Sanji has had a lot of special nicknames for Zoro ever since they started going on adventures together. Among them, Sanji loves to call Zoro Marimo in One Piece, and here's why.
To this day, Zoro and Sanji's rivalry is one of the funniest running gags in One Piece. From competing over who has the larger bounty to who is stronger, the list goes on as long as they are sailing together.
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What Exactly Is a Marimo?
Marimo, a rare species of algae that resembles a green ball, can be found in Lake Akan in northern Japan. Takiya Kawakami, a botanist, discovered Marimo (also known as lake ball) in 1897.
RealSimple.com describes marimo moss balls as Aegagropila linnaei, also known as seaweed balls. They reside at the bottom of frigid lakes to maintain their circular shape from the action of the waves.
Marimos are now endangered, so they are considered a protected species worldwide. In Japan, marimos are also considered a national treasure.
Why Does Sanji Love to Call Zoro Marimo in One Piece?
When Zoro and Sanji argue like an old married couple, Sanji calls Zoro "marimo," in addition to all the other nicknames he has for the green-headed swordsman, such as "foolish swordsman", "crummy swordsman", "muscle-bound fool", and "worthless little moss head".
The more Zoro engages with Sanji, the more insulting names he takes out of his hat. After all, Sanji would never back down against Zoro, even if they were only fighting with words.
The same is true for Zoro, who refers to Sanji as a "brain-dead cook", "dirty water imp", "prince of the idiot realm", "eyebrow", "dartboard", and other terms!
Now that you understand what Marimo is, you'll undoubtedly see a resemblance between Zoro's green spiky hair and the appearance of a marimo.
In a nutshell, Sanji likens Zoro to a marimo because of his moss-colored hair.
All the Names Sanji Has Called Zoro in One Piece (So Far)
Aside from marimo, Sanji has called Zoro the following names:
- Zolo
- Moss Head
- Idiot
- Stupid Swordsman
- That guy, crappy swordsman
- Fool
- Crazy Kind
- Swan Man
- Cactus Head
- Moss Dummy
- Stubborn Fool
- Scruffy-Headed Swordsman
- Green Hair
- That Thing
- Moss Ball
- Muscle-Head Green
- Loss Little Mosshead
- Mr. Nosebleed
- Swirly
And the list goes on! Sanji has no intention of stopping calling Zoro names as long as they are sailing. Of course, Zoro feels the same way, which makes things more fascinating.
Fans find their squabbling amusing, making it one of the best recurring gags in One Piece.
Do you have nicknames for Zoro as well? Let us know in the comments below!