back down from a challenge, they don‘t seem to have something like personal space when it comes to each other. When they fight, they‘re constantly at each other‘s throats, hands and feet touching everywhere to the point that their faces are only centimeters away from each other and still neither wants to back off. It‘s no surprise many fans claim to see UST and you could just imagine them taking their „competitions“ one step further. In the german translation of the FPS, Oda answered one question about why Zoro and Sanji call each other by such strange nicknames jokingly, ending it with „Man, those two just love each other!“ And there was another question where was asked who would win between them in a knive fight and he was all like "Oh, you're talking about knives... and I thought of something else..." :'D
For me, they just belong together, they need each other. Of course everyone on the crew would be devastated if *anyone* was gone, they‘re just close like that, but Zoro and Sanji are two that especially stick out. For Zoro, Sanji is probably the one true rival since Kuina. And that means a lot, because Kuina was the most important person to him back then, the one person that he valued as a warrior and rival, that inspired him and that he strived to surpass. If you think about it that way, that Sanji is the one currently in the rival position, you'll see it in a completely different light. Mihawk is Zoro's goal, but not really his rival, since he knows himself that Mihawk is still too far away to reach. And for Sanji, we know that he was never really good with guys and Zoro is the first one since Zeff who can spark all these reactions from him. Since Zeff is not with them on their trip, it is safe to say that the one guy Sanji collides with most and is probably most important to him is now Zoro as well. Of course they‘re both also incredibly loyal to Luffy - especially Zoro - , just as everyone else in their crew is, but it‘s something different since Luffy is the captain, so naturally the bond there should be strong, while the one between Zoro and Sanji just developed.
Now I don‘t want to claim that it‘s „canon“ because it IS a shonen manga after all and I‘m sure there would never be something like that (a canon slash ship between some main characters), especially since Oda said there would be no romance for the Strawhats anyway - although I‘ve heard some rumors that Oda said if it wasn‘t a shonen manga they would belong together o.o . And I‘m not saying they‘re together, because to be honest I think Zoro is too focused on his goal for now. But I could totally imagine it (especially after Thriller Bark) and if it ever came out it would be no surprise to many of the fans I guess. It‘s like if One Piece were „real“ everyone would probably assume they have something going on anyway.
I read some calculations that over the whole adventures of the Strawhats before the timeskip, only 3-6 months passed. That and the fact that they were now seperated for 2 years makes it all the more fresh and interesting, because it is still building up, their relationship, character development and interactions in general, one of the things I love most about One Piece.
In the end, their relationship, whatever you want to name it, is so strong that it can‘t be dismissed.
Have some more artwork of them! <3
A peaceful moment
Zoro asking for more food
Sanji putting his arm around Zoro!
Sanji putting his foot on Zoro
= Some background information into how you became involved with the fandom, and why you were first attracted to the pairing. =
I got to know One Piece when it was aired in german TV (the german dub is actually not bad, I like many of the voices). Eventually, I borrowed the mangas from a friend and later, I purchased them myself. It was and still is kind of a lovehate thing, I guess. I love the characters and the emotions, Oda is great at depicting that. I don‘t really like the art and how his way of drawing women has changed since the beginning, it hurts to just look at them now. And many of the characters are just too crazy for me, but I do love the maincharacters.
As for Zosan: Initially, I was attracted because it was a very obvious pairing I think, this „bickering like an old married couple“ thing.
= Finally, I want to deal with some counterarguments =
Sanji is the straightest guy ever! There's no way for him to want to be with Zoro.
It‘s true that Sanji is an ero-cook who adores women. Claiming something else would be stupid IMO. Though there is the question if he could seriously be together with a woman, because he is clearly idolizing them. I‘m not sure how he would view them, if he would only ever love them platonically because everything else would be „defiling“. I could picture it both ways (idolizing!Sanji and actual womanizer!Sanji). But that doesn‘t rule out that he could be bisexual or make an exception for Zoro. Sodomy isn‘t an uncommon thing between sailors and pirates and while the idea of them just relieving sexual tension isn‘t far-fetched at all in my eyes, I like the idea best of platonic feelings developing best. And seriously, after all they‘ve been through and especially the thing with Kuma it isn‘t hard to imagine feelings. I think Zoro and Sanji would probably be even healthier, since they don't only complement each other, they are also equals. When it comes to women, Sanji is easily manipulable and he would treat them like they're made out of glass. His ero-cook mode does seem tiresome, while around Zoro he can act more natural.
Likewise, I don‘t think much of the „Zoro is too manly to be gay“ argument. It still sounds strange and so stereotypical to me. Besides, if someone of the crew was gay, it would most likely be Zoro IMO, with his non-existant interest in females (though he generally seems pretty asexual).
In the situation where Sanji loves both women and Zoro, it wouldn't be very fair for Zoro. Who would want to date a guy who was constantly flirting with other women?
I think Zoro would be able to distinguish between serious competition and some random women. Sanji surely wouldn‘t stop with flirting. It‘s just the way he is. But when is he ever serious when he woos any of those pretty women? Even in canon, there are plenty of instances where he puts Zoro above those women: Whenever he makes a snide remark while Sanji flirts, his attention is immediately on Zoro and during serious situations (like Kuma and Sabaody Archipelago) Sanji was always looking out for Zoro first, even before Nami.
= Anything else? =
I wonder... is there a ZoSan day? Since he's # 1 and Sanji # 7, how about 07.01. ? *dork* I mean, their birthdays are 11.11. and 03.03., there are so many possibilities.
Also, I'm not native english, I hope this wasn't too bad to read!
x.x.x.x.x Fandom guide x.x.x.x.x
zosan : The Zosan Community
zosan_kinkmeme : The Zosan Kinkmeme
Fanfic authors:
maldoror_gw
cuethe_pulse
scuttlebutt_inc
sabershadowkat
factorielle
Art:
Rockstar
sybile
cappucino_bird
Doujinshi :
futari_kiri
ari_scanlations
summarpirates
Minhha
I think this goes without saying, but please respect the communities by following their policy and not sharing without permission!
Japanese ZoSan or SanZo site searches.
* http://www.opse.net/
* http://zs.rgr.jp/
* http://www.geocities.jp/marimba4861/op_comic.html
Some communities of artists and those devoted to art:
* http://www.pixiv.net/ (how to register: http://ryu-yo.deviantart.com/journal/20597523/#/d1lze8w)
* http://tegaki.pipa.jp/
サンジ = Sanji
ゾロ = Zoro
Everything else:
Movie 6 Zosan Moments by taugeh_city
the only AMV I know and like of them by osakakitty
How they adress each other and the Strawhats 1 2
Help with the timeline
x.x.x.x.x Special thanks x.x.x.x.x
To everyone who gave me input by sharing their thoughts and discussing with me or providing helpful links: toriribi, meunda, 52w_k, miuk_ki, taugeh_city, kalbim, mishagirl, andyprue, popkin16
To lucathia_rykatu for beta-reading
To a german user who helped me gather the ZoSan moments: AKIHIRO (not on LJ)
To all the artists, authors and scanlation groups I linked for providing us with fandom joy <(^o^)>
And thank you for reading this!!
PS: Chances are I will edit this entry a few times (looking for errors etc), but I'm posting for now so the date will be still the 7th. :O
Fandom: One Piece
Pairing: Sanji and Roronoa Zoro
Spoilers: Until recent chapters (606 etc.)
Word count: 6000?
Note:
One Piece is a humorous and very popular shonen manga/anime with a strong emphasis on friendship. The mangaka Eiichiro Oda has stated that there will be no romance depicted between the members of the Strawhat crew since it wouldn‘t fit in with the mood -and also they‘re all in love... with adventure. ;D Nonetheless, Zoro/Sanji is one of the most present pairings in fandom and I was surprised there isn‘t a manifesto about them here. I‘m going to try and elaborate on their relationship.
Nakama is a japanese term for „comrade“ and in the case of One Piece it has a meaning that is hard to put into words. It‘s like an unbreakable bond, because the Straw Hats would do *anything* for their nakama. Also, I‘m going manga-verse mostly, but I will put scenes from the anime and movies in a seperate section.
Marimo is a green round algae (just google the word) that actually does look like Zoro's hair.
x.x.x.x.x Blackleg Sanji, the love-cook x.x.x.x.x
On first glance, Sanji is a cool, laid-back guy. A great cook who only uses his legs in battle for powerful kicks since his hands are too precious for him. However, that changes whenever he meets beautiful women which always turns him into a love-struck fool whose eyes (and recently, also blood) turn into gigantic hearts.
Sanji has a strict policy on never hurting women - it‘s probably not as much as that he won‘t, but he can‘t. He likes to see himself as a gentleman and he is, despite his occasional perverted outbursts.
His dream is to find the All Blue, a mythical ocean where one can supposedly find all the fish from over the world. To understand this, a look into his past is necessary: Unlike his nakama, Sanji was born into the North Blue. As a boy at the age of 10, he already worked in the galley of a luxurious ship where he was laughed at for his childish dream. In turn, he looked down unto the others because they ate the leftovers from their guests, which he thought was disgusting and pathetic. One day, the ship was attacked by the pirates under the lead of Red-Leg Zeff. Bravely, Sanji stood against them, especially when even they insulted his unrealistic dream of finding the All Blue. Later, the ships sank and Zeff, who had the same dream as Sanji, saved him. They were stranded on a deserted island over the course of months and while Sanji was given a small bag with food, Zeff had one big sack to himself. They both sat on their own side of the small island while the days passed. When Sanji finally ran out on food and he wanted to attack Zeff and his rations in his despair, he realized that Zeff never had any food to begin with: There was only gold in his huge bag. He had eaten his own leg in order to survive.
After they were saved, Sanji worked for Zeff and never wasted food again. As a cook in the restaurant ship Baratié, he gives food to anyone who needs it, no matter who they are, to the point of feeding people without money or even enemies. Luffy took an immediate liking to Sanji and finally convinced him to join his pirate crew.
x.x.x.x.x Pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, the marimo x.x.x.x.x
Zoro was Luffy‘s very first nakama. He is without doubt an incredibly strong and loyal man and his only weakness seems to be his direction sense... or lack thereof. Zoro is very fixated on his dream of becoming the strongest swordsman and he wields three swords.The only thing he seems to be doing besides necessities like eating and sleeping is to train with ridiculous amounts of weights and handicaps.
The green-haired man who is considered the first mate, even though it has never been officially stated, is usually very serious. That‘s why it‘s so surprising when he suddenly shows another side of him, the one that honestly believes you have to shout like Tarzan when you swing with a liane and that the fastest way to get rid of being handcuffed to someone else is to cut one hand off.
Zoro was already very strong in his childhood: He was even able to beat the adults. The only person he was never able to beat was the daughter of his sensei, Kuina. After their 2000th fight (and Zoro‘s 2000th loss) he challenged her to a battle with real swords - and lost. Crying tears of bitterness, he told her about his dream to become the strongest swordsman... only to find out that she had the same dream. But unlike him, she believed that because she was a woman, she would never be able to reach this goal. Eventually, he as a man would surpass her. Zoro, angry that she would just give up like that, made her make a promise with him. One day, one of them would become the strongest swordsman in the world. And if he surpassed her it would be because he had became stronger, and not she weaker!
The next day, Kuina fell down the stairs and died. Zoro begged her father to give him her sword, which he henceforth wielded with his mouth additionally to his two swords. He promised that he would become the strongest swordsman and his fame would be so great that it could be heard all the way from heaven.
= The clash =
Just going by their personality, it is already no surprise Zoro and Sanji clash. Sanji adores women: In his opinion, they wouldn‘t have to work at all while he (and the other male crew members) did everything for them. Zoro treats women and men the same; he doesn‘t hesitate to knock them out or kill them when female adversaries try to trick him, seen e.g. when he fights 100 headhunters at Whiskey Peak (the only exception being Lt. Tashigi, because she reminds him of Kuina). Sanji would rather die than hurt a woman while Zoro would die for his pride, an attitude they could never understand respectively.
On the ship, Zoro keeps to himself; when he‘s not training, he‘s sleeping the whole time while Sanji in his function as a cook is more caring and nurturing - especially towards the females. Zoro‘s dream is something he has to work towards while Sanji‘s is to reach a mythical place that might not even exist.
While Zoro‘s personality is pretty straightforward, Sanji‘s depends strongly on which gender he deals with. While they do agree about most battles and important decisions, Sanji is also the one who thinks in a more stragetic way, often being the trump card that saves the others.
Additionally, they are the strongest members besides Luffy which leads to a strong rivalry and countless contests as who is stronger or literally whose (prey) is bigger. The fact that they‘re so fixated on each other would already be enough of a basis for most slashers, but to really see the essence of their relationship, one would have to go through their whole story as nakamas, which I intend to do.
x.x.x.x.x Their story x.x.x.x.x
= Baratié =
When Zoro and Sanji first met in the Baratié, there was a bit of tension, but it wasn‘t nearly as bad and they didn‘t clash from the beginning. Anime-wise, Zoro saw Sanji first when he was threatening Lieutenant Fullbody for ruining food , while they had a more casual first meeting in the manga. Interestingly enough, Sanji already shows how much of a love-cook he is, but Zoro doesn‘t seem to care at this point.
When Zoro talks about his ambitions and that they were going to the Grandline, Sanji calls the crew crazy, but since we know he would like to go to the Grand Line to find the All Blue himself if it wasn‘t for the debt he felt towards Zeff, it‘s possible he was secretly impressed.
The first major scene that could be interpreted as ZoSan is when Zoro is cut down by Mihawk.
For someone who hardly knows Zoro and isn‘t even part of the crew yet, Sanji sure cares a lot about it - he even gets a whole page for his reaction. He is utterly unable to understand why Zoro would throw his life and dream away just for the sake of his pride. It really seems like Zoro has made an impact; Sanji looks like he‘s taken aback, fascinated and worried at the same time.
When the battle against Don Creek reaches its peak, Sanji remembers Zoro's determination once more.
= Arlong arc =
The next time they meet each other is in Cocos, Nami‘s home island. And there their rivalry and lovehate begins. To protect them, Nami acts indifferent and as if she were their enemy. While Sanji still ignores everything that speaks against her favor, Zoro sees her as the witch who stabbed Usopp. Zoro actually attacks Nami, when Sanji steps in and attacks him. The cook taunts him about his loss against Mihawk which is ironic considering how worried he was. One could interpret his actions as Sanji playing it down... or just taking a shine to fighting with Zoro.
Random cute panels of them
together
discussing
things and facepalming about Luffy:
Sanji preoccupied by Zoro, even the enemy comments on it
Zoro suddenly collapsing because his wounds reopened , Sanji worrying and therefore not paying attention to his own enemy again
In their first battle alongside each other against Arlong and his crew, they already show how well they work together.
Sanji actually saves Zoro - it‘s the first time of many to come - which is IMO very important. Usually Zoro is one of the crew members the others rely on because of his bizarre strength. It's not often that he himself needs help and I noticed Sanji is often the one to supply help when he needs it.
A moment later, Sanji launches himself into a very dangerous situation in place of the already badly injured Zoro.
Sanji deals with the enemy and stands in front of a weakened Zoro.
But they're defeated by Arlong.
With their last power, Zoro gives Sanji cover so he can dive down again to retrieve Luffy. Again, it‘s remarkable how well their chemistry works from the start, Zoro just says „30 seconds“ out of nowhere and Sanji immediately is on the same wavelength.
And finally, a (very bad quality D:) panel about them sitting together and celebrating the victory.
Phew, and that was only the first bit about them, but I think you get the idea of them being in panels together a lot and often having the same reaction, so I will cut down on those from here or it would never end. xD
In Logue Town, they again react similarly to Luffy almost being executed and a bit of a quarrel regarding Lt. Tashigi who wants to fight Zoro (Sanji of course opposing that). After Luffy is saved, Sanji actually asks Zoro if he believes in god, proof that they do have civilized conversations sometimes or at least the attempt thereof. Zoro‘s reaction foreshadows something that is affirmed during the Skypia arc - he‘s an atheist who only believes in his own strength.
When they land on La Boum, there‘s a good example of their similarities, with Nami and Usopp being the opposite. But not only their reaction here, both of them agree on wanting to leave while Nami and Usopp want to save La Boum.
There‘s a hilarious scene where they deal with Claucus, when Zoro first holds Sanji back and then they switch.
The scene is even better in the anime IMO, though I only found it in german now:
Click to view
= Little Garden =
Need I say more? Let the pictures speak for themselves in this case.
Also, the two giants that live on Little Garden, Dori and Broki, seem to be a parallel to Sanji and Zoro. They have been fighting over 100 years and even forgot what they were fighting about, but it was all a friendly competition and they are best friends. Reminds us of someone else, right?
They were separated over rest of the trip; Zoro and the others were almost turned into wax figures while Sanji pretended he was Mr. 3 and talked on the phone to Crocodile. But as soon as they got back together, they talk about their competition again. Note the reaction of the giants! The result of everything.
= Drum Island =
They are separated again during this arc, but once they return from Drum Island, they‘re drinking together with Zoro even pouring Sanji a glass... and then they immediately fight again.
= Alabasta =
When Zoro insults Sanji, he totally overreacts, like he always does whenever Zoro says something to him (bottom left panel).
A cute moment with Chopper where they have a mutual understanding.
Zoro calling Sanji a prince.
And here Mr. Prince is coming to the rescue and Zoro‘s reaction is... priceless. If you look a page before that, he was just as surprised as the others and in the anime he was even drawn with a bit of a blush, so it really feels like he is covering it up by shouting at Sanji to get the key. I think this is one of the moments where he was really impressed by Sanji, just like Sanji was after his fight with Mihawk (which he covered up by taunting Zoro about it as well). If I remember correctly, the quote was even funnier in german. (Sanji was all like „I would die for you <3 <3“ and Zoro: „Then just do it already.“)
Bickering again. It‘s apparently the first time Sanji calls Zoro marimo! But what I find interesting here is that despite how it seems like just one of their usual quarrels, Sanji did actually realize that Zoro was worried about Luffy. One could imagine that he deliberately mentioned it to let Zoro know that he‘s worried as well but they should have faith... and what‘s better distraction than a fight between them?
A great moment, in which Sanji accuses Zoro of being the okama (=transvestite) Mr. 2. In sync + two seconds!!
Sanji is worried about Zoro once more when he gets hit by some bullets and then pretends he doesn‘t care when he lands on the ground.
Random funny panels: where Zoro lies with his leg draped half across Sanji‘s bed, but Sanji‘s lying on the floor. XD Luffy's bottomless stomach: Is this magic? They're even clapping the same way!
= Skypia =
Sanji, Zoro and Luffy go diving. When they‘re back from their trip, Zoro and Sanji finish each other‘s sentences and there‘s also this adorable page, where Sanji agrees to Zoro and they worry about their treasure.
"CPR! I‘ll take Nami!" - "Idiot!"
Taking their bickering unto the next page
When they arrive at Heaven‘s Gate, Zoro proclaims with a happy face that maybe they‘re already dead!
Sanji is having a very happy face here as well.
More bickering after Luffy almost drowns because Sanji thought maybe he could swim in the clouds.
Zoro is bringing rats and frogs for dinner, Sanji seems fine with that - Nami isn't.
Obeying the chef isn't easy at all sometimes...
Eating together!
Not much else worth mentioning happens in Skypia, because again, they were mostly in different teams.
From here on, I don‘t have notes, so I will have to go from my memory, no little panels and moments etc. :/ If you‘re interested I can still edit these later on!
For now...
= Davy Back Fight =
One of the major arcs for the pairing. Zoro and Sanji team up to play a ball game. It begins with them fighting over who is going to be the one carrying the ball, the ballman.
At first, their teamwork is horrible. No one wants the other one to help and since the enemies, three giants, are playing dirty and using weapons, they‘re pretty much wiping the floor with Zoro and Sanji. But then of course they pull themselves together , form a team and make an epic comeback.
It‘s also one of the few times (the only one I can think of right now) Zoro asks for help, in this case Sanji covers him for 10 seconds.
= Water 7 & Enies Lobby =
Nakama-wise, this arc put the spotlight on the fight between Usopp and Luffy and Nico Robin. I don‘t remember much regarding Zoro and Sanji, only that Sanji belittled Zoro for not finishing off the Frankie brothers who later beat up Usopp. During the fight between Luffy and Usopp, Sanji was trying to mediate between them and to prevent Usopp from leaving, even kicking Luffy when he said Usopp should just leave. Zoro remained silent over the whole time and supported Luffy, but Sanji later agreed on Zoro‘s harsh opinion that if Usopp wanted to come back he had to properly apologize.
There is however one big moment for them, where Zoro speaks to Sanji over the phone (den den mushi) and warns him. Is Marimo-kun actually worried about me?
A funny moment in Enies Lobby:
Their new bounty posters and the reactions of Zoro and Sanji to Blackleg Sanji:
= Thriller Bark =
Zoro getting spirit breaked and Sanji‘s reaction:
Then we encounter Zoro and Sanji‘s zombies that were created through each of their shadows (which were extracted while they were unconscious). The zombies lost all memories of their former life and even though Sanji‘s penguin-dog zombie Inuppe first was a gentleman who didn‘t want women to get hurt, he later attacked Nico Robin. But somehow, he still bickered and fought with Jigourou, who was made with Zoro‘s shadow. It seems that even though they‘ve lost memories of everything, they still clash and fight over stupid things like who was the one to receive the order.
During the fight against Oz, Zoro and Sanji agree on one major thing: While the others want to only stall time until Luffy gets Moria, Zoro wants to beat Oz for good so at least Luffy would get his shadow back and not everyone would be lost once it was daytime, a sentiment that Sanji shares.
After Moria was defeated, there is THE major moment for all shippers: The battle against Kuma. Zoro fought against him, but was already injured from the battle before. From the beginning, he clearly didn‘t have a chance anyway. When he was down on his knee and about to get wasted by Kuma, Sanji was the one to save him, a scene that reminded me of their very first battle together during Arlong Arc. He didn‘t have a chance either though and after Kuma blew everything up, Zoro, being the only one who was still able to fight but severely weakened, took one last swing at him. When Zoro realized it was useless, he did something quite unexpected: He bowed down and begged Kuma to spare Luffy and take his life instead. In that moment, Sanji stood up and in return offered his own life instead of Zoro‘s, standing in front of him. But Zoro knocks him out, the emphasis on Sanji gripping his shoulder, then slipping down to his hand and letting go as he becomes unconscious. In the anime, he was even shown trembling, though more because he could hardly stand than because he was afraid I‘m sure, but it did make the scene stronger.
Now this scene does mean a lot: Zoro, whose dream was always his priority, was willing to give his life away not only for Luffy, but also for Sanji. Personally, I don‘t think Zoro is the type who would have given up his life for anyone of the crew. It is very hard for me to imagine him sacrificing himself for e.g. Nami, Brooke or Frankie. I'm sure if Nami had stepped up for him the way Sanji did, he would have never let her give her life instead of his - or any other crewmember for that matter. But if the situation had been different from the beginning and Kuma had demanded Nami's head (for whatever reason) and not Luffy's, I'm not entirely convinced Zoro would have begged him to spare their life while offering his own. Even though it's not always obvious, he cares greatly about his nakama and he would do anything to protect them, but giving up his own dream (and Kuina's dream with it) is one step further and it's not something that just anyone from the Strawhats would do for everyone. Take Brooke as an example: He later admits that he saw them, but he obviously didn't try to sacrifice himself for them, either. This, in my view of things, makes Zoro's act much more stronger. We know Sanji would have sacrificed himself for any woman in need, but Zoro isn't like that. And IMHO, it's tough anyway to imagine Nami, Frankie, Brooke... taking the stand for Zoro. Not that they don't care for him, but the impact it would have left wouldn't have been nearly as strong as it was with Sanji and Oda was bound to know that, too.
Anyway: In this case, while Sanji was just as ready to give his life away for Zoro (and Luffy), he does spark questions. I read someone‘s opinion that Sanji actually wanted to show Zoro how reckless he is and that he should live on. That he already expected Zoro to push through with his stubborn mind anyway and was just trying to show it was absurd for him to exchange himself for Zoro, just as it was also absurd if Zoro exchanges himself for Luffy. It‘s certainly an interesting take on this scene as well, though I do believe that Sanji was fully prepared to take his place, since he seemed genuinely surprised and upset when Zoro knocked him out.
After Sanji awakens, he immediately runs to Zoro, even though Nami is shown hurt in the same panel. When he finally finds him, Zoro is covered from head to toe in his own blood and refuses to tell what happened. He doesn't wake up for a few days, Chopper even comments that this had been his most serious injury so far. Then as two witnesses speak up, Sanji drags them off and wants to hear about what happened in private, an odd behavior that makes the others wonder. And as he hears everything, he is still thinking about what Zoro would have wanted. He wouldn‘t want Luffy to find out and so Sanji forbids those two to speak of Zoro's heroic act. He says that as long as everyone is fine, it‘s good, but we don‘t get to see his facial expression as he utters those words. When I watched this scene in the anime, I couldn‘t help but feel fascinated by the atmosphere and how Sanji handled everything behind the others‘ back. He was the one who naturally worried the most about Zoro, since he was also the one most involved. But seeing him brooding over it all by himself, smoking while we didn‘t really get to see his expressions or know his feelings while Zoro was in a coma... I think if I hadn‘t been shipping it by then, this would have surely made me. And to top it all, Brooke admitted that he saw it by accident and was deeply touched by the two of them. I think this is a really strange and meaningful thing to add in, someone even commenting about what they were willing to do for each other. Sometimes, I can‘t help but think about why Oda added it in. Sure, the scene where someone else offered himself for Zoro worked best with Sanji, but those scenes afterward make it very hard for slashers to *not* see anything.
= Sabaody Archipelago =
There are a few strong Zosan scenes here as well. When all hell breaks loose and the Strawhats are hunted by everyone, Luffy gives the order for everyone to scatter and meet at the ship. Usopp and Brooke are supposed to take Zoro with him. Sanji notices that Zoro has not recovered from his wounds. He is in a group with Nami and Franky, but as the enemies target Zoro because they realize he‘s already half finished, Sanji just leaves them to go after the others.
This is also a very important detail, he actually leaves a woman, and Nami out of all, so he could go after Zoro, Usopp and Brooke.
Zoro wants the others to leave him behind since he‘s a burden, but they refuse of course and then Sanji comes to help. In the anime, Sanji even clings himself to the enemy‘s leg to prevent him from doing more damage.
But then the real Kuma appears and sends everyone off, starting with Zoro...
= After the timeskip =
After half an eternity in both the manga and realtime, the Strawhats are back together and we get to see Sanji and Zoro‘s reunion!
Sanji is carrying a bounty poster of Zoro with him who got lost when he tried to fish (possibly a welcome gift for their cook?). They‘re immediately back to their good old bickering and Zoro starts calling Sanji # 7, because he was the seventh to arrive. I bet he‘s pretty proud because it was probably the first time in his life that he arrived firstly, lol. Later on, Sanji pretends Zoro is stupid and they participate in a short fight where they‘re competing again with „I cut him down!“ and „I broke his neck!“ . Oda was giving them comparatively much screentime just for their bickering, considering how much was going on in the chapters at that time.
And that‘s pretty much present time!
---
x.x.x.x.x Moments in anime and movies x.x.x.x.x
This list is by far not complete, because I haven't watched all the movies and episodes, feel free to point me out to other scenes. :3
Movie 3 (Chinjuujima no Chopper Oukoku) :
More bickering!
Zoro and Sanji each fight someone who claims to have the strongest kicks and to be the best swordsman. Their comments afterwards:
"Compared to his, your sword is just a piece of shit." - "There's another man in this world who kicks with more amazing power than you'd ever be able to. He's a pain in the ass though."
Movie 4 (Dead End no Bouken): Once more in sync.
Zoro blushing!
Movie 5 (Curse of the Sacred Sword): Even though the movie was horrible, there are a few short moments: Sanji is actually defending Zoro while he is gone, saying he wouldn‘t just leave the ship while it‘s his watch. Zoro calls Sanji by his name when they fight...
Movie 6 (Baron no Omatsuri and the Secret Island): Just... Zoro and Sanji on that boat. Bickering, paying attention to each other instead of their enemies and Zoro actually apologizing that Sanji had to wait when he takes care of said enemies. Also, there‘s this scene where Zoro is pushed out of harm‘s way, though it is unclear whether he pushed Sanji into the ring or Sanji pushed him outside.
Movie 10 (Strong World): Their moment at the stairs („Oh, it‘s just you“) and their perfect teamwork in the first fight against Shiki.
One Piece Special 3: Sanji straddling Zoro
Episode 57: Washing dishes:
Episode 131: A morning kiss?
Episode 226: Almost kissing again when Foxy freezes them with his beam.
Filler episode after Enies Lobby: A woman calls Zoro broccoli-head and he actually says "It's not broccoli! It's Marimo!". He only realizes afterward that it was mistake, going "No, wait!"
x.x.x.x.x The pairing: Why and what makes it special? x.x.x.x.x
I think what immediately sticks out and is also one of the main aspects I love about them is how they're nakama and rivals at the same time. They constantly bicker and fight like an old married couple, but when it counts they work together so well. There‘s a lot of tension between them and while they act like they can‘t stand each other, they surely do because there is no way you would constantly seek out someone when you supposedly hate their guts. They really are opposites when it comes down to how you should treat women, but in important decisions regarding their nakama and battles, they are mostly on the same side, even completely in tune. They don‘t need words to communicate. There were so many silent understandings in their battles, where they worked together flawlessly. People, be it fans or the team, just know that when Zoro and Sanji are put together, things will be interesting which must be one of the reasons they throw us fanservice in the anime or e.g. put them together sometimes in the movies. And their snark is so dominant it‘s even present in artwork and covers. It‘s like they‘re kids who pull each other‘s hair as a sign of affection and to get each other's attention. They would never admit that they even remotely like each other, but their actions speak otherwise.
They even have so many cute nicknames for each other, starting with the famous marimo. Who would feel insulted by that? Likewise, Zoro calls Sanji question mark once because of his curly eyebrow. In german, their nicknames are very harmless as well: There's for example "broccoli head" or "meat tenderizer". Note that their nicknames are exclusive. While there are characters like Robin who give everyone a nickname, Zoro only calls Sanji by nickname, mostly cook, ero-cook or love-cook. I don't remember him calling Sanji by name in canon at all right now (I know he did during one of the movies) but if he did, it couldn't be more than a few times. Sanji adds -chan and -swan to Robin and Nami's names or generally makes female names sound more affectionate, but he never nicknames the guys... except for Zoro, that is. The most noteworthy nickname here is of course marimo, though Sanji does call Zoro by name sometimes and at times, he even added a "kun" to Marimo or Zoro, most likely with the intention of teasing him.
I also like the power balance. In fandom, ZoSan is so much more dominant than SanZo which is a pity if you ask me, because this is one of the pairings where there is no stereotypical seme and uke. They are even the same age and almost the same height, Sanji being shorter by 1 cm. Sure, Zoro might seem like the more dominant "manlier" one, but I don't think he really is, because when it comes down to e.g. emotional matters, Zoro is much more green (no pun intended?) than Sanji who does seem to be more caring and.. 'fatherly'. And on serious occassions, to me, Sanji is just as masculine as Zoro, like when he stood up in front of him to protect him and the others from Kuma. That is IMO a very important issue as well, that they‘re equal. I think their bond is one of the strongest in One Piece. It‘s surely no coincidence the giants who have been fighting for a hundred years are similar to them or that their zombies, even though they're rid of all their memories and Sanji's dog-penguin-zombie even kicks Robin, STILL have to bicker and fight each other. You just know that if one of them was gone, the other one would have a hard time getting over it, because there would be something missing. They‘re pushing as well as supporting each other.
And what‘s even better, that besides the fighting (be it together or against each other) there are moments where they understand each other. These moments are rare, but they are there.
They have been trying to understand each other since the beginning, with Sanji being so thrown back at how Zoro would rather lose his life than pride. It‘s just the way they are, Sanji, who almost experienced starvation during his childhood, values life so much that he would feed his own enemies. Zoro on the other hand has never won against a girl and never will since she has alrea died, so he can‘t understand why Sanji would treasure women that much. To him, they‘re just people which is why Sanji‘s ero-cook-mode feels so stupid to him. I once read the comparison with Sanji bringing life and Zoro death, something I had never thought of but thought was interesting. It is true to a certain extent, since Sanji practically gives people life by giving them food while Zoro as a swordsman is bound to deal with the bloodiest fights of them all. In a way, it does reflect on their lifestyles. Sanji enjoys beautiful things like ladies and good food (Zoro seems to be the only one who never praises him on that even though he is clearly satisfied with Sanji's dishes), while the only thing Zoro really enjoys is drinking. Besides that, he is pretty stoic, goal-orientated and working towards getting stronger. There are a few exception though where he is genuinely happy just because of a good meal (or remember how he stole the jacket on Drum Island? XD), which makes it all the more adorable on the rare occasions it does happe.
It‘s hard now to imagine Zoro without Sanji or vice-versa. They would be more laid back... In a way, they make each other much more interesting. Just think about how easily Zoro can rile up Sanji. Whenever he flirts with someone, Zoro only has to make a small comment and in an instant Sanji is fighting with him and overreacting, completely switching his attention from whomever he was trying to woo to Zoro. It really makes one think what Sanji‘s priorities are and why exactly Zoro constantly interrupts his stupid moves, if he is just trying to provoke Sanji or if he‘s subconsciously jealous. Another funny thing is that they never back down from a challenge, they don‘t seem to have something like personal space when it comes to each other. When they fight, they‘re constantly at each other‘s throats, hands and feet touching everywhere to the point that their faces are only centimeters away from each other and still neither wants to back off. It‘s no surprise many fans claim to see UST and you could just imagine them taking their „competitions“ one step further. In the german translation of the FPS, Oda answered one question about why Zoro and Sanji call each other by such strange nicknames jokingly, ending it with „Man, those two just love each other!“ And there was another question where was asked who would win between them in a knive fight and he was all like "Oh, you're talking about knives... and I thought of something else..." :'D
For me, they just belong together, they need each other. Of course everyone on the crew would be devastated if *anyone* was gone, they‘re just close like that, but Zoro and Sanji are two that especially stick out. For Zoro, Sanji is probably the one true rival since Kuina. And that means a lot, because Kuina was the most important person to him back then, the one person that he valued as a warrior and rival, that inspired him and that he strived to surpass. If you think about it that way, that Sanji is the one currently in the rival position, you'll see it in a completely different light. Mihawk is Zoro's goal, but not really his rival, since he knows himself that Mihawk is still too far away to reach. And for Sanji, we know that he was never really good with guys and Zoro is the first one since Zeff who can spark all these reactions from him. Since Zeff is not with them on their trip, it is safe to say that the one guy Sanji collides with most and is probably most important to him is now Zoro as well. Of course they‘re both also incredibly loyal to Luffy - especially Zoro - , just as everyone else in their crew is, but it‘s something different since Luffy is the captain, so naturally the bond there should be strong, while the one between Zoro and Sanji just developed.
Now I don‘t want to claim that it‘s „canon“ because it IS a shonen manga after all and I‘m sure there would never be something like that (a canon slash ship between some main characters), especially since Oda said there would be no romance for the Strawhats anyway - although I‘ve heard some rumors that Oda said if it wasn‘t a shonen manga they would belong together o.o . And I‘m not saying they‘re together, because to be honest I think Zoro is too focused on his goal for now. But I could totally imagine it (especially after Thriller Bark) and if it ever came out it would be no surprise to many of the fans I guess. It‘s like if One Piece were „real“ everyone would probably assume they have something going on anyway.
I read some calculations that over the whole adventures of the Strawhats before the timeskip, only 3-6 months passed. That and the fact that they were now seperated for 2 years makes it all the more fresh and interesting, because it is still building up, their relationship, character development and interactions in general, one of the things I love most about One Piece.
In the end, their relationship, whatever you want to name it, is so strong that it can‘t be dismissed.
Have some more artwork of them! <3
A peaceful moment
Zoro asking for more food
Sanji putting his arm around Zoro!
Sanji putting his foot on Zoro
= Some background information into how you became involved with the fandom, and why you were first attracted to the pairing. =
I got to know One Piece when it was aired in german TV (the german dub is actually not bad, I like many of the voices). Eventually, I borrowed the mangas from a friend and later, I purchased them myself. It was and still is kind of a lovehate thing, I guess. I love the characters and the emotions, Oda is great at depicting that. I don‘t really like the art and how his way of drawing women has changed since the beginning, it hurts to just look at them now. And many of the characters are just too crazy for me, but I do love the maincharacters.
As for Zosan: Initially, I was attracted because it was a very obvious pairing I think, this „bickering like an old married couple“ thing.
= Finally, I want to deal with some counterarguments =
Sanji is the straightest guy ever! There's no way for him to want to be with Zoro.
It‘s true that Sanji is an ero-cook who adores women. Claiming something else would be stupid IMO. Though there is the question if he could seriously be together with a woman, because he is clearly idolizing them. I‘m not sure how he would view them, if he would only ever love them platonically because everything else would be „defiling“. I could picture it both ways (idolizing!Sanji and actual womanizer!Sanji). But that doesn‘t rule out that he could be bisexual or make an exception for Zoro. Sodomy isn‘t an uncommon thing between sailors and pirates and while the idea of them just relieving sexual tension isn‘t far-fetched at all in my eyes, I like the idea best of platonic feelings developing best. And seriously, after all they‘ve been through and especially the thing with Kuma it isn‘t hard to imagine feelings. I think Zoro and Sanji would probably be even healthier, since they don't only complement each other, they are also equals. When it comes to women, Sanji is easily manipulable and he would treat them like they're made out of glass. His ero-cook mode does seem tiresome, while around Zoro he can act more natural.
Likewise, I don‘t think much of the „Zoro is too manly to be gay“ argument. It still sounds strange and so stereotypical to me. Besides, if someone of the crew was gay, it would most likely be Zoro IMO, with his non-existant interest in females (though he generally seems pretty asexual).
In the situation where Sanji loves both women and Zoro, it wouldn't be very fair for Zoro. Who would want to date a guy who was constantly flirting with other women?
I think Zoro would be able to distinguish between serious competition and some random women. Sanji surely wouldn‘t stop with flirting. It‘s just the way he is. But when is he ever serious when he woos any of those pretty women? Even in canon, there are plenty of instances where he puts Zoro above those women: Whenever he makes a snide remark while Sanji flirts, his attention is immediately on Zoro and during serious situations (like Kuma and Sabaody Archipelago) Sanji was always looking out for Zoro first, even before Nami.
= Anything else? =
I wonder... is there a ZoSan day? Since he's # 1 and Sanji # 7, how about 07.01. ? *dork* I mean, their birthdays are 11.11. and 03.03., there are so many possibilities.
Also, I'm not native english, I hope this wasn't too bad to read!
x.x.x.x.x Fandom guide x.x.x.x.x
zosan : The Zosan Community
zosan_kinkmeme : The Zosan Kinkmeme
Fanfic authors:
maldoror_gw
cuethe_pulse
scuttlebutt_inc
sabershadowkat
factorielle
Art:
Rockstar
sybile
cappucino_bird
Doujinshi :
futari_kiri
ari_scanlations
summarpirates
Minhha
I think this goes without saying, but please respect the communities by following their policy and not sharing without permission!
Japanese ZoSan or SanZo site searches.
* http://www.opse.net/
* http://zs.rgr.jp/
* http://www.geocities.jp/marimba4861/op_comic.html
Some communities of artists and those devoted to art:
* http://www.pixiv.net/ (how to register: http://ryu-yo.deviantart.com/journal/20597523/#/d1lze8w)
* http://tegaki.pipa.jp/
サンジ = Sanji
ゾロ = Zoro
Everything else:
Movie 6 Zosan Moments by taugeh_city
the only AMV I know and like of them by osakakitty
How they adress each other and the Strawhats 1 2
Help with the timeline
x.x.x.x.x Special thanks x.x.x.x.x
To everyone who gave me input by sharing their thoughts and discussing with me or providing helpful links: toriribi, meunda, 52w_k, miuk_ki, taugeh_city, kalbim, mishagirl, andyprue, popkin16
To lucathia_rykatu for beta-reading
To a german user who helped me gather the ZoSan moments: AKIHIRO (not on LJ)
To all the artists, authors and scanlation groups I linked for providing us with fandom joy <(^o^)>
And thank you for reading this!!
PS: Chances are I will edit this entry a few times (looking for errors etc), but I'm posting for now so the date will be still the 7th. :O