The Straw Hat Pirates are a powerful crew that hail from the East Blue, the weakest of all the seas in the One Piece world. Led by Monkey D. Luffy, the pirate crew has gone on to achieve great things in the series and with each passing arc, have only gone from strength to strength. Despite being from the weakest sea in the series, the crew has managed to establish themselves as one of the mightiest pirate crews in One Piece.
In fact, they're powerful enough to go up against the Yonko of the New World, which is nothing short of impressive. Although all the members of the Straw Hat Pirates are fairly impressive when it comes to combat, the core of the crew, is the trio of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, also known as the Monster Trio.
What Is The Monster Trio?
The Monster Trio refers to the team of the three strongest fighters of the Straw Hat Pirates and includes Luffy and his two wings, Zoro and Sanji. Out of all the members of the crew, they're by far the strongest which is why they handle the most dangerous situations that the crew faces on the high seas on their own. Surprisingly, there exists a myth among One Piece fans that the Monster Trio is a fan-made name and, thus, isn't official. This couldn't be further from the truth. The Monster Trio is a term that Eiichiro Oda himself came up with. The first time the term "Monster Trio" was used was in the Thriller Bark arc, when Nami was hiding inside Kumacy's body, upset about the fact that the Monster Trio was taken down.
Later, on the way to Fishman Island, Oda once again made sure to use the term "Monster Trio" for Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji through Caribou when the three decided to face Tsurume, the Kraken. As such, the idea that the Monster Trio doesn't exist is simply incorrect, and this dynamic very much exists in the Straw Hat Pirates.
In the Monster Trio, Luffy is, of course, the leader of the group while Zoro and Sanji, in particular, are known to be the"Wings of the Pirate King," which showcases their equal importance, balance, and rivalry with each other. In SBS Vol 71, Oda first used the term "wings" to highlight Zoro and Sanji's importance to Luffy and, later, in One Piece chapter 1020, Nico Robin officially christened the two as the Wings of the Pirate King who will allow Luffy to soar.
The Role And Importance Of The Monster Trio
When it comes to strength, the Monster Trio often acts as the vanguard of the Straw Hat Pirates and protects the rest from any sort of danger that they encounter. Being two of the strongest of the lot, Zoro and Sanji often take it upon themselves to stop the enemies, with Zoro often taking care of those around him while Sanji usually covering any aerial threats. In bigger fights, the Monster Trio always fights the strongest members of the opposition group. Luffy always takes on the strongest members of the opposition, while Zoro and Sanji take on second and the third-strongest people respectively.
In the Wano Country arc, Zoro and Sanji were referred to as the Number 2 and Number 3 of the crew respectively, which just goes to show that they're recognized as the strongest and the most authoritative people in the crew after Luffy throughout the world.
The Monster Trio isn't all about fighting, however. The trio also signifies who the leaders of the crew are. After Luffy, it is Zoro who usually takes charge of the situation and although that opportunity has never presented itself, it is pretty much a given. Following them, Sanji is the most capable leader of the Straw Hat Pirates and has actually led the crew, unlike Zoro. On the way from Dressrosa to Zou, Oda called the Straw Hat Pirates the "Curly Hat Pirates," which a nod to Sanji's eyebrow. Sanji also led the Straw Hat Pirates in Luffy's absence on Whole Cake Island, showing great leadership qualities.
Going forward, Eiichiro Oda will certainly stick to the Monster Trio being the three strongest fighters in the crew. Regardless of how many powerful people end up joining the crew, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji will always have to be stronger. For now, they've already made the biggest jump and are on the verge of defeating a Yonko and his number 2 and 3 in the Wano Country arc. From here onwards, the Monster Trio will be looking to surpass all the great crews in history and get even stronger. While Luffy is already on the level of the Yonko, it wouldn't be a surprise if, by the end of the story, Zoro and Sanji are on that level as well. The story does demand them to fight the likes of the Yonko and the Admirals, after all.