User blog comment:AYET/Dragon slaying business!/@comment-3181121-20120209120205

You're overestimating pre-ts zoro, or more precisely you're overestimating brooks shadow. A zombie is only as strong as the shadow that's implanted in him. And I love Brook, but he ain't exactly in the Monster Trio. Also, to survive in the New World you need to be either super duper strong, and be able to fly solo, or  leech of some other strong dude like all of Whitebeards allies. Zoro pre timeskip would certainly have had the strength to join some new world crew, but he didnt have the strength to fuck shit up on his own.