Eiichiro Oda’s legendary manga-turned-anime, One Piece is filled with mysteries that are yet to be answered. Even at 1000+ chapters, more questions about the series, especially about the Void Century are arising. One of those mysteries is the identity of the genius, world-renowned scientist, Dr. Vegapunk.
Dr. Vegapunk is a scientist that has been mentioned all throughout the series. He is thought to live on a remote island of their own, building and creating out-of-the-ordinary pieces of machinery and technologies. Roughly twenty-one years after the name Vegapunk first appeared in the manga, the readers and the audience still know nothing about this character. But that is until One Piece Chapter 1061 where Eiichiro Oda finally revealed to the readers Vegapunk’s character, and much to everyone’s surprise, Vegapunk is a girl (well, at least that’s how she first appeared as).
In actuality, Vegapunk’s gender is unknown. To date, every reference in the manga has used male pronouns, however when Vegapunk first emerged, in chapter #1061, the scientist is actually a woman. However, other fans claim that this is truly a robotic body or a clone, therefore the mystery persists. This theory of the fans is actually confirmed in the later chapters of the manga. Not giving out spoilers, but later on, Vegapunk’s real (?) identity is seen. He has a big head that stretches out to the heavens and is actually quite small in height.
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Originally, Vegapunk was a member of a gang of brilliant scientists known as MADS, which included Vinsmoke Judge (the father of Straw Hat’s Sanji), Caesar Clown, and Queen. After the World Government destroyed MADS, Vegapunk went to work for that formidable organization. Her creations, which include Pacifista cyborgs, Seastone, and other lethal weapons, play a significant role in the World Government’s power and control.
Much of Vegapunk’s inventions and discoveries are made important in the series. The infamous scientist is also the one who discovered how Devil Fruits functioned and how their powers are transmitted from one user to another. He’s like every scientist in the real world in one person, it’s amusing to watch.
Vegapunk is an extremely important character in the series, and he might just be the key to unlocking the many secrets of the void century. Many of the readers are eager to learn more about the scientist and how he is going to interact with the Straw Hats in the coming chapters (especially since it has been revealed that he got all his knowledge from the books in Ohara, Robin’s hometown).
The One Piece manga is currently at Chapter 1067, and the anime is at Episode 1038. If you’re looking to catch up any time soon, better do it now, because as Eiichiro Oda says, the quest to find the One Piece is just beginning.
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