Anyone that thinks Harald and Rocks weren’t equals haven’t been reading the manga properly.

I genuinely don’t get how some people still think Harald was way weaker than Rocks when Oda has given us pages like this and enough context to put them on the same level. How much clearer does he have to be? Does he need to draw a panel that literally says, *“Rocks and Harald were equals”*?

Oda has always been consistent when portraying two characters as equals. Just look at Roger and Whitebeard, or Roger and Garp. Their dynamics, the way they’re portrayed, and their battles all make it obvious. And for the people who only care about “feats,” One Piece has never been a series where feats are the only thing that matters. Portrayal, narrative, and direct statements have always carried just as much weight.

In Harald and Rocks’ final fight, we see both of them landing devastating blows, both of them bloodied, and neither one clearly overpowering the other. Then we’re explicitly told the battle ended inconclusively. If Rocks was actually as much stronger than Harald as some people claim, Oda would’ve simply had Rocks win. Instead, he chose to end the fight without a victor, which says everything.