One Piece's Straw Hat Pirates are icons. Not only are they fronted by one of the most beloved anime characters of all time, but each member brings something fresh to the table. As the Straw Hats' first mate and the second strongest after Luffy, Roronoa Zoro is cool, powerful, and occasionally quite hilarious. Stern to the point that it becomes comedic, Zoro used to be a bounty hunter before Luffy stretched into his life and made the swordsman an offer he could not refuse. Since then, Zoro has been a central part of the Straw Hats.
If Zoro never met Luffy, he might have very well continued to serve as a bounty hunter; however, there is still a chance the character might have eventually embraced the life of a pirate anyway. Which crews are perfect fits for Zoro?
10 Love: Ideo Pirates
Consisting of four characters who fought in the Corrida Colosseum, the Ideo Pirates formed after the events of the Dressrosa Arc. While they are quite a makeshift crew and mostly formed so they could be allies to the Straw Hat Pirates, the Ideo Pirates should not be underestimated.
While Dressrosa's Zoro is way too strong to join the Ideo Pirates, an earlier version could do far worse than this crew. Jeet and Abdullah also started out as bounty hunters, so Zoro would have at least something in common with half the crew.
9 Hate: Drake Pirates
In theory, Zoro should get along rather well with X Drake. They are both goal-oriented swordsmen who do not have much time for nonsense and can be vicious if the need calls for it. X Drake's history as a Rear Admiral is unlikely to put off Zoro, and there might have even been a time when the Straw Hat pirate might have considered joining the Drake Pirates.
However, One Piece revealing that X Drake is an undercover agent for the Marines naturally changes everything. Even before that twist, Zoro would have rejected the Drake Pirates due to them aligning with the Beasts Pirates.
8 Love: Heart Pirates
Trafalgar D. Water Law's Heart Pirates have established quite a mutually beneficial relationship with the Straw Hats. While both crews and their respective captains have their own goals, they have proven willing to combine their forces to take down threats like Doflamingo and Kaido.
If Zoro's life took a different path, he could have very well ended up joining Law's crew. Zoro would have definitely been an asset for the crew, as the Heart Pirates could use a few more heavy-hitters.
7 Hate: Foxy Pirates
The Foxy Pirates might come across as a joke, but the crew is quite strong. Fronted by Foxy the Silver Fox, this group seeks to expand its numbers by winning Davy Back Fights. They are also not above cheating to win; in fact, they enjoy it.
Honor holds a lot of significance to Zoro. Consequently, he would not accept Foxy's methods for recruiting crew members. More importantly, Zoro would not be able to find it within him to respect Foxy.
6 Love: Red Hair Pirates
Although very little has been seen of the Red Hair Pirates, Shanks' crew is one of the most powerful in the world of One Piece. Luffy respects Shanks more than anyone else, and the Straw Hats seem to share a spirit comparable to the Red Hair Pirates.
As Zoro respects power, he would naturally be impressed by this crew's strength. Shanks is also a swordsman with very few peers, presenting another reason Zoro would be thrilled to sail under the Red Hair Pirates' flag.
5 Hate: Fake Straw Hat Pirates
Obviously, a real Straw Hat pirate would never consider joining a phony group like the one that tried to capitalize on the former crew's reputation. However, this goes beyond an original being above a fraud, as the Fake Straw Hat Pirates represent everything Zoro hates.
This is a crew with not a single shred of honor. Rather than striving to make their own names and evolve as pirates, the Fake Straw Hats were happy to adopt the success of another crew as their own.
4 Love: Whitebeard Pirates
Over the decades, various samurai joined the Whitebeard Pirates, with Kozuki Oden and Izo the most notable examples. The Whitebeard Pirates' reputation was well known throughout One Piece's world, and the crew was feared by the Marines. Zoro would have slipped right into the massive crew's ranks, possibly even rising to the title of Division Commander.
Zoro would have first needed to be defeated by one of the Commanders (or Whitebeard himself) to be convinced into joining the crew. Once that happened, Zoro would have taken the opportunity to learn from the crew's numerous powerful members.
3 Hate: Fire Tank Pirates
While Zoro would undoubtedly look quite dashing as a member of the Fire Tank Pirates, the crew's fighting style is a terrible match for the swordsman. As mobsters who happen to sail the Grand Line, the Fire Tank Pirates always try to avoid a fair fight. If they can assassinate a target without a direct confrontation, they will use that strategy.
Zoro would be a fish out of water in Capone Bege's crew, a samurai forced to act from the shadows rather than the light.
2 Love: Roger Pirates
In the world of One Piece, there is no other crew with a greater legacy than the Roger Pirates. With Gol D. Roger as its captain and Silvers Rayleigh as the first mate, this legendary crew set the standard for all those that would follow. For a flag that has been out of commission for years, the Roger Pirates' influence is still unmistakable.
Zoro would definitely join the likes of Kozuki Oden and Inuarashi as a member of Roger's crew, although the swordsman would be far from one of the group's most powerful forces. Zoro would probably relish that fact.
1 Hate: Beasts Pirates
Even if one were to forget the Straw Hats' interactions with the Beasts Pirates in One Piece, Zoro would rather fly solo than agree to join the latter. Unfortunately, Kaido does not tend to take no for an answer.
Stoic and ruthless as he might be, Zoro is still a good person with a strong sense of justice. He cannot stand by in the face of evil or pointless cruelty, two traits that exemplify the Beasts Pirates.
