One Piece might be 10% filler episodes but thanks to it, Zoro vs Daz Bonez made no sense in the anime adaptation if the swordsman already knew how to cut steel.

SUMMARY

The Alabasta Arc of One Piece showed Zoro struggling against Daz Bonez, who can turn parts of himself into a steel blade, which the swordsman couldn’t cut through.
In episode 59, the swordsman is seen cutting through a bulky chain of steel so fans questioned why he couldn’t easily defeat Daz Bonez in Alabasta and had to unlock another ability.
The episode was a filler one, thanks to Toei Animation, that caused this confusion in the first place and isn’t considered canon.

Roronoa Zoro is one of the best swordsman anime has to offer, even early on in One Piece. His Three-Sword Style captivated fans, making him an instant fan favorite. However, some inconsistencies with his abilities in the anime version of One Piece made little to no sense, especially during the Alabasta Arc.

During his fight with Daz Bonez or Mr. 1 of the Baroque Works, Zoro struggled to win against the Supa Supa no Mi user. His Devil Fruit allowed him to turn parts of himself into a steel blade, making him the perfect match against Zoro. However, an earlier episode of One Piece proved this match should’ve lasted not even a minute.

Zoro defeats Daz Bonez in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

Daz Bonez was arguably the toughest and most life-changing battle Zoro faced in the pre-time skip era of One Piece. It taught him how to cut steel, giving him a much-needed upgrade if he wanted to become the Strongest Swordsman in the World.

However, a previous episode shows him cutting through a huge chain of steel without breaking a sweat. So why did he struggle so hard with Daz Bonez?

Zoro was never actually able to cut steel before Daz Bonez

Zoro vs Daz Bonez in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

In episode 59, we see Zoro cut through a bulky chain of steel. This was actually a filler episode, courtesy of Toei Animation and their penchant for dragging out One Piece. It caused huge confusion over Zoro’s abilities and made his fight against Daz Bonez inconsistent with the abilities that fans of the anime had seen him execute.

The green-haired swordsman was never able to cut through steel until his fight against Mr. 1 caused him to confront this head-on. In the world of One Piece, he would certainly not be the last person who can turn into steel and Zoro would have to face others like him. He didn’t give up on this battle, despite how difficult it was.

This fight is where Zoro unlocked the strange ability named the “breath of all things.” He could hear inanimate objects and cut through them. It’s an unexplained power but from what we can understand, it’s a balance between Armament Haki and Observation Haki for Swordsmen.

The “breath of all things” did cause a stir in the One Piece community as the ability is too close to the “Voice of All Things,” a rare ability. Fans were convinced he might just have Voice of All Things but considering he couldn’t hear Zunesha, it’s been debunked.

This wasn’t the only inconsistency caused by filler episodes

Zoro finds a Poneglyph in Alabasta in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

Filler episodes are the bane of Eiichiro Oda’s writing. Yet again in the Alabasta Saga of One Piece and somehow involving Zoro again, the swordsman, Chopper, and Luffy accidentally stumble across a Poneglyph in an underground cavern.

However, Nico Robin made a deal with Crocodile to find and decipher a very important one. It was the entire reason why the Warlord created the Baroque Works in the first place so the trio stumbling across one was hilarious but completely unnecessary. It’s not a canon storyline by any means, just like Zoro cutting steel before his fight.

Several filler episodes cause contradictions about Devil Fruits that diverge wildly from the canon of One Piece. Moreover, Sanji’s love for women is exaggerated to dangerous limits he would never cross and create unnecessary backlash for his character. Does Toei Animation do this on purpose?