Vegapunk is one of the main characters in the Egghead Island arc of One Piece. He is a character full of intrigue that Oda built up carefully from before the timeskip. Finally, after two decades, Vegapunk made his appearance in the Egghead Island arc of the story. While the vast majority of fans believed Vegapunk to be a scientist with a pure heart who was being forced to work with the Navy, things appeared to be different once the arc began.
It was revealed soon after in One Piece that Vegapunk was not hesitant to sacrifice things in the name of progress and as the arc has progressed, it has become abundantly clear that he is, in some ways, a grey personality. All the strange happenings on Egghead Island that seem to be working against the Straw Hat Pirates are actually the doing of none other than Dr. Vegapunk, or one of his satellites, and here is why.
What Happened On Egghead Island
The Egghead Island arc began with the Straw Hat Pirates entering an unknown sea filled with mechanical monsters. Immediately after, it was made clear that the crew was in the presence of none other than Dr. Vegapunk. While Vegapunk appeared in the body of a woman at first, it was later made clear that he actually has six bodies that he has created as his satellites. These bodies were revealed to be Lilith, Edison, Pythagoras, Atlas, Shaka, and finally, York. The true body of Dr. Vegapunk himself was revealed to be Stella and was also introduced in the arc when Luffy met him.
Vegapunk quickly decided that he would be getting on board the Straw Hats’ ship and escape death safely. However, things started getting weird when the CP0 approached the island. Somehow, the Frontier Dome stopped working which should have prevented CP0 from entering the island. Shortly afterwards, S-Snake attacked Pythagoras and, immediately after, attacked other members of the Straw Hat Pirates as well. Meanwhile, in the main lab, S-Bear and S-Hawk attacked the captured members of the CP0 and it was thanks to Zoro that they managed to survive. They then went on to attack both Zoro and Luffy, along with the members of the CP0.
It was made clear by Shaka that if the Seraphims were not listening to his orders, it means that someone with equal authority had already given them the order to wipe out everyone. As fans know, only Dr. Vegapunk and the five elders have higher authority over these human monsters than the CP0. As such, Shaka comes to the conclusion that the order was given by none other than Dr. Vegapunk himself, meaning that one of his satellites is, in fact, the traitor on Egghead Island.
Why Vegapunk Is A Traitor
The question of why Vegapunk would do this is one that has left fans scratching their heads. After all, he was about to be eradicated by the members of the Cipher Pol and it was just his luck that the Straw Hat Pirates arrived on the island, giving him an escape route. So why exactly is Vegapunk working against the pirate crew right now? The answer to this question has not been given to the fans, however, it can be speculated that this has to do something with progression in the name of science as well. Vegapunk’s personality has already been fleshed out a bit in the story and it is quite clear to see that he is someone who has sacrificed a lot.
Vegapunk is the smartest person in the entire world and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he has already planned 10 steps ahead of what the fans know at this point in time. If one of his satellites knows that his survival is not a guarantee with the Straw Hat crew, they will most likely work against them. If they think the crew can aid him, they will start aiding them as well. While Vegapunk was fully set on leaving with the crew at first, it appears that one of the satellites doesn’t agree with this decision, causing them to betray not just the crew but Stella as well, along with the allies that he made just a short while before.
The Future Of Dr. Vegapunk
Dr. Vegapunk is not an evil character through and through. He is certainly someone with a lot of nuance to him and while one of his satellites definitely did turn their back on the crew here, it is also a fact that Vegapunk has good in him. He also has a blooming relationship with dragon and the two have been working together towards a long-term goal, as was clear from their previous conversations. As such, when all is said and done, Vegapunk is still an ally more than he is an enemy. It just so happens that his satellite has chosen to be a thorn in the path of the Straw Hat Pirates at this point in time.
It is not known how the crew will deal with the threat that he is posing to them, but they will fight him one way or another. They also cannot let him die, meaning that Vegapunk will most likely be brought to safety when the crew successfully escapes from Egghead Island. At the end of the day, Vegapunk has knowledge of everything that Ohara had and discovered over the years, and he is a key character in Dragon’s revolution as well. Despite his personality being a traitor and working against the crew, Vegapunk will likely find himself being a permanent ally sooner rather than later.
