One Piece Chapter 1091 sees Zoro face off against one of the Straw Hat’s most powerful enemies, Cipher Pol agent Rob Lucci.

With the One Piece franchise as popular as it’s ever been, all eyes are on the long-awaited final saga of the series’ manga. The Raid on Onigashima signaled the Straw Hat Pirates’ arrival as true contenders for the One Piece, seeing them defeat an Emperor of the Sea and their crew; however, while Monkey D. Luffy’s victory over Kaido was a monumental milestone, the events of the Egghead Island Arc are shaping up to be even more impactful.

Chapter 1091 of One Piece sets up what appears to be the final fight of the Egghead Island Arc, pitting Luffy against Admiral Kizaru in its final panel. However, as anticipated as their clash is, a different battle is teased during the chapter that could potentially be even more interesting — Rob Lucci vs. Roronoa Zoro. This is one of the first instances of a Straw Hat Pirate facing off against a primary antagonist from a previous narrative arc, so it’s a major opportunity for Roronoa Zoro to distinguish himself from his crewmates against one of Luffy’s toughest opponents.

2. Rob Lucci’s History With The Straw Hat Pirates

As far as One Piece villains go, Rob Lucci is one of the most devastating threats that the Straw Hat Pirates have ever encountered. Since he was a child, Lucci trained to work as an assassin for the World Government’s Cipher Pol branch, and by the age of 13, he had already demonstrated his ability (and willingness) to kill hundreds of enemies on his own. Eventually, his cold-blooded instincts drew the attention of his superiors, who placed Lucci in the CP9 division — a group composed of the greatest assassins at the World Government’s disposal. It is with CP9 that Rob Lucci is tasked with capturing Nico Robin, setting up the events of the Water 7 Saga and Lucci’s iconic clash with Monkey D. Luffy. While Luffy emerges victorious from their battle, it takes a massive toll on his body, nearly killing him in the process; on the other hand, Lucci uses his defeat as motivation to grow stronger during One Piece‘s two-year timeskip. When he returns, he not only does so as part of CP0, Cipher Pol’s most elite branch, but also with a whole host of new abilities.

Rather than serving the World Government like the rest of Cipher Pol, CP0 instead reports directly to the Celestial Dragons, giving them more authority clearance than almost any characters in the series. Rob Lucci and several of his fellow CP0 agents are promoted to the organization following the timeskip, so when the Straw Hat Pirates link up with Dr. Vegapunk on Egghead Island, they are tasked with assassinating the crew and their new allies. During CP0’s initial clash with One Piece‘s protagonists, Lucci once again squares off with Monkey D. Luffy, revealing that he Awakened his Zoan-type Devil Fruit since their last encounter — unfortunately for Lucci, the Awakening of Luffy’s Devil Fruit proves to be stronger. After some legitimate back-and-forth, the newly-crowned Emperor of the Sea ultimately proves to be more powerful than Lucci, but because of events involving Dr. Vegapunk, their battle doesn’t reach a definitive conclusion. However, this opens the door for Lucci to strike when the Straw Hat Pirates’ guards are down several days later, forcing another member of the crew to step up and stop him: Roronoa Zoro.

1. The Significance Of Roronoa Zoro’s Clash With Lucci

Chapter 1091 of One Piece concludes by teasing two fights: Admiral Kizaru versus Monkey D. Luffy and Rob Lucci versus Roronoa Zoro. Both bouts have major implications for the series’ narrative, and they both represent significant milestones for each character. That being said, as impressive as a victory against an Admiral would be, the fact that Luffy already bested Kaido suggests that he is more than capable of doing so; what would be much less expected is Roronoa Zoro defeating a fighter as strong and experienced as Rob Lucci. It’s not easy to power scale Rob Lucci, but considering his Awakened Devil Fruit, impressive Haki, and ability to briefly go toe-to-toe with Gear 5 Luffy, he’s clearly closer to an Admiral’s level of strength than any opponent that Zoro has fought thus far. Although the three-sword-style user learned how to control his latent Conqueror’s Haki during his fight with King the Conflagration, it remains to be seen if that will be enough to elevate him to the level of an opponent like Rob Lucci.

From a narrative perspective, Roronoa Zoro’s bout with Rob Lucci is even more significant. No one on Luffy’s crew has ever defeated a primary antagonist like Rob Lucci, let alone a character who previously stood as the Straw Hat Pirate’s greatest test. Should Zoro defeat Lucci, his victory will symbolize the swordsman’s ability to protect his crew in their captain’s absence, even in the face of the toughest soldiers that the World Government has to offer. Kizaru’s battle with Luffy draws a parallel to the Straw Hat Pirates’ separation on Sabaody Archipelago, so it would only be appropriate for characters like Zoro to prove that they no longer need to be protected in the face of such opposition. In addition to this, the Awakening of Trafalgar D. Law, Eustass Kid, and Monkey D. Luffy’s Devil Fruits announced them as true contenders for the One Piece, making it safe to assume that Lucci’s Devil Fruit Awakening placed him in a similar stratosphere. An opponent of this magnitude is the perfect way to prepare Roronoa Zoro for his inevitable fight against Dracule Mihawk — a conflict that could finally be on the horizon as the Cross Guild mobilizes their forces.

As significant as the events of the Wano Country Arc are, the Egghead Island Arc is the first narrative sequence in One Piece that truly feels like it’s setting up the series’ endgame. Each of the Straw Hat Pirates have grown so much that they’re virtually unrecognizable compared to what they looked like when their adventures began; therefore, it’s only appropriate that characters like Luffy and Roronoa Zoro are fighting some of the Grand Line’s most significant figures.

The World Government undoubtedly has some tricks up their sleeves, but with the assistance of Dr. Vegapunk, the Straw Hat Pirates stand a legitimate chance of surviving their all-out assault. Roronoa Zoro’s battle with Rob Lucci will prove crucial to these efforts, so if One Piece‘s protagonists want to escape Egghead Island with their lives, he’ll need to defeat the best assassin that the World Government has to offer.

Src: cbr.com