Royal Titles
I think all the Straw Hats will eventually end up with some kind of “royal” title.
The confirmed ones so far:
- Luffy: Pirate King
- Zoro: King of Hell
- Usopp: King of Snipers
- Brook: Soul King
Then there are tentative ones — hinted at through cover stories and films:
Nami: Weather Queen
Chopper: King of Rare Animals
Still unknown: Sanji, Robin, Franky, and Jinbe.
But right now, the one generating the most buzz is Sanji’s royal title.
Zoro’s Case
“One of us — Zoro or Kuina — will become the world’s greatest swordsman.”
Kuina died before that promise could be fulfilled. So Zoro swore to achieve it in her place.
During the fight with King, Zoro awakened Conqueror’s Haki without even realizing it. He wasn’t thinking about Haki at all — he was simply recalling his promise to Kuina and Luffy in response to King’s question.
King: “I see — so you have Conqueror’s Haki. Do you want to be a ‘king’ or something?”
Zoro: “Huh?”
Here’s what I think was going through Zoro’s mind in that moment:
- If he’s crew to the Pirate King, he’d better have his own royal title — otherwise it’d be embarrassing for Luffy
- He wants his name to reach Kuina in heaven
- The name the old man in Shimotsuki Village mentioned for the Great King of Hell — Enma
“Then I’ll become King of Hell.”
Once that resolve clicked into place, his Haki and his own self-image aligned — and he became able to wield Conqueror’s Haki.
So Zoro claiming the title “King of Hell” wasn’t just one thing — it was everything connecting at once: his dream, his promise to his captain and best friend, and his bond with the sword he’d been given.
Using this as a framework, let’s think about what kind of king Sanji will become.
The Sky That Surrounds Sanji
Sanji’s roots are deeply cruel.
Against his father Judge’s wishes, Sanji was born without the powers of an enhanced human. He was seen as a failure — branded useless, made to wear an iron mask, and locked in a dungeon during his childhood.
But for his mother Sora — who had prayed that her child would be born as a normal human with real feelings, not a heartless super-soldier — Sanji’s existence was hope.
Unlike his brothers, Sanji would cook lunchboxes and bring them to Sora. She was genuinely touched by his kindness.
The taste didn’t matter. She showed Sanji — through her actions — that what mattered was his feeling behind it.
Sora’s smile in that moment is what made Sanji decide to become a cook.
This is Sanji’s roots.
So when Sanji claims a royal title, this memory will be at the core of it.
Luffy As a Mother Figure
“It got dropped, stepped on, soaked in the rain — a ruined mess…”
The way Sanji says this, it sounds like he’s talking about himself — his place in the Vinsmoke family. But Luffy accepts it with a smile.
This scene deliberately overlaps Luffy with Sora.
Sanji, suffering alone in an impossible situation.
Luffy, accepting all of it exactly as it is.
And the rain stops…
The one who saved young Sanji’s heart was his mother Sora.
The one who freed Sanji from Germa’s curse was Luffy — the future Sun God Nika.
Saved by the sky and the sun. And the rain stops.
Now in the latest chapter, Sanji must defeat Killingham to eliminate the Rain God Zaza.
To do that, he needs to commit to becoming a king — and awaken his Conqueror’s Haki.
Which means Sanji will probably claim the title of “King of the Sky” or “King of the Sun.”
He’s aiming for All Blue, which ties back to blue and sky — so maybe “King of the Blue Sky”… yeah, I think “King of the Sky” is the one.
Further Reading
Just Vol.84 and 85 alone are enough to bring tears. If you want to revisit these scenes, the digital color comics on Kindle are worth it — you can carry them anywhere and read them whenever.