Chapter 1190 puts Scopper Gaban above Rocks D. Xebec in raw power, and it does so with a single fight. Released on August 9, 2026 in Weekly Shonen Jump Double Issue #37-38, the chapter drops an old, injured Gaban in front of Nerona Imu and lets him land a real wound on the King of the World. That result, measured against how Rocks fared in the same matchup, is what pushes the Mountain Eater past the man long treated as the strongest pirate of his generation.
Quick answer: Gaban ranks over Rocks because he fought a stronger version of Imu than Rocks did, survived longer, and cut Imu, while Rocks was one-shot on God Valley even after receiving Imu’s Domi Reversi power boost.
What Chapter 1190 confirms about Gaban
Gaban is the left arm of the Roger Pirates, the man known as the Mountain Eater, and Chapter 1190 shows him fighting Imu while old, feeble, and already wounded. Despite those handicaps, he did not simply get overpowered. He traded blows with Imu and managed to inflict a grievous injury before eventually losing the fight.
The key detail is the opponent. The Imu on Elbaf, first shown in full in Chapter 1179 on April 5, 2026, is a far stronger entity than the Saturn-Imu that appeared on God Valley. Gaban confirmed this gap himself when he faced Imu on Elbaf.
“What’s going on? Even at God Valley, I never felt Haki like this!” — Scopper Gaban, One Piece Chapter #1180
So the comparison is not apples to apples in Rocks’ favor. Gaban went up against the tougher Imu and still performed, while Rocks faced the weaker version and lost decisively.
How Rocks actually lost on God Valley
Rocks was introduced back in Chapter 957 on September 30, 2019, framed as a threat the World Government erased from history. For years the hype rested on one line, that it took Roger and Garp together to bring him down 38 years ago. Later chapters filled in what really happened, and the picture is less flattering than the legend.
In Chapter 1164 on November 3, 2025, Rocks tried to slice two of Imu’s legs, barely grazed the King of the World, and got stabbed and Domi Reversed. Imu one-shot him. What makes the defeat worse is that Rocks was buffed at the time. Imu’s Domi Reversi granted him unparalleled strength, infinite regeneration, and an undying body, upgrading his Conqueror’s Haki to a new level.
“Thou shalt cast aside thy lifespan for a body unyielding to death. Thou shalt be granted unparalleled strength, bound by no logic or reason. Domi Reversi!” — Imu, One Piece Chapter #1150
Even with that immortal, boosted body, Rocks was overwhelmed. Roger and Garp then finished him with their strongest attacks, God of Fire: Ace and Infinitum Explosion, as shown in Chapter 1165 on November 10, 2025. Both men were far from their prime states at that point, which is the part that deflates the old myth.
Gaban vs Rocks against Imu, side by side
| Factor | Rocks D. Xebec | Scopper Gaban |
|---|---|---|
| Version of Imu faced | Weaker God Valley Imu | Stronger Elbaf Imu |
| Personal condition | Buffed by Domi Reversi | Old, feeble, injured |
| Outcome of the clash | One-shot, could only graze Imu | Held his own, landed a grievous wound |
| Final result | Defeated, taken down by Roger and Garp | Lost, but after a real fight |
Read across the rows and the conclusion is hard to argue with. Gaban faced a tougher enemy in a worse state and still did more damage. That is why the chapter places him above Rocks, and above every other aged fighter currently alive, including Silvers Rayleigh and Monkey D. Garp.
Where prime Gaban sits in the hierarchy
There is a second thread that supports the ranking. Oda confirmed that the pirates who scattered after God Valley grew stronger over the next one to two decades, with Roger’s crew reaching the impossible.
“Meanwhile, the Pirates who scattered to the wind after the God Valley Incident would grow in power over the next 10 or 20 years to reach their prime and become the face of the era. But only one managed to achieve the impossible – the crew of the Pirate King!” — Narrator, One Piece Chapter #1167
Roger hit his prime roughly 28 to 30 years ago, and his Wings grew alongside him. Chapter 1139 placed both Rayleigh and Gaban on the same level as Roger himself, describing the Roger Pirates as three monsters standing shoulder to shoulder. If prime Gaban stands next to the Pirate King, then he sits with the true top tier, Roger, Rayleigh, Whitebeard, and Garp, and a clear step above Rocks.
Fans have never seen Gaban fight in his prime, so his younger ceiling stays a matter of framing rather than an on-page feat. What Chapter 1190 settles is narrower and firmer. An aged, wounded Gaban outperformed a Domi Reversed Rocks against a harder version of the same enemy, and that single comparison is enough to move him up the ladder. New chapters continue on Manga Plus and Viz Media.
