Vegapunk Unlocked the Secrets of the Ancient Kingdom!

One Piece Chapter 1065 Review/Recap

Holy Devil Fruit, people. Oda is back at it with another big chapter of One Piece. We got an even further dive into the mind of Dr. Vegapunk and hints as to why he split himself into separate entities. On top of that, we just got a major hint regarding the Void Century and the Ancient Kingdom. Considering how both connect to Joy Boy and the One Piece, this could be huge. 

Recap

As Punk Lillith continues to lead the Straw Hats along (except for Zoro and Brook, who stay on the Sunny with Caribou,) they’re amazed at the level of technology found on Egghead Island. That is, until they encounter a Seraphim version of Jinbei. 

A skirmish breaks out between the Straw Hats and the Seraphim, but try as they might, their attacks have no effect. Amidst all this, the Punks watch the fighting while eating, using the bathroom, and coming up with new ideas all at once.

Eventually, though, Punk Shaka, the logic, shows up and forces everyone to stand down. Frankly proceeds to gush at Vegapunk about the entire island’s something out of the future, begging to talk with him some more. However, Punk Shaka refutes this, saying Egghead Island’s like that of the past. Not unlike that of an Ancient Kingdom from 900 years ago. Meanwhile, Luffy’s group stumbles upon a junkyard filled with a mecha similar to the one used by Lillith.

Review

Well, once again, there’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get started.

More about the Seraphims

Firstly, let’s start off with the most obvious thing, the presence of Seraphim Jinbei. Given what we’ve seen so far, it’s likely that all the Seraphs are cybernetic clones of the Seven Warlords, modified with Lunarian DNA. The real question is how many Warlords they used. Did SSG merely use the pirates who were part of the Warlords when the series began, or did they include the ones who joined since then? I shudder at the idea of what a Seraphim based on Buggy, Edward Weevil, or God help us, Blackbeard, could do. 

Furthermore, we’re starting to see just how tough the Seraphims are in comparison to the Straw Hats. Despite the massive power-ups they got in Wano, the Straw Hats couldn’t make a dent in one, and not even Sanji could damage it. If that’s the case, they’re even scarier than we already thought, and they were dangerous enough. Worse, it seems that they’ve inherited the genetic memories of their templates. In this case, the Jinbei Seraphim knows Fishman Karate. 

Why Vegapunk Split Himself into Satellites

This chapter also served to confirm, at least to me, why Vegapunk split himself into “Satellites,” or Punks, as I call them. The man’s overflowing with so many ideas for technology and inventions, but he’s hindered by things he considers trivial. Eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, etc. It’s almost like his head’s so full of ideas that he’s desperate to get them out before they overwhelm him, hence why he splits himself into the Punks. Six versions of himself, six times the work.

I can oddly sympathize with what Vegapunk might be going through. I’m sure many of us wish we had another version of ourselves to help get everything we want done at one point in our lives. It’s frustrating beyond belief, I know. But maybe he won’t have to deal with that for much longer.

Enter Franky. Franky’s idolized Dr. Vegapunk for years now, even completing some of his earliest ideas and inventions for himself. Could Vegapunk’s interest in the Straw Hats partially stem from seeing a kindred spirit in Franky? If so, maybe Vegapunk could declare Franky his successor. Either that, or Vegapunk joins the Straw Hats. He’s too cool for the World Government, anyway!

Not Inventing, Reverse Engineering! The Ancient Kingdom’s Legacy

I heard somewhere that Dr. Vegapunk once said that he wasn’t as great a genius as people thought him to be. At the time, I thought he was being modest. However, if what he said in the final panel is true, then he was being serious. He’s not creating new technology; he’s reverse-engineering it all from remnants of the Ancient Kingdom. 

The Ancient Kingdom, the one that created the Poneglyphs. They’re intrinsically connected to the Void Century, Joy Boy, and the One Piece. If Vegapunk’s implying that they possessed the level of tech found on Egghead Island, then…just how advanced were they?!? 

If all this is true, then everything Vegapunk’s created is technology he reverse-engineered from the Ancient Kingdom for the World Government. It’s not unheard of. I’ve read about advanced technology from ancient history that took centuries to rediscover. It also makes me even more grateful that the World Government doesn’t have access to the Ancient Weapons (I hope!)

The fact remains, the Egghead Island Arc could reveal a lot about the history of the world of One Piece. I’m hoping that we learn more as the story continues. It’s going to be amazing!!!

I Give “The Six Faces of Vegapunk” a 4/5

One last thing. I went to see the new movie, One Piece Film: Red last night, and holy cow did I love it! If you want to see my thoughts on it, please read my review here!!

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