One of the recurring theme of the series is that people will somehow inherit the will of the ones that came before them. Even unconsciously. For example let's think about Noland and Calgara, and the legend of Shandora. They dreamt to meet each other again, and ringing the golden bell as a way to proof to the world what they said was true. But they could not fulfill their dream, and they died. But their will was inherited: time flew, and flew, and at a certain point a certain man named Monkey D. Luffy comes along and rings the bell, showing that the Sky Island really exist, somehow linking Noland and Calgara again.
Some time before, a certain man, who used to wear the same hat Luffy received from Shanks at the start or the series, also reached Skypiea. But it wasn't "the time".
Point is that there's a strong bond between some certain main figures from the past and from the current present, to the point some of the first ones serve as concrete benchmarks for the second ones. For some characters you can even suggest some kind of progression of benchmarks they have, for different reasons, to reach and even surpass.
Luffy = Shanks (mentor and contendent) -> Roger (Pirate King) -> Joy Boy (legendary/mythological figure)
Zoro = Mihawk (mentor and contendent) -> Rayleigh (Pirate King's right hand man, and a king on his own) -> Sword God Ryuma (legendary/mythological figure)
Blackbeard = Xebec (maybe his son, maybe his reincarnation, maybe both; anyway, he knows him, admires him and wants to follow a similar path, that's for sure)
These are a given, I think.
Other could be:
Chopper -> Crocus
Yamato -> Oden
Sanji -> Scopper Gaban
Jinbe -> Sunbell
Franky -> Seagull Nozdon
Law and Kidd could be, both together, a mixture of something similar of what was Whitebeard for Roger.
Smoker was always implied to be "the new Garp" but with Punk Hazard Arc, Oda destroyed him. Maybe he changed his idea and moved that role to Koby? But the latter, albeit potentially very strong, is almost not relevant to the story, up to now, at least.
Sometimes Oda even autoquotes himself, mixing some elements to differentiate the new from the old. Hody is the remake of Arlong. Doflamingo and Dressrosa are the remake of Crocodile and Alabasta. Wano/Onigashima has elements from Alabasta (King vs Zoro is similar to Mr. 1 vs Zoro, Luffy loses multiple times to Kaido like he did to Crocodile), Enies Lobby (the amount of 1 vs 1 fights), Thriller Bark (the awaited dawn and what not).
What do you think?
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