What's this ruckus about!? - Kuroo

Gene | they/them

[spikyiwaizumi]

idk why but kuroo to me like a “hm?” guy. he takes in the information and gives himself a careful moment to filter it before answering . yaku blurts out whatever he thinks there is maybe One filter between his brain and mouth and that’s to be polite to strangers and his elders. kuroo has at least seven hundred and one filters and analyses the situation from numerous angles before choosing how to handle it . which I think is why sometimes when a situation he didn’t think of pops up he’s thrown a bit (I think yaku surprises him sometimes)

[yourfavoritepinkcannon]

Yaku says kuroos thoughts out loud sometimes, and it kinda freaks kuroo out, or yaku will say the smoothest shit and act like it's completely normal.

[spikyiwaizumi]

literally canon

[eldritch-delight]

What I really don't understand is why, when Luffy is regarded as such a great character for aroace representation, Zoro is so often just tossed aside, like they are not the same in this regard.

While Luffy gives vibes of a person that really does not understand what you all have going on with all that (sex, romance, whatever) and does not give a fuck (or rather he's so beyond these things on some transcendent level that us poor mortals with wisdom stat lower than nat 30 cannot comprehend), Zoro is a learned individual that knows what this is about, but is decidedly not interested.

Aroace people are not some pure naive little flowers that do not understand what's sex, romance and love is. If you look at it that way, 'don't know - don't care' position is more likely to turn into an interest than 'I fully comprehend, but it's not for me'.

Mother-darkness forbid, this is not anti-shipping. I adore ZoLu as a ship just as much as I enjoy the aro-ace relationship representation. I just can't get why push so hard for Luffy being aro-ace and deny the same thing for Zoro, who shows the same (none) amount of interest in this side of the relationship spectrum.

Their relationship won't lose the meaning if you take away sexual and/or romantic dimension from it. Zoro can still be focused entirely on Luffy even if he is in aro-ace spectrum. Luffy is his guiding star, the one who showed him the path to his dream, helped him find his true self when he was lost. Knowing his track record with getting lost, it's obvious for Zoro to follow Luffy to the end of the world. Luffy will always be Zoro's wanderlust and wistfullness personified, whether you add sex and romance into the mix or not.

And, well, people on the spectrum can, but don't have to be in relationship. "Aro/ace" is not some kind of a stamp you put on characters forehead as a way to prove that he's off limits for shipping. Sure, it may be different from your regular toxic yaoi, but it is still valid. Denying and chucking off a huge chunk of connections and relationships aroace people may have rather takes away from representation than solidifies it.

[frymaform]

As a lifelong One Piece enjoyer, I can say there's literally nothing more enjoyable than Zoro's "It's Luffy's world, I'm just living in it" attitude.

You notice it a lot in the anime of course, but especially reading the manga, I feel like there are so many times where Zoro's idiocy is only a genuine parallel of Luffy's to remain on the same page as him. Don't get me wrong, they're both dumb as hell - but the amount of times something Zoro's saying comes off as nothing more than a push in the right direction for Luffy to figure something out or simply Zoro playing dumb to be in complete and total agreeance with his beloved captain is insane.

It's always either "Hey Luffy, what do you think of this?" when it's time to get the guy to lock in, or "Yeah, that's just how it is." after hearing the way Luffy has already taken an adamant stance on something that may be objectively not true, but won't hurt anyone.

I am a big fan of same-braincell Zolu, but noticing and very possibly exaggerating every bit of Zoro's devotion means so much to me.

[ryouswke]

ok, i really need to get this out of my mind, and by no means what im about to say is meant to come off as haruichi hate, i absolutely love him.

but i must admit, its getting kinda annoying for me as a ryou stan. He is literally watching his younger brother living the life that HE had dreamed of. Haruichi has the position, the partner, the dream school, the koshien, the team, the haircut and now (the reason that im writing this), the cover.

Ryou, on the other hand, has lost it all. He lost his position on the last game, lost his team, is playing with a new team that don't even recognise him, and is being forced to whatch in the sidelines as his partner and the person that he trusts the most and his younger brother develop a relationship as close as they had. i gotta say, it's getting kinda unfair.

Now, i get that its not haruichi's fault, he grew up having ryou as a big role model, but as an older sibling myself, i have to say: ryou feels it. He might never show his emotions entirely, but he kinda does in this panel, and its honestly sad to see that he is, once again, not putting himself first.

I just wish TJ would let ryou have something that he could say its his, instead of always being forced to let everything go. Also wish that Haruichi could grow and get his own interests, ideas and dreams. Ryou is not replaceable and Haruichi is not a replacement.

[shitty-miniboss]

the only good thing about zoro slander posts is when they inevitably start bringing up how gay he is for luffy

[assiraphales]

and if I said golden retriever boyfriend and black cat gf

[madbard]

I see the argument that Sabo is Ace’s replacement a lot, and it really irritates me (considering how it overlooks the differences in characterization between them, the differences between their arcs) but as a source of conflict in-world it has SUCH potential.

We see the ways in which Ace changed after losing Sabo, the ways in which he grew to fill the gaps that his brother left (the manners were something he learned specifically to thank Shanks but he also softened considerably, in his way). Similarly, after Ace’s death, Sabo stepped into his role as protector (even as he struggled a bit to draw the distinction between his duties and identity as a revolutionary, and his duties and identity as Luffy’s older brother - even viewing them as potentially contradictory when he said he’d abandon one identity and set of responsibilities for the other), stepping in as a fiery barrier between Luffy and the Marines (just as Ace once did). Sabo inherits Ace’s power, inherits his will, and it’s framed almost as an act of resurrection - that a part of Ace will live on in this way, that Sabo becomes a vessel for some aspect of the brother he never got to know past childhood, the brother he couldn’t protect. He eats Ace’s fruit, and becomes fire, as Ace was. In this way, can it be said that in some way he chose to become Ace?

Sabo is a character who is constantly having his identity torn away from him, who is constantly having other identities forced upon him. He rejects his status as a noble but is unable to escape it except through ‘death.’ He loses his memories as a child and in doing so loses his family; he regains those same memories as an adult and in the process the entire framework of his adult life and sense of self is shaken so badly (in addition to the overpowering grief) that he ends up in a coma. He eats Ace’s fruit and greets Luffy as the powerful and steady older brother he can rely on (and in using that persona to comfort Luffy, Sabo becomes someone who cannot cry in front of his little brother or even hug him back). He tries to save King Cobra, fails, and in his failure he is awarded the title of ‘Flame Emperor,’ which he dislikes but accepts because it is beneficial to his cause. (Even then, his identities as revolutionary and as Luffy’s brother are put at odds with each other - he accepts culpability for killing Luffy’s friend’s father, because it fans the flames of revolution). He continues to reject his noble heritage and yet he dresses as one to better infiltrate them. He ends up caught desperately trying to hold together this mass of contradictory identities, for himself, for his cause, for his brother.

So, yes, you could say that Sabo chooses to become Ace’s replacement. That’s not deceitful on his part, and it doesn’t reduce his character to a carbon copy of Ace. It’s yet another identity he’s adopted to struggle with. It’s adding fuel to the fire, and further disrupting Sabo’s sense of self, and it is excellent.

[steamfox22]

I genuinely don’t understand why ZoLu isn’t the dominant M/M ship in the OP fandom.

My entry point into One Piece was the live action, and that led me straight into the manga (I’m around chapter 600 right now). So yes, I’m aware there’s still a lot I haven’t seen—but even with that caveat, the core dynamic between Zoro and Luffy feels incredibly clear, consistent, and narratively intentional.

Zoro is not just “loyal.” That word undersells it. His entire identity as a character gets reoriented the moment he decides to follow Luffy. This is a man whose dream is absolute—becoming the greatest swordsman in the world—and yet he willingly subordinates that dream to Luffy’s. Not abandons it, but ties it to Luffy’s success. If Luffy cannot become Pirate King, then Zoro’s own ambition becomes meaningless. That is not normal crew loyalty; that is devotion structured around another person’s existence.

And the story reinforces this again and again:

– Mihawk explicitly questions Zoro’s resolve, and Zoro answers not by reaffirming his own dream, but by asserting Luffy’s worth.

– Thriller Bark is the most obvious example: Zoro taking Luffy’s pain and choosing silence about it. Not for glory, not for recognition, but because protecting Luffy’s path matters more than being seen.

– Post–time skip, Zoro’s entire demeanor sharpens around Luffy’s role. He becomes stricter, less tolerant of failure—not out of ego, but because Luffy has to succeed.

Zoro does not orbit Luffy casually. He calibrates himself around him.

And that’s why the fandom tendency to default Zoro into a dynamic with Sanji feels… strange to me.

Because Zoro and Sanji are built on rivalry, contrast, and comedic antagonism. Their interactions are loud, reactive, and symmetrical. They push against each other. That’s fun, but it’s fundamentally different from what Zoro has with Luffy, which is quiet, unilateral, and deeply rooted in choice.

Also—being honest—Sanji as a character is consistently framed around a very specific, exaggerated heterosexuality. It’s not subtle, and it’s not incidental. Interpreting him as someone who would plausibly be in a romantic dynamic with Zoro requires overlooking a significant part of his established characterization.

Meanwhile, Zoro’s emotional axis is already occupied.

If One Piece were ever to introduce romance among the crew (which it almost certainly won’t), the relationship that feels most structurally supported—on Zoro’s side, at least—is with Luffy. Not because of isolated “moments,” but because of how Zoro’s motivations, sacrifices, and sense of purpose are written.

It’s not about chemistry in the usual fandom sense. It’s about narrative gravity.

Zoro doesn’t just believe in Luffy.

He chooses him, over and over, at the level of identity.

[assiraphales]

I love youtube comments

from the wano reunion scene x

[tricksterella]

Saw these in a younger Luffy clip (when he refused to betray Sabo and Ace, even under torture)

He doesn't even have anything to do with this scene 😭

[beanghostprincess]

I will print a thousand copies of this, and I will throw them at people's faces every time I have to defend him

[assiraphales]

the zolu (platonic) agenda is lowkey so easy to push on tt bc the dudebros are always waiting in the wings at the drop of a single mention of luffy and zoro to say some insane shit like “luffy is the only one that makes zoro smile like that” they’re writing hcs on reddit about how they don’t think they’ll ever separate, even if the strawhats disband. they are waxing about the essence of their undying love loyalty and devotion (practically calling them soulmates). they’re unironically saying things like “zoro sometimes puts up a front with his crew but can be himself when he’s with luffy” they do not rest and do not falter in the face of opposition. they are the BACKBONE they are in comment sections of every platform making any video they come across about luffy n zoro. ty dudebros

[clfixationstation]

As much as it frustrates me when people believe romantic relationships are somehow more valuable than platonic ones, I also don't understand why someone shipping characters who are close friends together (f/f or m/m) is seen as diminishing their relationship.

like, the characters are still besties. the romance is built off their deep bond, the friendship is why people ship it

I'll see it under edits a lot, comments like, "finally, someone who understands they're JUST FRIENDS" or "why are you ruining their friendship?"

And look, as someone on the aro and ace spectrums, I really understand frustration with other people devaluing platonic bonds, I truly do. However, such statements often devalue friendship within them ("just friends") and assume the people who ship them cannot possibly comprehend the complexities of the relationship simply because they see it as romantic - which is not the case. tbh sometimes I end up shipping a pairing because the only people thinking deeply about their bond and posting about it are the shippers! (that's what happened to me with eremin lol)

uh anyways we know the answer is primarily homophobia, probably mixed in with some genuine frustration about amatonormativity. It sucks that the language aro/ace people have for commenting on this issue is so similar to the rhetoric other people use to poorly conceal their homophobia. There is a genuine discussion to be had about how romantic and sexual relationships are valued over platonic ones and placed on a pedestal, but they get lost in the sea of bad-faith comments.

For instance, I do sometimes see the bond between characters be reduced to their romantic connection, even in well-intentioned analyses. The "would friends look at each other/treat each other like THIS?" style of posts also often rankle me because yes! I do look at my friends with adoration, and we do hug and we do go out of our way to support each other. Yet, those are traits I enjoy in ships, so I can't even get too mad lol. The problem is when that type of affection is thought to be relegated to romance.

extension of thoughts

[assiraphales]

there’s something weirdly romantic about zoro fighting off a grim reaper at almost the same time luffy’s heart stopped. like when baby girl said he’d follow luffy to hell if he had to (anime only but still) he meant it. dig a grave for TWO

[assiraphales]

obviously who knows what oda will choose to do at the end but I can’t even entertain “zoro after he loses luffy” and “luffy dies young” “crew splits up / last time zoro sees his captain before they part ways” theories bc they severely underestimate zoro’s crazy

[assiraphales]

i honestly live for your swing bat at hornets nest one piece posts especially on zs...ur speaking the truth

in preparation for season 2 of opla lets chat. because while in general i believe in ship and let ship (i don't go in tags i don't like, i have never sent a hate anon, etc etc) i am not very good at ignoring a hornets nest when its been thrown into my yard so;

"shipping luffy and zoro is weird because luffy is ace" is a take that not only lacks nuance and invalidates the wide / varied spectrum that is the asexual experience but its also kind of funny that luffy is "unshipable" because he doesn't show interest in relationships / romance when the SAME can be said for zoro. baby girl's main interests include swords, sake, and his captain. so why are we saying luffy can't be shipped but not applying the same rationale to zoro....... ?

so many takes necessary for the ship require infantalizing luffy and diminishing his importance to the story and the characters

i have no problem shipping things with bare minimum to no evidence. a few weeks ago i made a post detailing dean winchester x indiana jones. but i saying "nothing happened" is a zsn moment and twisting other BIG zolu (platonic or otherwise) is just blatant and purposeful misinterpretation of the text. like fine wear your rose colored glasses but don't get mad when ppl don't see it the same way as u (bc u r canonically wrong)

zoro and luffy's relationship (i assume) is going to be important in season 2 just like it it was in season 1. because in one piece, luffy and zoro's relationship is fundamentally important to the story! there was takes saying "the live action focused on the wrong dynamics" when it came out and the reality is no.... u r the one who has been downplaying canon. bc zoro / sanj relationship is mostly just bickering, mutual respect, and crew loyalty. meanwhile zoro's entire journey revolves around his sun. his original goal was to become the greatest swordsman (for kuina) but by baratie/the mihawk fight he'd already altered it to for kuina AND luffy. he offered his head to kuma for luffy 'bc what is great ambition if i can't protect my captain'. he kneeled before mihawk and begged for help in getting stronger for luffy. he told kaido (yes ik its anime only) that if he sends luffy to hell, send him to. there's a reason why the first reunion in wano was luffy n zoro, and why he smiled so wide. meanwhile zoro is who luffy always expects (and trusts) to be by his side (and has blushed at the sight of)

its funny that there has been so much pushback to zolu gaining traction bc zsn is still the most popular ship and it has been for DECADES. i think its a boring dynamic and that's ok. but i understand its gonna keep on existing. so why can't it go the other way? why we pretending like zolu stans don't have a buffet of evidence in the manga, anime, and live action?

anyways!

[rabidasexualopppsum]

Shanks is one of the funniest characters in media. Like he’s hyped up as one of the strongest and coolest character in the world. Then when you finally learn more about him and he’s like clinically depressed and wants to sail off into the sunset with a literal fucking clown. What a guy.

[assiraphales]

“zoro doesn’t smile anymore” meanwhile every other time he’s looking at luffy there’s a big ole grin on his face

[assiraphales]

some of my favorite pts luffy related smiles

[assiraphales]

there’s a level of insanity to zoro’s relationship w luffy that is singular. like. to cover all my bases I fully believe all the strawhats care for each other and would die for each other. that’s not a question. but zoro’s intensity is highlighted thru the story. zoro IS the only crew member that luffy sought out by name instead of letting fate bring them together. zoro offered his head to kuma. zoro is the only one to hear from someone who was at marineford what happened to luffy (that he was emotionally devastated and watched ace die in front of him). the only reason mihawk decided to train zoro is because he was doing it for luffy. zoro told kaido that if he was going to send his captain to hell, he’d be going as well — aka dog a grave for two. zoro smiles the widest and is the most comfortable to be himself when he’s with luffy bc somewhere along the line, as codependent as it is, luffy became a part of him. like he just simply is NOT normal about his captain and there’s no arguing it. and, though it is more subtle, luffy is not normal right back

[assiraphales]

I think ppl talk around how special zoro is to luffy not only bc luffy’s love is more understated, but also bc ppl obvi do not like the idea of luffy + favoritism. and I don’t disagree — luffy loves them all equally. but he does love zoro differently. on day one he knew three things; he’d find the one piece, he’d be king of the pirates, and roronoa zoro was going to be on his crew. when luffy falls into the sea, despite sanji being the best swimmer, he knows zoro will fish him out. he looks for a glint of green hair in the crowd & says hi to zoro first. zoro is the one he reaches for and drags to him. the trust he has for zoro is implicit, and he knows zoro will understand him with no words. he’s offered to share his lunch with zoro, and BLUSHED at the sight of him. he’s asked zoro about his past. when on wci, brook says “zoro is waiting on wano” to try remind him of the goal bc do you want to see zoro again? and when they’re both unconscious, the strawhat is symbolically between them. bc it’s no longer about separate dreams. it’s about THEIR dream, to reach the end together