I want to start this post by just mentioning that I totally called it that they would keep just lucking into bigger & better new ships to sail on. When they find the cannon, we again see that Luffy has no experience, much less expertise, in any pirating or boating skills, and he is still ultimately just the kid that Shanks knew way back when. I like that Usopp is good at aiming the cannon because of his slingshot skills, and it continues to show how much value he adds to the Straw Hats even if we, at least me, continue to underestimate him. As we see at the start of the flashback, Zoro was also once just a dumb kid doing everything his own way, endlessly determined to succeed regardless of the adversity he faces.
This episode got pretty thick & intense with the gender philosophy right out of the gate. Kuina’s father is directly engaging in performative feminism in which he speaks well of his daughter in public, and to strangers, as well as offering her publicly desirable opportunities to show off her skills, which makes him appear to be a supportive father to other people. However, behind closed doors, discussing serious business topics, he makes it clear that he does not trust her as an equal to a boy, which is indicative of systemic misogyny in which women are unable to earn the success they deserve because of men with power working together in secret to prevent women from growing and developing their lives & goals.
We also explore gender dysphoria, and this was way back in the year 2000, with Kuina wishing she was a man so that she could attain the same level of success as a boy. She has internalized much of the misogyny she has been taught by her father, even subconsciously, and it prevents her from feeling comfortable in her own body or social role. Zoro continues to show his extreme honor and commitment to justice by insisting that Kuina is as good or even better than any boy and that she can still grow up to be the world’s best swordsman, regardless of what her father says. I cried so much while Zoro was crying in the dojo.
Last note, I appreciate that Zoro is apparently inventing the 3 sword technique from scratch, not learning it from a rare master or something. I also think it is worth noting that there must be a psychological effect of battling with real swords versus the wooden training swords, but it did not appear to affect the duel between Kuina & Zoro.