Well old gaban performed much better that base loki with ragnir and lightning as well as dragon loki. The xebec FB established even DF less base loki to be above characters like harald who scale to xebec and roger.
This is definitely massively inconsistency from the power scaling set in flashback. Then fucking hajrudin of all people overpowered stronger form of imu. I don't think oda cares about power scaling anymore. Its time to stop taking powerscaling seriously anymore in OP.
Oda definitely care about powerscsling but not what Fandom thinknor headcannon. More like hype. That why he wrote Gaban as Rayleigh and Roger equal to show he is very strong and Imu praise him for strength from Riger pirates grew strength from GV.
OLda like to hype new characters and villains in his src which it so formula l. Next arc, he would hype opponent up.
Don krieg hype himself up as strongest man at East blue in arc. Then next arx oda hype Arlong up than Don king. Then next arc, Oda hype smoker which luffy can't beat him and got ass beaten which dragon save him.
Thrn crocodile as most hype for first warlord for luffy to face and oda hype up. Then skypedia, Oda tell reader luffy beat crocodile to luffy strength, then Enel as god hype and feats. Then next arc where oda hype cp0 look unbearbale and Rob Lucci hype tool luffy and zoro. Then, thriller Park, oda hype Oar up. And so on typical oda formula of hyping current opponent and luffy.