One Piece's Scopper Gaban may soon be Oda's ultimate tribute to Dragon Ball and Toriyama

One Piece fans are eager to see Scopper Gaban in action because of his past as a member of the Roger Pirates and his possible clash with one of the Holy Knights, Shepherd Sommers. However, an X user @BlacktyonteXavi has come up with the theory that Gaban could be author Eiichiro Oda's way to pay tribute to the Dragon Ball franchise and its late mangaka, Akira Toriyama.

The theory in question suggests that Gaban is a reference to one of the Dragon Ball characters, Master Roshi, because they share similar designs. This would make sense given the fact that the One Piece author, Oda, loves that series.

In that regard, there is a scenario where Gaban could mirror the legendary shonen master and lose stamina because of his old age when fighting Sommers, with Luffy and his friends aiding him in the process.

Disclaimer: This article is a speculative theory and reflects the writer's opinion.

Explaining how One Piece's Scopper Gaban could be Oda's tribute to Dragon Ball's Master Roshi and Toriyama

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The most recent chapters of the manga feature Scopper Gaban getting involved in the Elbaph battle with the Holy Knights, and it seems poised to fight one of them, Shepherd Sommers. However, this theory suggests that the former Roger Pirate is going to mirror Master Roshi from Dragon Ball, a character who has physical similarities to him, and hold the powerful enemy for a while before losing his stamina, with Luffy and his friends stepping in.

Roshi's character did something similar during the Demon King Piccolo arc. He fought against the titular villain and tried to seal him with the Mafuba once again, but failed. This attempt ended up weakening him massively, and he died in the process, with Goku then arriving to fight King Piccolo to the death.

The theme of the next generation and the inherited will has always been prevalent in this story. Master Roshi's arc in early Dragon Ball was heavily focused on that, which could fit with Gaban in this situation. He could see Luffy and his crew as the next generation, same with the children of the Giants, and making a sacrifice to help them in the long run.

What could happen in the coming chapters

Gaban and Sommers as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha).

Regardless of whether Oda is paying tribute to Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama or not, the next One Piece chapters are bound to show Scopper Gaban fighting with the Holy Knights, with Shepherd Sommers being the most obvious target. In this context, some fans have theorized this could set up a God Valley flashback because Sommers said that it had been a long time since he had seen him, with that event being the perfect moment where they met.

On the other hand, Gaban has proved that he can handle a Gear 5 Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, even if they aren't going all out, which suggests that he is quite powerful. Therefore, fans expect him to perform well in terms of power display, although that is just mere speculation at the moment.

Final thoughts

There is a chance that Oda could be paying tribute to Master Roshi, Dragon Ball, and Akira Toriyama with Scopper Gaban's performance in the coming One Piece chapters, although that is just a theory at the moment. However, it is very obvious that the former Roger Pirate is going to fight the Holy Knights in Elbaph, and fans are expecting a good performance from him.

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About the author

Kevin is an expert anime writer at Sportskeeda who endeavors to keep readers apprised with the latest news and trends in the genre via his content. The groundbreaking Dragon Ball series captured a young Kevin's imagination, introducing him to the entrancing world of Japanese animation. Since then, he has been a staunch follower of the works of many artists, including Berserk's creator, Kentaro Miura, who he admires greatly for his unparalleled work quality.

With a BA in Public Accounting, Kevin’s dip into the world of content began 7 years ago when he took up writing. Since then, he has written for numerous websites, including Nerdgenic, Stretty News, MusikHolics, and BookNerdection.

He maintains very high ethical standards in his content by placing a strong emphasis on transparency, and obtaining comprehensive information off the web to fully capture nuances.

Kevin has has had the privilege of interviewing several musicians, including metal band Stryper’s Michael Sweet, Bobby Blitz of Overkill, and Saxon’s Biff Byford.

When not immersed in the anime world, Kevin writes comic book scripts and books for his own projects. He also enjoys reading and watching football.

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Edited by Riya Peter