God Valley Flashback Has One Piece Fans Convinced Zoro Will Surpass Gol D. Roger

One Piece Chapter 1165 is almost here, and the fan debate machine is spinning up again: Zoro vs Gol D. Roger. The angle this time is not who wins in a hypothetical fight, but whose early career looks more absurd. And honestly, when you stack 21-year-old Zoro next to 23-year-old Roger, the gap is kind of jaw-dropping.

Zoro at 21 vs Roger at 23: the wild early-career split

Roger at 23 was still ramping up, testing himself on the Grand Line and slowly building toward Pirate King. Zoro at 21 is basically speedrunning mythmaking. Across Wano and Egghead, Oda has been giving Zoro an explosive power curve that looks less like a climb and more like a rocket launch.

• Zoro at 21 has already gone toe-to-toe with Yonko-level monsters and literally scarred Kaido.
• He blocked a combined attack from two Yonkos. Not survived it. Blocked it.
• He has clashed with a member of the Gorosei during Egghead. That is the World Government’s top table, not your average boss fight.
• He defeated a Lunarian, which in this story translates to beating a walking endgame cheat code.
• He has mastery across all three types of Haki and recently awakened Advanced Conqueror’s Haki.

Meanwhile, Roger’s rise reads more grounded at that same age: fewer god-tier opponents, more old-school pirate grind. He becomes the legend later. Zoro is building the resume now.

Why fans are suddenly loud about this

The recent God Valley flashback reset the timeline in everyone’s head: young Roger scrapping through a world run by Celestial Dragons and monsters. Cut to the present, where Zoro and the Straw Hats are tangling with the Gorosei and the World Government on Egghead. The vibe match is there, but the scale is different. Roger fought men. Zoro is fighting what the story frames as gods.

If that feels like hype, it’s also been pretty consistent. Wano built Zoro into the King of Hell. Egghead is stress-testing that title against forces even Roger didn’t face at that age. With Chapter 1165 expected to push deeper into God Valley history and Roger’s path, Zoro’s current arc looks like it’s setting him up to take another leap.

"Zoro’s growth rate is way higher than Roger."

That said, not everyone is buying the conclusion that speed = peak. One counterpoint making the rounds: some characters develop slowly and end up monsters later, while fast risers can hit their ceiling early. There’s also the practical note from fans that if we really are down to only a couple arcs left, Zoro may not have the runway to outdo God Valley-era Roger by the end of the story.

So where does this actually land?

Right now, the cleanest read is this: Zoro’s early-career achievements are objectively more explosive than Roger’s. That does not automatically mean Zoro surpasses Roger at his absolute best. It does mean Zoro is tracking toward the top of the top in a way that feels intentionally accelerated for the final saga.

If Chapter 1165 keeps balancing the God Valley flashbacks with Egghead’s present-day chaos, expect the comparison chatter to get even louder. At minimum, Zoro is not just Luffy’s right hand anymore. He’s writing his own legend in real time. Roger conquered the seas. Zoro is out here trying to cut down the divine.

Where do you land on this: is Zoro’s insane growth putting him on a path to surpass Roger, or is the peak-strength conversation still a bridge too far? Drop your take below.

One Piece is available to read on Viz Media.