Roronoa Zoro and Sanji are two of the most important characters in Luffy's journey to becoming the King of the Pirates. Luffy's made his very first recruit at Shell's Town in Roronoa Zoro, where the swordsman was saved from inevitable death after having been imprisoned for quite some time. Swearing his loyalty to Luffy after being saved, Zoro has, since then, devoted himself to making him the Pirate King and is an incredibly important part of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Sanji, on the other hand, joined the crew on Baratie, a seafaring restaurant where he served as a sous-chef. Upon witnessing his kindness and his values as a cook, Luffy was dead set on recruiting him, and so he did. Unlike Zoro, Sanji wasn't the first recruit on the crew. In fact, he wasn't even the second one, or the third. Sanji was the fourth and the final recruit from the East Blue but his role in One Piece is pivotal and when it comes to the crew, he's just as important to Luffy as Zoro, which is why the two are called "The Wings of the Pirate King."

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Zoro And Sanji's Role In The Crew

Zoro and Sanji protect O-Toko

It goes without saying that Zoro and Sanji are Luffy's two most important men. Just as Roger had Rayleigh and Gaban, Luffy has Zoro and Sanji. One of the most popular trios in the series is the Monster Trio, which is based on these three characters together. They were named by Nami during the Thriller Bark arc of the story, and have consistently been the strongest 3 of the Straw Hat Pirates. With time, they continue to grow even stronger but when it comes to off-the-battlefield stuff, they're just as important to the crew.

In terms of authority, the Captain is absolute, and he stands above everyone in the crew. However, after him come two of his wings – Zoro and Sanji. While it is heavily debated that one is superior to the other in terms of authority, to Oda, that is rarely a problem as both have gone on to lead on different occasions. Zoro and Sanji are two trusted people in the crew. Everyone, including Luffy, looks up to them in dire times when certain important things need to be discussed. Zoro might be the combatant but he is usually the next person after Luffy to take command of the crew. Sanji, while a cook, is usually the third one to take command of the crew.

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But even more importantly, Zoro and Sanji's dynamic together is what makes them a special duo. Despite Zoro always fighting the no. 2s and Sanji fighting the no. 3s, they are also in competition with each other and always will be. Zoro and Sanji push each other to do better every single arc. The two also have Luffy's back in the most dangerous situations. In Arlong Park, they saved Luffy, in Enies Lobby, they opened up a path to Robin, Thriller Bark saw both offer up their lives and after the timeskip, this trend has continued.

Essentially, Zoro has just as much authority in the crew as Sanji. In fact, the rest of the crew get a great deal of authority as well. After all, the Straw Hat Pirates aren't a meritocracy unlike some other crews. Even though some, like Bartolomeo, think of Zoro as the Vice-Captain, the crew doesn't actually have one, which just goes to show that Oda isn't establishing a regular system for this crew.

What The Wings Of The Pirate King Means

Featured Strongest Duos Sanji Zoro

In One Piece Chapter 1020, Nico Robin coined the title "The Wings of the Pirate King" specifically to refer to Sanji. However, the title is certainly for Sanji as well as Zoro. While Sanji is one of Luffy's wings, Zoro is the other and together, they will help Luffy soar through the skies and reach the very top. One wing can't be bigger than the other and it can't certainly be more important than the other as well, at least in terms of importance to Luffy's journey in the story.

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Both Sanji and Zoro carry equal authority and share equal responsibility in the Straw Hat Pirates. At times, it is Zoro who shines, as seen in the Water 7 arc and at times, it is Sanji who shines, as seen in the Whole Cake Island arc and even the Wano Country arc. However, it is only together that the two shine the brightest. With this title, Oda also establishes that Luffy holds both Zoro and Sanji as equals. The title almost suggests that they're the two most important people to him becoming the Pirate King, for their ability to carry their responsibility effectively and fight at the highest level, if not more.

The debate about where the two rank in terms of strength when compared to each other will always stand among the fans. However, in Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates' eyes, they're equal in what truly matters to the crew, which is their importance. In Wano Country, Zoro and Sanji defeated two of Kaido's three right-hand men in King and Queen respectively. They opened up a path for Luffy to shake the era by taking down a Yonko and together, they're certainly an incredible duo, even if they're often at odds with one another.

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