One Piece confirms the power ranking for the Wings of the Pirate King in chapter 1151

In One Piece, the crews destined to shape history—the Roger Pirates and their designated heirs, the Straw Hat Pirates—are defined by a core trio of fighters. The Straw Hat crew's Monster Trio consists of Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Vinsmoke Sanji. The Roger Pirates boasted an elite trio formed by three individuals whose names were evidently associated with metals: Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, and Scopper Gaban.

In both the Straw Hat Pirates and the Roger Pirates, these elite trios often split into distinct duos for narrative purposes. Luffy and Zoro, much like Roger and Rayleigh, are paired as captain and right-hand man. Zoro and Sanji, much like Rayleigh and Gaban, represent the interplay between right-hand man and left-hand man, dubbed as “Wings” to symbolize their importance.

That said, the series has always maintained a clear hierarchy, positioning the captain as the crew’s strongest member, with his right-hand man as the second strongest, and his left-hand man as the third strongest. One Piece reinforced and solidified this notion in chapter 1151, definitively cementing the right-hand man’s superiority over the left-hand man.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1151.

Latest One Piece manga chapter cements the strength hierarchy of the Wings

Scopper Gaban on Elbaph

Gaban in his prime days (Image via Toei Animation)

Recent One Piece chapters have revealed Scopper Gaban’s presence on Elbaph, where he fathered a young Giant son named Colon. Gaban, now an old man, tested Luffy after the latter and Zoro ignored his warnings about freeing Loki.

Gaban overwhelmed Luffy during their brief skirmish, though Luffy was mostly playing around. When Gaban unleashed a powerful move, Zoro stepped in, blocking the attack to protect Luffy. Irritated, Luffy then entered his Gear 5 transformation.

As Luffy and Zoro prepared to fight for real, however, Gaban yielded, walking away with a satisfied grin. He later appeared to stop the Holy Knights from sowing chaos on Elbaph. Gaban brutally defeated Saint Sommers, demonstrating his prowess, but was unable to stop another Holy Knight, Gunko, from capturing Colon.

Gaban's current appearance (Image via Shueisha)

Holding Colon hostage, Gunko forced Gaban to surrender before striking him with a ferocious attack. Critically injured, the old pirate plummeted into the void, only saved by Chopper’s timely intervention.

In One Piece chapter 1151, the Giant Hajrudin revealed Gaban’s identity to Luffy and Zoro. He described Gaban as one of the Wings of the late Pirate King alongside “Dark King” Silvers Rayleigh and, specifically, the third strongest member of the Roger Pirates.

Although lying on the ground and barely able to move, Gaban somehow gathered himself together to insist that he was actually the second strongest. Hajrudin scoffed at the claim and pointed out that Gaban was in denial, refusing to accept the reality.

The meaning of Wings in One Piece

The Pirate King and his "Wings" (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece chapter 1151 confirmed the strength hierarchy of the Pirate King’s Wings, past and present, while highlighting their playful rivalry. The chapter positions Gaban as the number three of the Roger Pirates, with Rayleigh being long-established as the same crew's number two.

Gaban’s stubborn yet humorous denial of Rayleigh’s superiority is played for laughs, much like Usopp’s comical boasts of being the second-in-command or even the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.

The notion of “Wings” was first introduced in the SBS of One Piece volume 73, which explained that Zoro and Sanji, despite not getting along with each other, are trusted men who cover Luffy’s back. Later, in One Piece chapter 1020, Nico Robin named Sanji as one of Luffy’s Wings.

One Piece establishes Zoro as the second-in-command of the Straw Hat Pirates (Image via Shueisha)

This concept can be interpreted to claim that the "Wings" are meant to be near-equals, but this understanding didn’t hold up from the very beginning. Beneath Zoro and Sanji’s squabbles lies a clear truth: Zoro is portrayed and shown as stronger than Sanji, which naturally aligns with their roles as the Straw Hat crew’s number two and three.

The size of the gap in power is debatable, but its existence is undeniable. The same goes with Rayleigh and Gaban, with Rayleigh already well known to be the number two of the Roger Pirates, which subsequently reduced Gaban to the crew’s number three.

One Piece chapter 1151 cemented the notion that one “Wing” can be stronger than the other. After all, the “Wings” concept reimagines the idea of “arms,” and everyone has a dominant arm—typically the right. In fiction, the right-hand man is usually a person’s strongest ally, with the left-hand man, though important, ranking a step below. This hierarchy echoes in the dynamic between Zoro and Sanji, which mirrors that of their predecessors.

Number Two and Number Three

The context of statements matters (Image via Shueisha)

One Piece chapter 1151 definitively establishes the “Wings” as the right-hand men and left-hand men of a certain individual. In this sense, the Wings are placed on equal footing as members of the same class. This explains the expressions used to describe the dynamics between Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban as the Roger Pirates’ “Monster Trio,” with Rayleigh and Gaban serving as Roger’s Wings.

In One Piece, the same words broadly group characters who share a certain standard. It’s not a direct strength comparison but a figurative way to highlight their common standing. For instance, similar words were used to compare Luffy and even Buggy with Shanks as fellow Emperors, or to parallel Oden with Roger and Whitebeard as legendary pirates. The word used to indicate that Inuarashi and Nekomamushi are equally powerful is quite different.

The shared status doesn’t erase the strength hierarchy, with one “Wing” stronger than the other. This is supported by various One Piece sources and reinforced by chapter 1151. Rayleigh is established as the number two of the Roger Pirates, with Gaban being the number three below him.

The official "number twos" in One Piece (Image via Shueisha)

Their friendly rivalry adds spice, as Gaban stubbornly denies Rayleigh’s superiority, but chapter 1151 portrays this behavior as Gaban’s personal denial against the broader consensus of the One Piece world. The same dynamic plays out with Zoro and Sanji, whose shared “Wings” status and comedic rivalry don’t change that Zoro is consistently placed a cut above Sanji in the series.

Zoro is Luffy’s right-hand man and the only Straw Hat who shares exclusive power-related traits with the captain. This cements Zoro’s higher standing in strength and prominence.

In fact, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has explicitly confirmed the second-in-command figures of the Roger Pirates, the Straw Hats Pirates, and other key groups. On the cover of chapter 1031, Oda gathered characters such as Silvers Rayleigh for the Roger Pirates, Roronoa Zoro for the Straw Hats, Benn Beckman for the Red Hair Pirates, Sabo for the Revolutionary Army, King for the Beasts Pirates, Katakuri for the Big Mom Pirates, and more.

In a later SBS, the author clarified that these characters are the “number two” members of their respective factions, second only to their leaders. This confirms, for instance, that Rayleigh surpasses Gaban and Zoro outshines Sanji.

Gold, silver, and copper

The names symbolize the hierarchy of the Roger Pirates (Image via Shueisha)

This hierarchy is emphasized by a clever foreshadowing. Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban’s complete names are based on metals—gold, silver, and copper—which are famously known for their different values. Considering that copper equates to bronze, as bronze is an alloy mostly made of copper, Oda’s intent appears evident.

Gold and silver are known to be precious metals, unlike either copper or bronze. Gold, silver, and bronze also have a well-known hierarchy as the three classes of medals awarded to first, second, and third place finishers in the Olympic Games, respectively.

By leveraging the symbolism of these three metals, the author hinted at the different standings of Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban, even as they share prominence as the Roger Pirates' elite trio. The parallel between the Roger Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates suggests that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji reflect a similar hierarchy.

Rayleigh is stronger than Gaban, Zoro is stronger than Sanji, but they all deserve respect

No one can doubt that Rayleigh was the number two of the Roger Pirates (Image via Shueisha)

Every Wing of the Pirate King claims superiority over the other. However, while no one considers Gaban and Sanji as the second strongest in their respective crews except themselves, both the One Piece author and the characters in the story establish Rayleigh and Zoro as the undisputed number twos of the Roger Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates, respectively.

Similar to how Law and Kid refuse to acknowledge Luffy’s superior strength because of their intense rivalry, Gaban and Sanji’s pride prevents them from conceding that they are not as strong as Rayleigh and Zoro.

Admittedly, Gaban’s moniker of “Mountain Eater,” which he earned for defeating many pirates while reducing a mountain to a treeless wasteland, doesn’t command the same respect as Roger’s Pirate King reputation or Rayleigh’s fame as the “Dark King.”

The two different dynamics (Image via Toei Animation)

Roger and Rayleigh are celebrated even in history books, and all the Straw Hats knew about them, unlike Gaban, implying that his name carries less weight than theirs. This doesn’t necessarily diminish Gaban’s status but may be another point to consider, especially when Roger could equally match Whitebeard and Rayleigh was said to be a man comparable to Whitebeard himself.

It was stated that Rayleigh has Conqueror’s Haki at the same level as Shanks. Even as an old man, Rayleigh was still powerful enough to fend off Admiral Kizaru and intimidate Blackbeard, a Yonko, into giving up his intent and retreating empty-handed. This cements Rayleigh’s superiority.

Likewise, Zoro surpasses Sanji in combat power. Despite Zoro and Sanji’s funny competitiveness, fueled by their contrasting personalities, all One Piece sources—including the manga and all supplementary materials—recognize Zoro as Luffy’s right-hand man and the undisputed second strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Zoro receives more hype than anyone else but Luffy (Image via Toei Animation)

Zoro always defeats the number twos of rival crews and is the only Straw Hat represented as somehow comparable to Luffy. He is shown to fight valiantly against Luffy’s opponents, something that Sanji never manages to do. The fact that Zoro is set to surpass individuals of the caliber of Silvers Rayleigh, Dracule Mihawk, and “Sword God” Ryuma also signals a potential ceiling beyond Sanji’s.

Zoro is widely considered the deuteragonist of One Piece, and Eiichiro Oda confirmed that he envisioned Zoro’s character to be the story's second lead. The swordsman takes center stage when needed, such as in Thriller Bark against Bartholomew Kuma or in Wano against Kaido and Big Mom. These defining moments underscore his status as Luffy’s right-hand man, a position he has held since the beginning of One Piece.

Sanji is not as strong as Zoro, let alone Luffy, but his role as the third strongest Straw Hat makes him a powerhouse nevertheless. Similarly, Gaban, though overshadowed by Rayleigh and Roger, shines as a legendary pirate of undeniable prowess.

Rayleigh and Zoro, as well as Gaban and Sanji, are all exceptional pirates who should never be downplayed. Even though a defined hierarchy distinguishes their roles and levels of power, each of these characters is meant to be a formidable figure.