The World Government Does have one of the Ancient Weapons!

One Piece Chapter 1116 Review

Ever since he started this dead man’s switch broadcast, Vegapunk has been dropping truth bomb after truth bomb on all of us. First, we learn that the world’s sinking into the sea thanks to the World Government. Then we learn that not only was Joy Boy the first pirate, but the one who fought the proto-World Government in the Void Century. And on top of that, the world of 900 years ago had massive continents that have now sunk beneath the waves. However, one of the biggest bombshells has to be the confirmation of what many fans already suspected. The World Government has their hands an Ancient Weapon, and they used it to destroy Lulusia. And the worst part? Vegapunk created the fuel source they used to power it. The man was like Oppenheimer!

Recap

As the rest of the world continues to grapple with the news of what Vegapunk’s told them, the recording of the Doctor reveals another unfortunate truth. His dream had always been to create an unlimited source of energy, leading to the creation of the Mother Flame. However, what was meant to bring good to the world was used for evil. A fragment of the Mother Flame was stolen from his lab two weeks again. Then, he observed the disappearance of Lulusia, followed by the earthquakes and the rising sea levels. Vegapunk had no choice but to conclude that his creation was used to power an Ancient Weapon to destroy Lulusia, horrifying everyone listening.

In the recording, Vegapunk gets on his knees and begs for forgiveness. Intentional or not, he was an accessory to mass murder. And his creation could lead to the world sinking into the sea in the near future! And what’s worse is that he still doesn’t know why Joy Boy would leave behind the Ancient Weapons or what the conflict was about. However, he does say that one group did learn the truth: the Roger Pirates. Yet they didn’t tell anyone, which Vegapunk cannot understand!

In Sabaody, though, Rayleigh’s listening to the broadcast while getting drunk, complaining that Vegapunk shouldn’t take away the discovery from the next generation…

Review

Well, that settles it, then. It’s not stated outright, but I think we all know the truth: the World Government has the last Ancient Weapon in their possession: Uranus. Like everyone’s been predicting, they used it to wipe Lulusia off the face of the planet, then tried to cover it up. However, now the entire world knows about the end of Lulusia, and will likely realize that the World Government was behind it.

The World Government’s days are numbered after this. Now that everyone knows about the danger they’re in, and that the World Government is responsible for it, mass revolt will likely occur. And while that will destroy countless lives, this has to be done. The WG needs to be stopped before all hope is lost.

The World is Waiting for Luffy

It’s ironic, though; at the time that he recorded this message, Vegapunk couldn’t understand why the Roger Pirates kept quiet about the true history of the world. However, us readers should’ve been able to piece together Roger’s reasoning by now: it’s because they were a generation too early. The world was waiting for the return of Joy Boy, something that would not happen within Roger’s lifetime. Thus, Roger chose to become the messenger for Joy Boy. By spurring people to search for the One Piece, he ensured that Joy Boy would return. And right now, it’s looking like Luffy is the new Joy Boy. Whether he realizes it or not, it might be Luffy’s fate to save the world from the evil of the World Government.

As for Vegapunk himself, I cannot help but feel bad for him. Much like Oppenheimer and Einstein, he tried to discover an infinite source of clean energy to bring peace to the world. Instead, their research was used to create weapons of mass destruction. After he helped to create the atomic bomb, Oppenheimer deeply regretted his role in its creation. While he didn’t pull the trigger, he still gave mankind the means to destroy itself, and, from his perspective, was responsible for the deaths of everyone at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

It might seem weird to include a reference to the atomic bombings of Japan in here, but even decades after they happened, the collective trauma in Japan has yet to heal. So, it makes sense.

The World Government is So Screwed

In any event, seeing how everyone around the world has reacted to the news is agonizing. My heart broke seeing the funeral for King Cobra in Alabasta. And seeing Moda, the girl from Lulusia who once befriended Ace and joined the Revolutionary Army, hear the truth, was heart-wrenching.

We now have to wait another two weeks for the next chapter, but it feels like we’re getting to the end of the Egghead Island Arc. At the moment, though, it’s anyone’s guess about who will escape the island alive. Edison’s incapacitated, Stussy is preparing to run, and York figured out that the Iron Giant is guarding the Denden Mushi responsible for the broadcast. All I know is that these next two weeks are going to be hard to get through. But I’ll manage! I just hope that the World Government can’t re-activate their Ancient Weapon again.

I Give “Conflict” a 5/5

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