Everything One Piece has revealed about Scopper Gaban so far, explained

Perhaps the most famous crew to navigate the One Piece world’s vast seas, the Roger Pirates ventured further than anyone else as they reached the final island of the Grand Line, Laugh Tale. There, they found the legendary One Piece treasure, granting them knowledge about hidden truths such as the meaning of the Will of D. and the secrets of the Void Century.

Much like the present-day Straw Hat Pirates, the Roger Pirates are built around a core trio that includes the three strongest fighters of the crew. As for the Roger Pirates, this trio had three notable pirates whose names are associated with metals, i.e., Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, and Scopper Gaban.

Unlike the Pirate King Roger and “Dark King” Rayleigh, who have been central figures in both flashbacks and present-day events, Scopper Gaban was never particularly highlighted in the narrative. He was only known as the third most important member of the Roger Pirates after Roger and Rayleigh. In a surprising twist, the recent One Piece chapters have revealed Gaban to be Elbaph’s mystery man, putting him at the centre of the current storyline.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1140.

Every information available on Scopper Gaban as of One Piece chapter 1140

The mysterious man on Elbaph

Whether in flashbacks or current events, Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, Kozuki Oden, Crocus, Shanks, and Buggy have all appeared in One Piece at various points in time. So fans understandably expected Scopper Gaban to also play a role in the story sooner or later.

Shortly after the Elbaph Arc began, the silhouette of an enigmatic shadowy figure was seen wandering alone through the island’s forests. It was also revealed that a female Giant named Ripley had her son, Colon, with a certain individual who was once a pirate.

One Piece chapter 1139 has now revealed that the mysterious man in question is none other than Scopper Gaban. As Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Nami continue their exploration of Aurust Castle in search of the keys to free Loki, Gaban suddenly appears before them. Gaban has the same ponytail-styled hair and sunglasses he had decades ago and carries the same pair of axes as well.

Scopper Gaban in One Piece chapter 1139 (Image via Shueisha)

Gaban is an old man now, so his hair isn't black anymore. He also appears to have a notable flame-shaped scar on his forehead. As Gaban enthusiastically introduces himself as the “Missionary of Love," it’s also confirmed that he is the father of Colon and the common-law husband of Ripley.

In One Piece chapter 1139, Gaban tries to dissuade Luffy and Zoro from freeing Loki, telling them that the “Accursed Prince of Elbaph” poses an immense danger. However, the captain and second-in-command of the Straw Hat Pirates ignore his warning and continue on their way, paying no attention to Gaban’s advice.

Luffy and Zoro's conversation with Gaban (Image via Shueisha)

Seeing Luffy and Zoro’s fearless attitude, Gaban can’t help but smile after remembering how Gol D. Roger had the same dominant personality. As the narration returns to the present, the focus briefly shifts to Elbaph’s Western Village, where Oimo and Kashii tell the other Straw Hats about Gaban’s fame and reputation for strength.

It’s said that Gaban was a formidable pirate akin to Roger and Rayleigh. He was hailed as “Mountain Eater” for having used his two axes to defeat over a hundred pirates, stripping a massive mountain bare of all its trees in the process. As the scene returns to Aurust Castle, Gaban draws his axes and challenges Luffy.

In One Piece chapter 1140, Gaban has the upper hand over Luffy during the skirmish, so much so that Luffy is overwhelmed. Eventually, Gaban performs a special technique called Yasotakeru to send a barrage of flying slashes at Luffy.

Seeing Luffy in trouble, Zoro steps in to protect him and blocks Gaban's attack. Luffy then activates his Gear 5 transformation, but as he and Zoro are about to attack Gaban, the old pirate decides to surrender and give them the key.

Gold, silver, and copper

Scopper Gaban in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece chapter 1139 confirmed that Scopper Gaban is the third component of the Monster Trio in the original Pirate King’s crew after Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh. Gaban was referred to as a legendary figure who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Roger and Rayleigh, highlighting his importance and power.

In the One Piece manga, the same expression used in chapter 1139 for Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban is often used to indicate that certain characters can be grouped together as, at least broadly speaking, they belong to a similar echelon. So, this isn’t a direct comparison of strength, but instead an acknowledgment of the fact that they all share a certain high standard.

It’s pretty clear that the expression is not meant to be taken literally, but rather put into proper context, as otherwise it would inevitably entail that Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban are equal through and through, which doesn’t make much sense, just as it wouldn’t make sense to say that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are equal just because of their shared status as Monster Trio members.

The Roger Pirates (Image via Toei Animation)

Essentially, this statement is used to portray certain characters as peers but in a very broad sense, not comparing their individual strengths, but emphasizing their common threshold. One Piece already used it to compare Buggy and Luffy with Shanks, as the former two are now members for the Four Emperors as much as the formidable “Red-Haired”.

The manga also used this expression to parallel Oden with Roger and Whitebeard, with all three of them being celebrated as great pirates, as well as to liken Arlong with Jinbe. Taking this into account, One Piece is likely suggesting that Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban can be grouped together as “peers” due to being the three strongest members of the Roger Pirates.

They formed an elite trio within the Roger Pirates, much like the present-day Straw Hat crew’s Monster Trio, consisting of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. This confirms that the first crew to find the legendary One Piece treasure, the Roger Pirates, and their designated heirs, the Straw Hat Pirates, follow the same pattern.

The trios are often split into duos, resulting in two main dynamics, the captain with the right-hand man and the right-hand man with the left-hand man. Each of these dynamics is special and interesting in its own way.

Scopper Gaban is the old-era counterpart of Sanji, to the point where Luffy remarks that Gaban is what Sanji must be like when he gets old. While Sanji is not as strong as Zoro, let alone Luffy, he is still remarkably powerful as the third strongest Straw Hat.

Similarly, Sanji’s homologous Gaban was Roger’s left-hand man, thus standing below the Pirate King’s right-hand man and second-in-command, “Dark King” Rayleigh, but above any other member of the crew.

This hierarchy is made manifest by the fact that Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban’s complete names are based on metals, i.e., gold, silver, and copper. It must be noted that copper essentially equates to bronze, as bronze is an alloy mostly made of copper.

The statements about Gaban in One Piece chapter 1139 (Image via Shueisha)

These three metals are famously known for their different value, as gold and silver are precious metals, while copper is a metal but not a precious one. The same goes for bronze. Likewise, the hierarchy of gold, silver, and bronze as the three classes of medals awarded to, respectively, first, second, and third place finishers in the Olympic Games is well known.

The references are numerous and they all point in the same direction, so it’s hard to believe that this was a coincidence on One Piece author Eiichiro Oda’s part. In fact, the evident symbolism based on gold, silver, and copper reflect the different individual powers and roles of Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban. This dynamic is, indeed, very similar to that of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji within the Straw Hat Pirates.

The third strongest member of the Roger Pirates

Roger Pirates, Straw Hat Pirates, and Red Hair Pirates mirror each other (Image via Toei Animation)

Roger is the man who matched Whitebeard and Monkey D. Garp, and acquired legendary status as the Pirate King who conquered the entire Grand Line, his achievements inspiring the Great Piracy Era’s outbreak. Roger was powerful enough to outclass a fighter of the caliber of Kozuki Oden, which is telling of his exceptional skills.

As for Rayleigh, he was Roger’s second-in-command and almost equal partner, as emphasized by his moniker of “Dark King”. Rayleigh is so powerful that Garp himself hyped him as a legend not unlike to Whitebeard. Also, his Conqueror’s Haki was directly compared to that of Shanks.

Even as a retired and weakened old man, Rayleigh was still strong enough to intimidate Blackbeard, an Emperor, and fend off Admiral Kizaru, which leaves fans to wonder what he was capable of in his prime.

Gaban's first appearance in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

While Roger and Rayleigh were depicted as immensely powerful figures in their own right, Gaban has yet to prove his worth. Roger and Rayleigh made history, to the point where their names were mentioned in history books, and known to all of the Straw Hats. The echo of Gaban’s strength and achievements doesn’t seem to have been as great, given that most of the Straw Hats had never heard about him. Granted, that doesn't diminish his might.

Fans have often debated whether Gaban was the third strongest member of the Roger Pirates, or the fourth, below Kozuki Oden. One Piece chapter 1139 suggests that Gaban was more powerful than Oden, being explicitly recognized as the most powerful member of the group after Roger and Rayleigh.

However, Oden is mostly known as a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, with this association overshadowing his time as loanee in the Roger Pirates. The fact that Oden is primarily identified as a Whitebeard Pirates member may imply that he wasn’t considered in the context of the statement about the three strongest fighters in the Roger Pirates.

Oden vs Gaban in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Gaban was shown to fight on par with Oden, but this happened only in the One Piece anime. Also, the battle took place before Oden’s notable increase in power during his time with the Roger Pirates. However, anime-only scenes often spark debate regarding their canon value and reliability, leaving the real comparison between these two characters open to speculation.

One Piece chapter 1139 subtly suggests that Gaban is weaker than Loki, considering that Gaban was on Elbaph during Loki’s rampage, and yet admitted that no one could stop him before Shanks stepped in. Gaban was also shown to fear Loki’s powers, further solidifying the notion that he feels himself outmatched by the “Accursed Prince”.

That said, this might not solely be due to a gap in raw power, as Gaban’s old age could be a factor in his self-perceived inferiority to Loki. With the One Piece manga on a temporary hiatus, the upcoming chapters will likely reveal more about Gaban’s capabilities while also uncovering his life after the disbandment of the Roger Pirates.

Everything One Piece has revealed about Scopper Gaban so far, explained

Every information available on Scopper Gaban as of One Piece chapter 1140

The mysterious man on Elbaph

Gold, silver, and copper

The third strongest member of the Roger Pirates

Related Links