One Piece Chapter 1123 Review/Recap
It’s finally over. After almost two years, the Egghead Island Arc has come to an end, and what an ending it was! The Straw Hats, Bonney, Kuma, Lilith, and Giant Pirates have made it out safely, but the feeling remains bittersweet. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t save the original Dr. Vegapunk, and this chapter confirms that he did, indeed, die. In a surprising twist, though, we learn just how thoroughly Vegapunk played the World Government without even remembering it. He made sure that he didn’t, and sacrificed himself to tell the world the truth.
Recap
Thanks to Emeth’s final attack, the Navy Fleet at Egghead Island is out cold. None of them can pursue the Straw Hats or Giants! Thanking Emeth for what he did, Luffy and the others make for all ahead full and sail away from Egghead Island. But while most are celebrating, Sanji looks at Vegapunk’s lifeless body, uneasy about what he said to him earlier.
In a flashback two weeks ago, Vegapunk, Shaka, and Pythagoras were reviewing data when they realized something: someone had stolen part of the Mother Flame! Knowing only a Vegapunk could do that (and thinking it was Lilith), they kept quiet about it. A week later, Pythagoras confirmed that the real traitor was York. She stole part of the Mother Flame and ratted on the Vegapunk’s to the World Government. Then, a day later, the unthinkable happened: Lulusia was destroyed.
Realizing this could have only happened if the World Government had used the Mother Flame to power an Ancient Weapon, Vegapunk could only conclude that it was due to York gave it to them. Horrified by this, but knowing that they’re already dead men walking, Vegapunk chooses not to run. Instead, he will turn the coming second Ohara into a giant “F you” to the World Government. So, the three of them get to work.
Two days before the Straw Hats arrive, they make the recording and program it to go out once Vegapunk’s heart stops beating. Then, they erase their memories to ensure no one can catch onto them. The only evidence they leave behind is a warning that the World Government is coming for them and that they should have faith in themselves. So, Vegapunk told Sanji he would stay behind while everyone else escaped.
In the present day, everyone left celebrates their reunion, escape, and the journey to Elbaf that awaits them.
Review
This was my legit reaction when I read this chapter. Even before the Straw Hat’s and Bonney set foot on Egghead Island, Vegapunk had already won. He made sure that no matter what happened, he would get the last laugh!!! Bravo, Dr. Vegapunk. You really were the smartest man in the world for pulling one over on the Five Elders like that. And thanks to your final message, no one will forget your name.
Vegapunk Had Won Before the Game Even Started
As much as I want to gush about the entire arc right now, I’ll keep things as brief as possible and save the rest for later. To put it simply, the revelation that Vegapunk had planned to sacrifice himself from the get-go re-contextualizes everything about the arc. Even though Vegapunk and most of his Satellites are either dead, turned traitor, or MIA, he did everything he could to ensure at least one of them would get off the island. And I’m very happy with the fact that it wound up being my favorite of the Vegapunk’s, Lilith. She’s the most fun out of the entire group, and thanks to Atlas faking her death, she can continue their research in hiding. It would be awesome if she joined the Straw Hats, but my guess is that she’ll come to reside in Elbaf with the Giants.
It should also be noted that Vegapunk is now the latest in a line of well-known people who were hunted by the World Government, only to use their deaths to de-stabilize even further. Roger lit the fire, Whitebeard confirmed that the One Piece exists, and Vegapunk confirmed what fans already knew: the One Piece is the key to unraveling everything. And hopefully, it will help bring about the fall of the World Government.
I’m not joking. Now more than ever, the World Government cannot be allowed to survive as it is before the series ends. And thanks to Vegapunk’s truth bombs, I foresee most of the world panicking and turning on them. Their reign is coming to an end. My only regret is that Vegapunk won’t live to see his dream of a world with unlimited energy.
Then again, Lilith and others will see it through.
Egghead is Done, Onward to Elbaf
So, it looks like it’s over. After almost two years, the Egghead Island Arc has come to an end. Considering how feels much longer than that, it feels surreal to think that the arc that had so many breaks between it is over. But how was it in the grand scheme of the story?
Honestly, I’d rate it among my top five favorite arcs from the series thus far. Yes, it did continue longer than some fans wanted, but there’s a good reason for that! With One Piece entering the endgame, Oda had to make sure that all the people were where he needed them to be. And considering the massive roster of the series, that’s a lot of people! With how thorough Oda is, it makes sense he would want to cover as much as possible. And it was worth it! From everything we learned about the Void Century and Joyboy thanks to Vegapunk as well as the potential apocalypse, to Kuma and Bonney’s absolutely heartwrenching backstories, this arc ranks among the series best. And the craziest part is that many of us didn’t think it would go on this long. We thought it was the prologue to what would come next at Elbaf.
Elbaf, the fabled land of the Giants. Next to Laugh Tale itself, that’s the place that One Piece fans have been wanting to see the most. But everything that’s happened, I don’t even know if it’s possible to top what happened on Egghead. Then again, this is Oda. He’s good at outdoing himself.
I’m gonna miss Egghead Island, without a doubt. My only regret about how things ended is the fact that the World Government has possession of the Mother Flame and Vegapunk’s database, meaning they’ll likely go full dictator now.
I Give “The Void Fortnight” a 4.5/5
Click here to see more animanga stuff
Categories