If there is one character in One Piece that people should watch out for; it’s Coby. Coby was introduced way back into the first episode and stayed around until the third shortly after Luffy had recruited Zoro into his crew. He declared that he and Luffy would be rivals and many believed that was the end of him; a one-off character whom we wouldn’t see again.
Until we got into the Water 7 Saga, where he and Helmeppo were brought back into relevance. Coby went from a scrawny-looking tween to a strong lean teen. Turns out, he and his good friend were being trained extensively by Luffy’s legendary Marine grandfather: Garp the Fist. This is where Luffy acknowledges Coby as a rival and still considers him a friend.
By the time of the Marineford Arc, it was clear to Coby that he was barely close to his rival’s level of combat. Although, he had unlocked Observation Haki shortly after standing up to the murderous Admiral Akainu/Sakazuki. Coby acknowledged he was severely lacking in terms of combat. Within the timeskip, Coby was not only taller than before but also much more powerful than before. He managed to hone his skills with Observation Haki and utilize half of the Six Powers that CP9 agents use.
Coby’s Role … So Far
Coby’s role in the story of One Piece is demonstrating that he is to be Luffy’s primary rival/counterpart in the Marines. Luffy wants to be the King of the Pirates whereas Coby wants to rise to the ranks and become a Marine Admiral. Luffy enthusiastically shouts his goal at any given moment, and Coby is shy about stating his goal as it makes him sound too ambitious. While one could make the assumption that Coby is the Garp to Luffy’s Roger … he isn’t. He’s barely close. Garp has certainly trained him and his good buddy Helmeppo, but that alone doesn’t ensure that he’s the next Garp. That role is more suited to Smoker.
Smoker and Luffy’s relationship is more reminiscent to Roger and Garp’s relationship. Garp had several chances to become an Admiral but he always turned it down. Garp couldn’t really hate Garp anymore than Smoker could truly hate Luffy. Smoker had actually witnessed the execution of the previous Pirate King Gol D. Roger, and could tell from their eerily similar smiles that Luffy would become a major threat. Garp could have risen to the rank of Admiral in spite of the fact that he lacked a Devil Fruit ability. While it was out of personal reasons, being a Vice Admiral allowed him the freedom to track down Roger. Smoker would transfer to the nefarious G-5 unit for the same reasons. They are similar as to how they view Luffy: Smoker respects Luffy as a rival whereas Coby not only respects Luffy as a friend and rival, but admires him as well. In their own way, they both fit the needs of a Marine rival and would likely help reform the Marines in time. The sheer fact that Coby is aiming for the to top instead of being complacent, this actually makes him a bit more like Sengoku. Coby could become similar to Garp in being a pure physical powerhouse and not use a Devil Fruit. But if he intends to rise to the ranks and become a Fleet Admiral, he will certainly need one that would give him a necessary power boost.
The Ice-Ice Fruit
One of the most prominent theories is that Coby will inherit Aokiji’s Devil Fruit. For currently unknown reasons, Aokiji is affiliated with the Blackbeard Pirates. Many have speculated that he has become a member of the Revolutionary Army following his defeat from Akainu, or that he is currently part of the secret Marine unit SWORD; which would mean that he had not defected at all. Either way, it doesn’t seem as if he would succeed as the Blackbeard Pirates are naturally distrusting of him. There are several arguments that Coby will be more like Aokiji; as Aokiji became an Admiral but back in Gol D. Roger’s days, he was just a rookie who looked up to Garp. But Coby has risen to the rank of a Captain before reaching his twenties and has performed several feats of his own. With that being said, Aokiji will likely die and tell Coby some vital information along with advice to help reform the Marines. Coby could use the DF in the same way as Aokiji if not more powerful than before, utilizing his own abilities in combat alongside it.
The Flame-Flame Fruit
This seems really unlikely but it does have merit. It actually comes from the Tale of Momotaro, which has greatly inspired much of One Piece with the initial three Admirals; Akainu, Aokiji and Kizaru, as well as the characters of Sentomaru and Momonosuke. Of course, should this actually happen, it would mean the loss of yet another beloved character and brother of the main protagonist.
Back to the theory at hand: there’s a possibility that Sabo has been captured and/or killed by the Marines following the Reverie. With that said, the Flame-Flame Fruit could be in circulation again; leading to someone to take on the fruit’s powers. Coby will be the only fitting person that Luffy will approve of that can eat the Flame Flame Fruit as they are both rivals and good friends. There is further symbolism as Coby will become the new ‘Fire Fist’. He will therefore draw links between Ace and the Marines, which will fulfill Garp’s desire (to an extent) to have his grandson (embodied in the fruit) as a powerful Marine.
Sala-Sala Fruit, Model: Axolotl
This Devil Fruit is quite the wildcard, as we don’t know it’s full capabilities. This Devil Fruit was used by Caesar Clown’s “pet” Smiley. As many who know of this fandom is that upon consumption, the Devil Fruit user will lose their ability to swim, which is extremely ironic in this case, since real-life axolotls are gilled amphibians that need water to live. But they are interesting animals, as an axolotl can regenerate parts of its body; even parts of its brain! While it could start of immensely unconventional, Coby would be determined to make excellent use of it. And we have proof that the Marines have been looking for powerful Devil Fruits, like the Op-Op Fruit, and more than willing to pay top dollar for it. With this fruit back in circulation, the Marines could give it to Coby in the future.
Ancient Zoan?
X Drake, a pirate captain of the Worst Generation, actually turned out to still be in league with the Marines. And Coby was the one that he contacted. This could imply that the Marines will arrive in Wano sometime in the future. Compared to most arcs, the Wano Country Arc is filled to the brim with more violence and future deaths that it will trump the Marineford Arc, and make it look smaller in comparison. With the potential rise in death tolls in Wano, this could mean new Devil Fruits in circulation.
There are plenty of Ancient Zoans within Kaido’s crew that many could take. And with Ancient Zoans being so rare, why not have a Marine take one? The one that stands out the most for Coby to have is the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Brachiosaurus. His usage of the fruit could be reminiscent to Kaku’s use of his Giraffe Devil Fruit. Initially silly and non-threatening but gaining power exponentially with time and practice.
