Zoro x Tashigi, Discutiamone

Naotoshi Shida, uno degli animatori della Toei, ha detto che i suoi personaggi preferiti sono Zoro e Tashigi



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Thoughts on Zoro and Tashigi: subplot in OP
I have always wondered over these last 6-7 years why Tashigi was brought into the story, specifically Zoro’s storyline. Here are some thoughts in light of the recent chapters and controversy over sexism in the manga. Quick note: I don’t think Oda is being sexist, quite the opposite actually as I will explain below.

Review of Zoro’s past and motivation:

- Zoro wants to become the best swordsman in the world and carries Kuina’s sword in order to fulfill their promise.

- Zoro may have a kind of ‘chivalry’ though I think it is very different from Sanji’s in that it is more reactive rather than proactive. Sanji will be attentive to any beautiful women, while Zoro will protect or save nakama that are in immediate danger from being hurt or killed. It is likely that he does not enjoy seeing women killed because of what happened to Kuina. This is particularly true in Tashigi’s case.

Edit: You could also think of it as Zoro’s 'trigger’. Women who are hurt or close to dying are triggers that reinvoke the loss of Kuina, which is probably painful for him remember. It does not however, prevent him from fighting against or hurting women if he is provoked.



Even though Tashigi has been reintroduced to the storyline, it is still somewhat unclear what her role is. It is possible that she will follow Smoker’s own brand of 'justice’ which may be somewhat different from that of the rest of the Marines. For now I will focus on her relationship with Zoro and why interaction between the two may have come up in the storyline again.

Tashigi continues to be a somewhat vexing character for Zoro. She bares some resemblance to Kuina and is also a swordsman who uses the one-sword style that she did. He used their first encounter to satisfy his own desire to beat Kuina in spirit, having felt as though he would have become skillful enough to finally defeat her in what would have been their 2002nd battle. However, he doesn’t want to kill Tashigi despite her wishes because she is far too similar to Kuina.



Tashigi misinterprets this to mean that he looks down on her because she is a woman and she reiterates this in their most recent encounter on Punk Hazard. In an effort to protect her men and arguably to confront Zoro, she stands her ground and insists on fighting Monet. She accuses Zoro of sexism and Zoro allows her to fight Monet on her own. I like to think that he wanted to see what she was capable of doing at this point as well as allow her to have her way since she insisted on fighting.

It’s also good to note that Zoro was in complete control of this fight from the start. When Tashigi was about to get her shoulder bitten off, he decided to act and also proved that he could in fact cut women if he chose to, thus distinguishing himself from Sanji and in a way, showing Tashigi that he is not sexist. He also frightened Monet with just his killing intent alone and ultimately ended the fight despite Tashigi being the one to deliver the final blow.

Despite the fact that Tashigi is a marine, she shares Kuina’s dream of becoming a powerful swordswoman who can stand and fight on an equal level to the men. This is important because most of the other powerful female characters have been Devil Fruit users and don’t carry the same code of honor that Tashigi does when it comes to fighting and battle. I think Zoro recognizes this regardless of their huge difference in power and in his own way is trying to encourage her because she shares Kuina’s worries and goals.



Here I think he was getting back at her for accusing him of being weak toward all women and looking down on him for that.

Oda’s depiction of Tashigi:

It is my understanding that some people are unhappy with Tashigi’s treatment as of late. After reading through the chapters I have come to the conclusion that these worries are unfounded because I believe there is a purpose for showing Tashigi’s struggles in many of her fights.

Tashigi is named after a bird, just as Kuina’s is. Oda has stated that in regards to this name 'although a bird cannot fly that doesn’t mean it never will.’ I’ve taken this to be a metaphor for Tashigi’s continuing battle to prove her worth as a fighter. She doesn’t just have this problem with Zoro, all her subordinates are very protective of her because they see her as being 'cute’ and because she is clumsy. Her blushes are part of the 'cute’ factor. This is an important aspect of her character. While she is stronger than the average soldier and is getting stronger (she can use Haki!) she is still much weaker than many of the main pirates shown in the New World and is beaten soundly by Law and Vergo. She is a bit reckless and runs into battle without thinking about the consequences in order to preserve her honor and above all to protect her men. I believe she does this because she wants to prove herself to others as a capable fighter despite being a woman.

I feel like this is a somewhat sensitive depiction of a woman challenging men on an even level, without using strange super human powers, deceptive tactics or simply running away. Her growth is slower, but steady somewhat like Coby. Unlike many of the other characters particularly the female characters, I think she will struggle the most and I don’t think we will be disappointed with the outcome at the conclusion of the manga, whatever that may be.



Again her cute and clumsy nature is at odds with her pride and abilities as a fighter. Zoro, like her subordinates, is shown to be somewhat protective of her as can be seen in his intervention with her fight vs. Monet as well as this scene where they are escaping from the poisonous gas. I don’t think she’s meant to be thought of as useless, but rather sympathetic and Zoro imo, appears to have a bit of a soft spot for her due to his nostalgia regarding Kuina.

I’m not certain how this is going to develop in the future, but I believe that we will continue to see her increase her power and Zoro will continue to 'look after her growth’.

On a more personal note I am tickled pink that she has been brought back and made somewhat relevant to the manga. I had just about given up hope of ever seeing her do anything half-way significant, but I think this shows that Oda has not forgotten about her and still has plans for her further down the line especially regarding Zoro and his development.

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We talked about the subject of Zoro’s nicknames for Tashigi before, but never actually mentioned this important detail @s-fishrain​ pointed me towards:

In One Piece Party Vol. 1, the author Ei Andoh showed how Oda had checked his early storyboard and added comments and corrections. Zoro initially said “Hey, Copycat” to Tashigi but Oda pointed out that “Zoro doesn’t call Tashigi ‘copycat’ anymore” and made Andoh change it to “Hey, Captain Glasses” (megane taisa).

This is something that’s been overlooked by basically everyone (understandably, since it’s just a detail on a spin-off manga), but I think it’s very important because it shows how Oda has ongoing plans* for Zoro and Tashigi’s relationship and is paying attention to little details like nicknames.

I think if Oda didn’t care about their relationship or wanted to keep it at the “Lol Tashigi looks like Kuina” stage, he would have let Andoh use “copycat”. But instead, he wants to make sure the readers feel that something has changed in the way Zoro sees Tashigi since the timeskip.

*This volume of OP Party came out in December 2014; the last time Zoro and Tashigi interacted was December 2012.

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One Piece Party 6 includes a short story that’s basically the Loguetown arc revisited with Bartolomeo as a spectator:




If I understood correctly the gag here is that Tashigi is worried about offering Zoro a tissue to wipe his sweat but not about the sword stuck in his foot.

I love Barto’s “look at those two idiots” face:



My favorite part is the arms shop scene, where the swords are personified as Oda drew them in an SBS:






I’m not translating the dialogue here because it’s basically the same as the manga. I will only point out that Wado Ichimonji wrote “papa” on Zoro’s forehead asdfghjkl

I recommend checking out the entire volume, I think it’s the funniest OP Party so far (and there’s more Zoro and Tashigi that I didn’t put here or this post would have been too long).

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I finally managed to get my hands on One Piece: Loguetown Arc, the official Oda-approved novel written in 2000 by Tatsuya Hamazaki that retells the events of Loguetown with the addition of Oda’s intended story elements for the arc (if you recall, he had to cut things from Loguetown because he wanted the crew to enter the Grand Line in chapter 100).

This novel has some truly great ZoTash moments, as it delves deeper into the characters’ thoughts and memories, more than the manga and anime do. It really surprised me in a few places.

So, without further ado, here’s my translation of what I think are the most interesting parts.

Note: Bolded is mine. I highlighted the best or most significant lines.

1. Tashigi finishing off the two pirates as seen from Zoro’s POV:

Instinctively, Zoro grabbed the hilt of his sword, and the few exposed inches of the blade sparkled in the sun. He stopped immediately, because he saw something that made him pause. It was a matter of seconds: the woman drew a sword from what seemed to be a simple shoulder bag. Zoro’s eyes widened observing the speed of her movement. But it wasn’t just that. The way she drew the sword, the way she set her body in position before attacking, the movements of her legs… everything was executed in accordance to the best sword techniques.

[…]

The girl was undoubtedly an expert swordswoman, with an enviable technique.

2. And here’s Zoro’s reaction when he sees her face after picking up her glasses:

The girl put on her glasses and breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at her benefactor in the eyes. Zoro absently looked back at her, but then something made him flinch. He swallowed, while his face changed expression. Then he blushed and his heart started beating faster. Forgotten images from the past were standing in front of him as if by a miracle and his mind was in a ferment. The image of a girl took shape and a name started to obsessively invade his thoughts. Kuina?!

3. Zoro’s thoughts right afterwards:

He frowned and angrily bit his lips, deeply upset. He thought of the moment he met her eyes and ran away like a coward. It was as if that woman who terribly looked like Kuina had knocked him out with a single look and he, Zoro the feared pirate hunter, had panicked. Her presence had turned his life upside down. Even in his rugged heart there was a soft part capable of having feelings for another person.

Note: You guys, if I didn’t have this book in my hands with Oda’s name on it I’d think this was fanfiction. Also, “Zoro has a soft side too” is exactly what Sanji says 12 years and 600 chapters later in Punk Hazard, at the beginning of a chapter focusing mainly on Zoro and Tashigi (687).

4. In the sword shop, after seeing Tashigi clumsily trip and run into a wall of swords:

Zoro looked at her under that pile of swords and regretted comparing such a klutz to his Kuina.

Note: this above is the first of many instances in which it’s stressed that Tashigi’s personality is very different from Kuina’s.

5. Now face-to-face with Tashigi, Zoro reflects again on her physical resemblance to Kuina:

When their eyes met, Zoro frowned even more, distraught by her resemblance to Kuina. If it weren’t for her age and the longer hair that covered her ears, the resemblance would have been even more striking. Kuina had died when she was a child, while this girl could be around 20 years old. However, the complete lack of makeup and her youthful appearance gave her the looks of a younger girl.

6. And here’s Zoro again on how she’s definitely not Kuina:

Judging by her senseless talk [Tashigi is talking about Zoro the pirate hunter not realizing he’s right in front of her], he had now come to realize that she, inside, was completely different from Kuina. What the shop owner had said, that she was a bit dumb, was frankly accurate. Kuina was exactly the opposite, energetic and brave, and preferred action to words.

Note: Zoro really does put Kuina on a pedestal, still idolizing her as an unreachable goal.

7. They meet again under the rain when the SH Pirates are trying to escape. Here we also get Sanji’s POV, before switching to Zoro’s:

A woman was waiting a little further, in the middle of the road. It only took a glance to Sanji’s expert gaze to know she was a beautiful girl. Her short black hair was wet and falling on her face. Her hand was fixed on the hilt of her sword, ready to unsheathe it at any time. A woman that Zoro couldn’t have forgotten.

[…]

The woman that so resembled Kuina was indeed a Marine, therefore the worst enemy for a pirate like him.

8. During their fight:

The skill of both opponents and the quality of the steel of their swords kept the fight even. Zoro realized the girl was undoubtedly superior to him in the technique of drawing the sword, and was glad he had unsheathed his beforehand. But otherwise Zoro possessed an ability with which she couldn’t compare. However, he realized he couldn’t afford the smallest distraction against an expert opponent like her.

Note: I think their fight is beautifully written. And interestingly enough, the novel stresses how it’s not completely unbalanced in Zoro’s favor, in contrast to how the manga and the anime depict it.

9. And after Zoro wins, here’s Tashigi’s POV:

Zoro was looking at her with the sneer typical of the hunter who has cornered his prey. Tashigi wondered how he could be that skilled. She thought bounty hunters, being more attached to money than to their weapons, couldn’t possess the feelings that made a swordsman one with his sword. But Zoro seemed different.

10. Here are Zoro’s thoughts after he shouts at her for reminding him of Kuina:

Zoro wanted to keep telling her off, but realized he’d got carried away by the memories of Kuina. Even if the resemblance was striking, Tashigi’s character was very different from his dead friend’s.

11. And finally, a few interesting thoughts from Sanji:

“That idiot! He’ll be sorry if he hurts that girl!” While running, Sanji kept looking back and sending angry looks in that direction. He was jealous that a lazy brute like Zoro had some connection with that pretty girl while he, despite his fame, had found no one yet.

Note: don’t worry Sanji, your time to shine will come– in about 18 years.

The parts I didn’t translate are pretty much the same as the manga, with no relevant changes or additions.

I really like how this novel presents Zoro and Tashigi’s relationship as something made of complex emotions, where each of them sees something more in the other that goes beyond appearances.

Of course the novel dwells a lot on Tashigi looking like Kuina because that’s the main plot point in Loguetown, but it also suggests that “inside” she’s actually different, anticipating how Zoro would eventually overcome the Kuina resemblance. And it also tells us Tashigi already sees something different in Zoro too, something that sets him apart from common criminals.

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