Character Discussion Why Gunko resembles Koala

[milluki]

Many wonder my Oda chose a design for Gunko so similar to Koala's. Is it because the two will fight? No. A different reason: To create a parallel to Caribou. He also resembles a revolutionary. He was mistaken for Gaburu.

They share another major design aspect: their sleeves.

I can't recall another character who wears his clothes like this. Two such unusual design choices that both link her to Caribou are no coincidence. Neither is it coincidental that Oda decided to give Caribou ringed eyes, like Mihawk and Imu (Gunko's boss!). He is not merely a gag character or Blackbeard fanboy to be discarded. In an old video I said that the World Government would assign a female Holy Knight to him. Now Gunko was introduced, she is the one! Together they will hbe antagonists during the Moon arc.

All three have weird hair. Mister 3’s hair burns like a candle, when he activates his Devilfruit. Caribou’s hair, true to his epithet, is wet. Like Mister 3 and Caesar, Caribou is fully dependant on his Devilfruit. Pekoms used him as an example of Logias that can’t deal with Armament Haki. Caesar would later turn out to be like that too. Mister 3 couldn’t do much against Luffy without his wax armor. They all, be it through wax, mud or deprival of oxygen, beat their opponents by suffocating them. Because they have no fighting abilities outside of their fruit powers, they have to rely on deception.

All three have lofty pretexts for murdering. Mister 3 claimed he was killing the Strawhats for his art. He wanted to turn them into wax statues. Caesar wanted to blow them up with his invention Smiley, for the sake of science. When Caribou tried to kill the fake Strawhats, he said he would kill them for his god. When he tries to stab the real ones in the back, he will also frame it as a sacrifice to that deity.

Mister 3 and Caesar each had a calm female partner, who contrasted their hysteric personalities. Miss Goldenweek, whose real name is Marianne, and Monet. Marianne was a painter and Monet is named after painter Claude Monet. Mister 3 was a sculptor, so perhaps Caesar was named after the french sculptor Cesar instead of the roman Conqueror.

Imu will send Caribou a female partner, to supervise and protect him. A God’s Knight. The group is tied to the Moon by their leader, Saint Garling, having a moon shaped beard. Caribou is tied to the God’s Knights by having a cross, christian heraldry, on his shirt. Just as Miss Goldenweek was an artist like Mister 3, and Monet became Caesars labor assistant, the God’s Knight will share Caribou’s devotion to god.

Mister 3, Miss Goldenweek, Caesar and Monet all wore striped clothes. Caribou and his partner should do too, when on the moon. Caribou wore a striped suit in a coverstory, when posing as revolutionary Gaburu. Not so different from mister 3’s real name Galdino, or Caear’s alias Gastino.

 

[Leadership101]

This is just part of the nami prototype.

 

[JDragon20]

She's the final war Koala victim. Watch her family owned her and Koala will get her EPIC revenge

 

[OykotsTreasure]

Well, Koala did used to be a slave on Mariejois before she got saved by Fisher Tiger. It's possible that she directly served Gunko herself. And maybe some of Gunko's fashion choices rubbed off on Koala? Maybe now that Koala has control over her own life again, she's subconsciously dressing up like the person who used to control her? Trying to dress like a person she knows who can make decisions and be strong?

Koala did have a family back on her home island. So, I don't think this is a Bonney situation. I don't think she has any Celestial Dragon blood.

And Koala doesn't seem to have any special powers or abilities that we know of. So, I don't think she got experimented on.

It's possible that Gunko is one of the slaves that Fisher Tiger didn't manage to save who was being trained in the same "division" as Koala was. But, if the hat is part of some sort of "slave uniform", there's nothing to really indicate that. It'd be odd for a slave to be made a God's Knight, but it's also odd that they offered Loki a chance to join too. I just tend to doubt it.

It's weird, but the best I can come up with is that Koala knew Gunko back on Mariejois and something about her just stuck in her mind.

Maybe Koala just always really liked that hat. Maybe it's just that simple. Maybe we're overthinking this.

 

[kyejames316]

Many wonder my Oda chose a design for Gunko so similar to Koala's. Is it because the two will fight? No. A different reason: To create a parallel to Caribou. He also resembles a revolutionary. He was mistaken for Gaburu.

They share another major design aspect: their sleeves.

I can't recall another character who wears his clothes like this. Two such unusual design choices that both link her to Caribou are no coincidence. Neither is it coincidental that Oda decided to give Caribou ringed eyes, like Mihawk and Imu (Gunko's boss!). He is not merely a gag character or Blackbeard fanboy to be discarded. In an old video I said that the World Government would assign a female Holy Knight to him. Now Gunko was introduced, she is the one! Together they will hbe antagonists during the Moon arc.

You stumbled on something here. Caribou parallel is not the main idea, but you just busted open a whole possible theory I haven’t heard. This is the kind of thing this forum needs more of and I am sorry people aren’t picking up on your iq with this connection tbh, even though I think you’re going the wrong direction.

The intentional manipulation of their appearance to mimic prominent enemies of the government makes a ton of sense, even if it just turns out to be makeup and hair dye. They could infiltrate their opponents, fool allies, or do horrible things wearing their faces and ruin their reputation. This would actually explain the picture of Sabo standing with Cobra’s body that was published.
It is exactly the kind of gimmick Oda would use. I definitely think this is possible, although I think that narratively there is more evidence for cloned former slaves.

There is also the intriguing possibility that this is revealed to be Koala, and that Koala was never truly herself but Gunko in disguise as a double agent. That’s even less likely, but you made me think of the idea and it is possible.

It’s also exactly the kind of thing that would work on Luffy.

 

[Longleg Larry]

Well, Koala did used to be a slave on Mariejois before she got saved by Fisher Tiger. It's possible that she directly served Gunko herself. And maybe some of Gunko's fashion choices rubbed off on Koala? Maybe now that Koala has control over her own life again, she's subconsciously dressing up like the person who used to control her? Trying to dress like a person she knows who can make decisions and be strong?

Koala did have a family back on her home island. So, I don't think this is a Bonney situation. I don't think she has any Celestial Dragon blood.

And Koala doesn't seem to have any special powers or abilities that we know of. So, I don't think she got experimented on.

It's possible that Gunko is one of the slaves that Fisher Tiger didn't manage to save who was being trained in the same "division" as Koala was. But, if the hat is part of some sort of "slave uniform", there's nothing to really indicate that. It'd be odd for a slave to be made a God's Knight, but it's also odd that they offered Loki a chance to join too. I just tend to doubt it.

It's weird, but the best I can come up with is that Koala knew Gunko back on Mariejois and something about her just stuck in her mind.

Maybe Koala just always really liked that hat. Maybe it's just that simple. Maybe we're overthinking this.

I think they're sisters. They both got kidnapped, but Gunko proved to be too strong/useful to be a slave (maybe already had her fruit)
She was probably already brainwashed/ in the CD ranks by the time Fisher showed up

 

[SkySanji]

Aside from the hat, they don't look all that much alike, and honestly, Oda can only draw like three different female character designs, that's why there are several Nami clones with different color hair.