One Piece: Scopper Gaban’s Role, History, and Powers (Explained)

The Roger Pirates are always instrumental in the growth of the Straw Hat Pirates, especially Luffy. Roger’s right-hand man, Silvers Rayleigh, helped Luffy and his crew grow stronger before the time skip. Since then, the fandom has been waiting for the arrival of another strong pirate from Roger’s crew, Scopper Gaban, aka the pirate king’s left-hand man. After decades, Oda has finally reintroduced Gaban in the ongoing Elbaf arc of the One Piece series. So, if you want to know more about the role of this new legendary character in the Elbaph arc, keep reading.

Spoilers Warning:

This article contains spoilers about Gaban’s character from One Piece. So, make sure to catch up to the latest manga arc before to avoid ruining your experience.

Editor’s Note: Last updated on March 18, 2026, to include the latest details about Scopper Gaban.

Who Is Scopper Gaban in One Piece?

Scopper Gaban is a renowned pirate, aka Mountain-Eater, who served as the navigator of the Roger Pirates. He remains a formidable figure to this day, and his strength rivaled that of his captain, Roger, and crewmate Rayleigh in his prime. That’s why he is widely regarded as the left-hand man of the Pirate King. In a nutshell, Gaban is similar to Sanji, Luffy’s left-hand man.

After the Roger Pirates parted ways, Scopper Gaban sailed to Elbaf and fell in love with Ripley, the giant teacher on Elbaf Island. He had a child named Colon and eventually settled down in the giants’ homeland. He is well-known among the giants as Ya-san, which must have been derived from his romanized name Gyaban.

Did you know that Gaban made his debut back in Buggy’s Flashback, the Orange Town arc (see One Piece arcs list), precisely in chapter 19? But for some reason, Toei Animation never adapted his part in the anime and later debuted in One Piece Film: Strong World. We once again met Gaban during Oden’s flashback in the Wano Country arc. And now, he’s finally back in the picture in the Elbaf arc.

How Strong Is Scopper Gaban in One Piece?

Scopper Gaban’s axemanship is unprecedented, and he may as well be the strongest Axeman we have ever met in One Piece. As his epithet says, he was a ridiculously strong character in his prime, wielding dual axes. Similar to how Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are regarded as the monster trio, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban used to be the OG monster trio in the world of One Piece.

Gaban rivals the strength of his fellow crewmate, Rayleigh, which is more than enough proof of his exemplary powers. He also has another popular nickname, the Mountain Eater, and there is an insane story behind it. It is stated that Gaban slew hundreds of enemies with his axes to protect his injured captain. The aftermath of this long battle saw all the trees on that mountain wiped out, which rightfully earned him the moniker.

First, he challenges Luffy to a friendly battle and holds his ground against the new Yonko‘s might. Despite Gaban considering himself rusty in his old age, the old man took out St. Sommers in a single shot. Gaban isn’t a Devil Fruit user, but he has mastered all three hakis, including their advanced versions.

Gaban coated his axes with Armament Haki and further infused Conqueror’s Haki, significantly boosting his attack power to unreal levels. That is how he was able to damage St. Sommers and even taught Luffy the trick recently. He figured out the Holy Knights’ weakness, having fought against them and beaten them to pulp in the past.

Gaban even looked far into the future and realized his child’s life was in danger, so he gave up fighting against Gunko. So, all in all, Gaban is one of the strongest One Piece characters of all time, just like his pals Roger and Rayleigh.

Scopper Gaban’s Role in the Elbaf Arc

With the arrival of the God’s Knights, including Shamrock and Gunko, serious threats are looming over Elbaf. So, apart from just assisting the Straw Hat Pirates in the ongoing fight, Gaban is also mentoring the crew, especially Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, to unlock their next level of haki.

In addition, we also saw that Gaban continued to be an important figure among the giants in King Harald‘s flashback. He guided Shanks during his Elbaf visit and fought alongside him when King Harald went berserk after losing control to Imu. Although Gaban is injured and currently in treatment, he will continue to help the Straw Hats unlock their true potential in the ongoing battle against Imu’s forces.

As Gaban can be seen with a scar on the right side of his face, he is rumored to be The Man with the Burn Scar, which many fans might be familiar with. So, Gaban may or may not have the final road poneglyph, but fans believe it must be in Elbaf. Now, as Gaban has been introduced by Oda at the right time in the final saga, he will play a vital role in the Elbaf arc and possibly in the future arcs alongside Rayleigh as well.

Having said that, let us know your thoughts on Gaban’s character in the comments below.