In One Piece, there are few characters as popular as Roronoa Zoro. As the first member of the Straw Hats Luffy recruited, as well as the de facto vice-captain, Zoro has had ample time to make an impression on fans. As the man aiming to be the World's Strongest Swordsman, he's had to prove his strength on multiple occasions, even earning at least a bit of respect from the man who currently holds the title, Dracule Mihawk.
A master of his unique "3-Sword Style", Zoro has shown that he possess an array of powerful moves and techniques that are seemingly unique to him. Unfortunately, because he has so many options, some of his best moves have barely made an appearance since the time skip. In fact, one could argue that his best technique had been all but forgotten until it made a surprise return during the Raid on Onigashima, and no, this isn't referring to his 9-Sword Style technique, "Ashura".
The Monumental Return of Sleepy Zoro
Fans argue every day what the best part of Wano was. From Yamato's introduction, Sanji's Germa sixty-six powers, The Oden flashback, to Luffy's Gear 5 -- the best, first prize winning moment was the epic return of Sleepy Zoro.
Yes, that's right. As manga readers have known and anime-only watchers are just now discovering, Sleepy Zoro made a triumphant return halfway through the raid. This return alone makes the entire Wano arc the best among the post-time skip storylines, and the hype alone might even elevate Wano to the position of best One Piece arc of all time. As monumental as the moment is, some may wonder why his sleepiness is his best power, but the answer is quite simple. Sleepy Zoro is the strongest Zoro because it has to be.
When the Franky Family tried to attack the ship at the beginning of Water 7, Zoro was ready before they all even made it on board. Even Kaku wasn't able to sneak up on Zoro when he went to inspect the ship, as the second the shipwright arrived, the Straw Hat's resident swordsman was ready to strike. Considering how hurt Zoro tends to get when he's awake, it's become rather obvious that he's at his most powerful when he's asleep.
Some may be thinking that this entire article is one big joke, written for laughs, that these examples are still not enough proof. To those who doubt, look no further than Zoro's face to see the truth. Physically, the biggest difference between Zoro pre and post time skip are his eyes, more specifically, his left eye.
For years, fans have speculated what happened to his left eye. Unfortunately for them, they haven't been thinking outside the box nearly enough. Zoro never lost an eye, he's just been choosing to keep it closed. As previously established, the strongest Zoro is Sleeping Zoro, and Zoro himself has managed to get significantly stronger since the time skip, conveniently when he stopped opening his left eye. Zoro has been half-asleep this whole time -- by "sleeping" with one half of his face, he's able to use the other half to properly communicate with his crew and allies while harnessing at least some of his true power.
Outlandish Theory, Or Blatant Truth?
For those who are still on the fence, think about Zoro's fight with King, or rather, everything before it. Zoro fought the Beast Pirates, then he fought Big Mom and Kaido, where he was defeated while awake. Then, in a miraculous turn of fate, he passed out. By the time he woke up, he was ready to fight King.
Many believe that Enma is the reason Zoro came out victorious, but that is not true. It was that pre-fight nap that acted as the necessary catalyst. Sleepy Zoro was absent for years, but then all of a sudden, right after he takes a nap he was able to wield Advanced Conqueror's Haki against King, who is a descendant of what is perhaps the strongest race in One Piece. That nap, combined with his One-Eye Style of sleep walking is easily the best trick in the entire series.
Mark these words, the resurgence of Sleepy Zoro will end up being crucial when the Straw Hats find the titular One Piece. Obviously, Oda will try his best to impress fans in other ways, maybe even with Zoro, but quite frankly it's hard to believe that anything ever could. When Zoro is at his sleepiest, One Piece is at its best.