One of the most famous storytelling techniques in One Piece is highlighting parallels between certain characters to explore the core themes. These parallels are either subtle or deliberate and are often the topic of fan discussions. One of the greatest parallels shown in the series is the one between Monkey D. Luffy and Gol D. Roger to portray the themes of inherited will, freedom, and the legacy of the Pirate King. While Roger’s journey has long ended, we are still in the middle of Luffy’s adventure, and it’s clear he’s destined for even greater heights than the first Pirate King ever reached.
However, it’s not just Luffy, but even his crew members have a lot in common with the Roger Pirates than we initially thought. As the Wings of the future Pirate King, Zoro and Sanji are the crew’s backbone, not simply because of their strength, but also due to their unwavering loyalty and the ability to make rational decisions when Luffy isn’t there. Just like Luffy has his wings now, Roger, too, had Silvers Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban. While Rayleight was introduced in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc during the time-skip, Gaban had just met the Straw Hats in the latest Elbaf Arc. Although the series dropped a few hints regarding the parallels between Luffy’s and Roger’s wings, the latest Chapter 1156 cover officially confirms it.
One Piece Chapter 1156 Cover Confirms the Roger Pirate Parallels in This Era
The official X handle of One Piece shared a time-lapse video of the drawing process of this cover. Initially, Oda was going for something more wholesome with the Straw Hats hanging out with animals. However, he changed the idea to highlighting the parallels and focused on the Straw Hat’s Monster Trio and the Roger Pirates’ strongest members. He finally decided on this design and gave Nami the spotlight as always, while the other crew members beside her, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, are tiny.
This cover cements Sanji’s role in the crew, which has always been controversial due to fan discourse. Gaban is known as Roger’s left hand, and Sanji is often considered the same for Luffy. The title of the right-hand should ideally belong to the first mate. The parallels between Zoro and Rayleigh were pretty much a given since they are both swordsmen and the first mates of their respective captains. While Oda has been dropping several hints about Zoro and Sanji being of relative strength, personal bias is very much a thing in the community.
When the Roger Pirates were sailing the sea, Gaban and Rayleigh fought for the second top ranking in the crew, after Roger. Just like them, Sanji and Zoro have been rivals ever since the two of them met, and they have yet to settle their debate. They have also grown significantly over the years, and even though Zoro has awakened Conqueror’s Haki, Sanji isn’t that far behind at all. Luffy and his wings have yet to join the fight in Elbaf, and just like always, the three will again show significant growth, getting one step closer to becoming even stronger than the Pirate King and his crew.
H/T: @Eiichiro_Staff on X
