Dr. Vegapunk has been one of the most teased characters in One Piece, right behind Kaido. First mentioned in the earliest half of the series, fans have been dying to know who this figure is and his significance for a long time and have only grown more curious as time goes on. It took almost 20 years and more than 1000 episodes for fans to meet him, but readers and viewers alike were thrown for a loop when he turned out to be a young mischievous woman.
One Piece
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Cast
- Mayumi Tanaka , Akemi Okamura , Laurent Vernin , Tony Beck , Kazuya Nakai
- Seasons
- 1
They were even more shocked when they learned that Vegapunk wasn’t just one person but seven. Surely this couldn’t be right. After all, the old man modeled after Einstein is more along the lines of the figure touted. For those who do not understand why the mad genius would clone himself, fear not. It’s here that we explain Dr. Vegapunk and his six clones. Stream One Piece on Netflix.
Who Is Dr. Vegapunk?
Arguably the longest reveal in the manga’s long run, Vegapunk was first mentioned in chapter 433 in 2006 shortly after the conclusion of the Enies Lobby, one of the series’ major story arcs. The character Koby explained Vegapunk as the man behind a great many developments and inventions. To name some, Vegapunk invented a system that allowed the Marines to travel through the Grand Line without having to go through Reverse Mountain and found a way to feed Devil Fruits to objects, a feat first seen during Alabasta Arc with the introduction of Mr. 4’s cannon Lassoo in (ch.184), an object that was fed the Inu Inu no Mi (Dog Dog fruit). Vegapunk also created The Pacifista’s (ch. 505) and the Seraphim (ch. 1059).
At the current point in the anime, fans are learning more about the scientist, but in the over 600 chapters before the Egghead Island arc, series creator Eiichiro Oda placed small nuggets of information about him across the series, as he has done to foreshadow numerous other characters and elements over time. One of the most notable instances is when the Straw Hat’s shipwright Franky is sent to Vegapunk’s abandoned lab on Karakuri Island by Bartholomew Kuma in chapter 513. It’s here that Franky studies Vegapunk’s notes to better advance his body during the two-year time skip.
Karakuri Island is the very place where Vegapunk was born and made his name. Sometime after leaving, he formed a group with fellow scientists Vinsmoke Judge, Caesar Clown, and Queen, and together they would discover Lineage Factor, the blueprint that would allow them to create and alter life itself, something that Vinsmoke would later use to make his bloodthirsty children.
Fortunately, Vegapunk had more scientific intentions for the factor as he would use it to learn everything there is to know about the Devil Fruits, even learning how to perfectly replicate them, thanks to funding from the Navy.
What are the Satellites?
Dr. Vegapunk’s most relevant inventions currently are Egghead Island, the island the current setting for the manga/anime and a technological advancement in itself, and his six clones known as Satellites, which essentially are all Vegapunk himself. Each Satellite shares his knowledge along with different aspects of his personality. However, they are each independent beings with mannerisms, characteristics, and identities all their own, even though they each identify as Dr. Vegapunk. The original doctor split himself into these variants to be able to do more work than he could do alone.
Vegapunk 01: Shaka
Shaka is the first of the Vegapunk Satellites, and unlike some of the other clones, he possesses no fighting capabilities. However, he is by far the smartest of the clones, embodying the genius of Vegapunk. His attribute is logic, which is why he is also the leader of the Satellites and ensures they work together without issue. The Straw Hats meet Shaka shortly after their first encounter with Lilith in the chapter. 1062.
Of the group, he is the shrewdest and levelheaded, and despite not possessing any battle skills, he is still an ally one would want on their side for his levelheadedness. Shaka also contributed greatly to One Piece’s massive plot by divulging a lot of information on the Void Century, a period that has long been a mystery in the series.
He also revealed a lot of information on Ohara, the home island of Robin. For those who don’t remember, Ohara was destroyed by the Navy in a buster call when she was just a child. The scientists of the island were studying the ancient ponyglyphs to learn about the Void Century, but to do so is a crime.
Vegapunk 02: Lilith
Lilith was introduced in chapter 1061 of the manga and represents the evil of Vegapunk. Despite that, she’s not all that evil. She’s helped out the Straw Hats numerous times already and is possibly the friendliest of all the Satellites. But given her nature, fans shouldn’t be surprised if she betrays those closest to her.
In terms of strength, she is quite strong. She’s no Zoro or Nico Robin in terms of ability, but with her advanced intellect and weapons prowess, she could be a fair amount of trouble if she wanted to be. As an extension of Vegapunk, she serves as Egghead Island’s executer. When the group as a whole sets its mind to a task, it is Lilith that makes sure things go the way they’re supposed to, and she will do so by any means necessary.
Vegapunk 03: Edison
Vegapunk 03 is essential to Egghead Island because he is the “idea man” of the group. If the group is working on something, then the inspiration came from Edison first. He’s first introduced when the Straw Hats encounter and battle Seraphim Jinbe in chapter. 1065, and collects data from the scuffle before immediately setting to work on something.
If it wasn’t already obvious, Edison differs from his brethren as being one of two who is completely mechanical. He is also the smallest and, like Shaka, also has very few combat abilities. So far in the anime, he hasn’t had a lot to do, but readers of the manga know things are about to pick up.
Vegapunk 04: Pythagoras
Pythagoras is the only other Vegapunk who is mechanical. With his attribute being wisdom, Pythagoras is the most observant of his fellow clones and is in charge of putting Edison’s ideas into reality. When the Straw Hats were fighting Seraphim Jinbe, after collecting the data, Edison immediately put Pythagoras to work with the information collected.
As a person, he is very calm and collected, much like Shaka, but more introverted than the others. So far in the series, fans have seen him the least, but who knows? We’re still early in the Egghead Arc. He could still become a more important feature.
Vegapunk 05: Atlas
Vegapunk 05 is by far the largest of the group, towering over the Straw Hat pirates and wowing Luffy with her size. Being first introduced in chapter 1062, Atlas embodies the wrath of Vegapunk and possesses the highest physical might out of her counterparts. This is first seen when she punches Luffy with ease despite his Emperor status. Despite this, she still pales in comparison to some of the stronger characters in the series.
With her strength and size aside, Atlas is a skilled fighter, which would explain her being able to hit Luffy, but this also makes her dangerous as her nature sees her react with violence, often to those who fail to use her inventions properly. She also uses special gloves that allow her to interact with light as tangible objects. Despite her violent nature, she is still capable of kindness, entertaining the Straw Hats with her talkative nature and food-based machines on the island before confusing them when returning to her violence.
Vegapunk 06: York
Vegapunk 06, by far, has the least desirable job but may also be the most dangerous for the very simple reason that her attribute is greed. York’s function for the Satellites is to serve as their health and digestive tract. As they are all connected by various functions, York eats, sleeps, and relieves herself for the whole group to function. It’s about as weird as it sounds. Besides this, she doesn’t do all that much for the group. But despite her lack of responsibility, she is just as intelligent as the others.
By definition of her function, York is very gluttonous and lazy. She also appears dimwitted, approaching a seraphim solely because she thought it was cute. She doesn’t say much at all and rarely speaks. When she does, it’s usually to comment on eating or sleeping. It’s hard to determine at the moment what else it is she does on Egghead but given that all the Satellites are brilliant and skilled in various ways, her contributions have likely yet to be noted.
A Genius of His Time
If there was any doubt about Vegapunk’s genius, one only needs to see Egghead Island to know that his intellect is on a whole different level, so it’s no shock that he can separate himself into multiple different clones. Not only that, but the anime has only given a taste of what he is capable of.
This article provides no spoilers and only informs to the extent that the anime has progressed, but fans will soon start to learn just how much of an effect Dr. Vegapunk has had on the world as a whole. This is the Final Saga, after all. As One Piece approaches its end, all truths will be revealed, and Vegapunk still has plenty to share.
