One Piece Chapter 1172 turns Zoro into a stratergist and the fandom is absolutely not buying it

The way One Piece Chapter 1172 ended with Zoro confidently declaring that he has a plan to defeat an opponent the fandom has constantly been speculating the meaning behind his intent. Because there is one thing that he is extremely strong at, but when it comes to making strategies it might not be one of his strongest traits. He is a proper musclehead who generally acts first and thinks later.

So when a character who is known to always use brute force over anything else claims that they have something up their sleeve, it could either be something so stupid that it works, or it is true to their personality and ends up using strength over anything. Zoro right now has the option to prove himself, but we will not know what is going on in his mind till One Piece Chapter 1173 is released. Till then, the fandom is not going to sit silently, as that is evident in how many theories and speculations have come up since we already know what is about to unfold in the plot.

The reason why moments end up landing is not that Zoro is being confident; the fandom does not trust this confidence. Interestingly, the latest chapter does not just tease the upcoming strategy; as it knowingly toys with Zoro’s long-standing reputation as a man whose plans are either dangerously simple, accidentally brilliant, or both at the same time.

Because Zoro in One Piece is a character who gets lost walking in straight lines, yet somehow stands unshaken in the middle of a battlefield, saying he has thought things through. The contrast is hilarious, intentional, and deeply Oda-coded. The tension does not come from what the plan is; it comes from the fact that Zoro believes in it without hesitation.

Zoro’s very specific brand of “strategy” in One Piece

Historically, Zoro being “strategic” has always existed in a very specific lane. He is not Sanji, juggling moving parts and contingencies. Neither is he Robin, who is known for piecing together history and subtext. Zoro’s in One Piece plans are usually built around one core idea: force the situation into a shape where cutting it once ends everything.

And yet, the series has quietly shown us that when Zoro does plan, it often works. That is the uncomfortable truth fans have to wrestle with. Zoro does not waste time explaining his logic. Most of the time, he just commits to them fully, even when they look insane from the outside. His plans are not elegant; they are decisive.

Dressrosa arc in One Piece is the best example from which all of the fandom understood what it means to understand what goes on in Zoro's head. His fight against Pica wasn’t just raw power; it was spatial control. He intentionally cut Pica horizontally, forcing the giant stone body upward, limiting escape routes, and exposing the real body. It looked insane, required being launched like a missile, and bordered on suicidal, but it was also airtight.

Confidence without reassurance is the point

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In conclusion, ending One Piece Chapter 1172 in the way it did seems like a deliberate move by Eiichiro Oda. The good part of this is that the manga will be continuing without a break, so fans will not have to wait for a long time before knowing what genius idea Zoro will be coming up with. Whatever he decides to pull, one thing is for sure: it is going to be unhinged but absurd enough to actually work. And in One Piece, that is often far more terrifying.

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