With the recent debut of the Egghead Island storyline in the One Piece anime, fans who only follow the anime are finally entering what is supposedly the final saga of the epic series.
As a result, speculation is swirling among the fanbase regarding the many unresolved mysteries and loose narrative threads that creator Eiichiro Oda still needs to tie up before the story’s conclusion.
One intriguing loose end introduced early on in the Egghead episodes involves Zoro cryptically telling scientist Dr. Vegapunk that he wants something from him. Many believe Zoro will ask Vegapunk to cure the effects of the SMILE devil fruits.
However, another distinct possibility relates to Kuina, Zoro’s childhood friend and rival who died tragically young.
Why is Zoro called 'Roronoa'?
In Japanese, 'roro' means 'a path' & 'noa' means 'love'
– 'A path for love'Zoro's parents gave him that name to protected his identity
This also ties to his motivation to become the strongest swordsman being rooted in his love for Kuina
— Typical Joe (@3SkullJoe) September 19, 2022
In particular, some fans theorize Zoro wants to know if the marine officer Tashigi, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kuina, might actually be her clone created by Vegapunk.
This has, in turn, sparked debate among fans about whether Zoro was secretly in love with Kuina back then, and if figuring out the Tashigi mystery provides closure regarding his lost friend and inspiration for becoming the world’s greatest swordsman.
While speculative, it speaks to the passion of the One Piece fandom that even secondary characters like Kuina still generate intense interest regarding their unknown backstories and connections to the main cast.
With Oda promising final revelations lie ahead, fans wait eagerly to learn the ultimate fates of figures like Kuina who helped set the entire story in motion years ago.
Zoro and Kuina, The Fraternal Bond in One Piece
Despite fan speculation, the relationship portrayed in One Piece between Zoro and his childhood friend Kuina appears fraternal rather than romantic. Their bond seemingly formed at ages 10 and 11 respectively, arguably too young to conceptualize romantic love.
Much like the Straw Hat crew who love each other as family, Zoro and Kuina’s connection stems from their shared dream of becoming the world’s greatest swordsman and their dedication to perfecting their sword mastery.
They pushed each other as rivals yet also shared vulnerabilities as best friends.
While some fans project romance onto close same-sex friendships, One Piece has taken care to emphasize the depth of non-romantic bonds.
Just as the crew would do anything for each other out of platonic love, Zoro’s motivation towards his goal came from admiring Kuina’s skill and the traumatic loss of his close mentor.
In the end, demanding shonen action stories like One Piece showcase many varieties of love – familial, friendly, aspirational – without needing to introduce romantic connections where none existed.
Zoro strives to honor Kuina’s memory not due to any hinted unrequited affection, but because she represents his ideal of swordsmanship to live up to.
Zoro and Kuina’s Sibling Dynamic
Looking deeper at Zoro and Kuina’s interactions in One Piece, the story goes out of its way to frame their bond as that of rivals even more prominently than best friends.
Through both the manga and anime’s careful portrayal, Oda clearly conveys that romantic affection did not exist between the two.
The narrative also spotlights how after losing his parents, Zoro came under the wing of Kuina’s father at their dojo. He helped raise Zoro almost like an adopted son or little brother to Kuina.
This familial context further casts Zoro and Kuina’s eventual relationship as one between siblings competing to outdo each other rather than potential love interests.
Beyond rivalry and friendship, One Piece transcends genre norms by exploring many rich varieties of non-romantic bonds – parental, mentor/student, and surrogate families created by circumstance.
Just as the Straw Hats are bound by fellowship deeper than biology, Zoro and Kuina’s short-lived but formative connection pushed each other to become better versions of themselves through the intensity of platonic devotion alone.
In the end, attempting to retroactively assign romantic undertones between the two does a disservice to the transformational power of wholly non-physical yet still profoundly loving bonds so central to One Piece’s emotional impact.
Their relationship served as the origin of Zoro’s dream – a driving force far too meaningful to cheapen as anything but the deep, spiritual alliance Oda clearly sculpted it to be.
