I think it’s the main Vegapunk/Stella. The “traitor” ripping cameras out the ceiling of the Labosphere in Egghead:
The close-together beady eyes. The flatted-out head. Maybe the apple-antenna? Hair doesn’t look as spiky. But maybe Oda did that to make the silhouette look somewhat ambiguous?
If it is Vegapunk #1 running this sabotage mission, the question is why?
Dude just asked for the Straw Hats to help save him from getting assassinated. Why would he make things more difficult for them?
I have a bit of a convoluted theory in mind. But before I get into what that is, I think I should touch on the diamonds that were shown in Chapter 1075.
The Value of Diamonds
YouTuber, Sawyer7Mage, made an interesting point regarding these diamonds being made by Vegapunk. That, if Vegapunk is so worried about funding for his research, why doesn’t he sell off these diamonds to get the money he needs?
At first, I thought**, ‘PLOT HOLE’**. Haha…
But then, I thought, ‘Maybe synthetic diamonds aren’t as valuable diamonds found in nature?’
However, in the One Piece world, which is generally way less advanced than the real-world, who would be able to tell the difference? The average person may not even know diamonds can be mass-produced.
THEN, that got me thinking again, that in the real-world, the diamond-industry is one of the shadiest industries…ever. Where man-made diamonds are easy to mass produce. They don’t need to be mined out of caves by exploiting the poorest people in Africa. BUT the monopoly in charge, the De Beers Group, has such a rigid control over how diamonds are produced and distributed, they can slap whatever price they want on every single diamond.
Have you ever been shopping around for an engagement ring, and have someone shame you into spending “X” amount of money to prove to your fiancée that you really love them?
De Beers’ marketing campaign on diamonds was so massively successful that it has transcended into popular culture. Where there is even a James Bond film named after their most iconic tagline of:
Diamonds Are Forever
SO THEN, that got me thinking YET again, to One Piece’s Bond Villain:
That’s right, my main guy, Sir Crocodile.
For those who are my familiar with my work on this subreddit, call me an agenda-pusher all you want. But Shanks and Blackbeard each have their dedicated legion of hype-men. Often, I feel like I’m the only one riding the Cross Guild hype-train. Hell, I’m probably the only one willing to conduct the train.
But hey…I’ll take the job with pleasure. So, hop right in and enjoy!
Besides, the environment surrounding the Laboshere is strangely reminiscent of Alabasta:
Those palm trees and pyramids…I sense a foreshadowing going on.
I’m thinking Vegapunk might’ve struck a backroom deal with Crocodile while the guy was a Warlord. Possibly, to sell a few of the diamonds that he made in his lab on the Black Market. To make a little extra cash on the side.
However, Vegapunk is not a black-market broker. He’s a scientist. A scientist who is so busy conducting his research that he had to split himself into 7 parts. And I doubt he or his 6 Satellites know the first thing about brokering anything on the Black Market.
But Crocodile might.
I am almost positive there is a connection between Vegapunk and Crocodile. Oda gave us the clue with Lassoo, the dog-gun:
I’d say there is a 99.6% chance that Lassoo was something whipped up by Vegapunk/the SSG. But the question that has been looming since the Alabasta Arc is ‘How did Baroque Works (i.e., Crocodile) come to acquire him?’.
We may finally get an answer before the Egghead Island Arc wraps up.
Another subtle clue Oda may’ve dropped was in the last chapter of the Alabasta Arc. In Chapter 218, Robin wins Nami’s favor by gifting her a bag of gems she had gotten from Crocodile:
Could these gems have been created on Egghead? I’m now seriously considering that they were. And Nami damn near took off with a backpack full of Egghead gems:
Edison says these diamonds are only for industrial purposes. Which could very well be their intended purpose.
But maybe Vegapunk was hoping to earn some extra cash on the side? So that way, the World Government wouldn’t be his sole source of funding. What are a few missing diamonds out of thousands?
Besides, in order to fetch the highest price per gem, he wouldn’t want to overflood the market with them anyways. Only a few.
Why Crocodile Makes Sense
I’ve heard/read a couple of theories suspecting that Blackbeard is looking capture Vegapunk. With his crew essentially being devil-fruit hunters, Vegapunk’s research into devil fruits would be most valuable to them. However, I think Blackbeard is a bit too old school of a pirate to really capitalize on Vegapunk’s genius.
As for Crocodile, he really is one hell of a Bond Villain. When he felt that he couldn’t conquer the world on sheer might alone, he went for the ancient weapon, Pluton. In the Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever, Blofeld, the main bad guy of the film and a possible inspiration for Crocodile, had a plan to create a satellite laser.
Or a ‘Death Ray’, if you will.
In Chapter 1060, it seems the World Government may already be in possession of something like a Death Ray. Could be Uranus? We’re not sure yet.
Either way, Crocodile’s end-goal is likely to amass power that would surpass that of the World Government’s. This was pretty much the goal he had described in Alabasta in Chapter 193:
But since he failed in his plot to acquire Pluton, the next best thing he could do is kidnap the guy whose been developing the latest weaponry for the Marines. Futuristic tech that no one else has access to.
If Crocodile already has a prior connection to Vegapunk, possibly through illicit diamond sales, he may’ve already devised a plot on how to kidnap him. And it may finally be playing out now.
But just how exactly?
Well…
Caribou?
YouTuber, Randy Troy, has an interesting theory speculating that Caribou was formerly a member of Baroque Works as Mr. 10.
Caribou has been MIA for several chapters now. And I can totally see him being the one sabotaging the Labosphere. Pissed with how the Straw Hats kicked him off to the curb. However, Caribou never expected for the Straw Hats to dock on a government island. Much less Egghead Island.
Maybe he found a den den mushi somewhere, hoping to catch a ride? But instead, he was given an order to sabotage the island as much as possible. Huge stretch. But I think it could’ve happened.
He then snatched up Stella-Vegapunk while he was in his baby-form, forced him to point out the location of every camera, and then threw him in a holding cell while the rest of the Labo-Sabotage/Vegapunk-Kidnap plan unfolds.
However, if Caribou is now working under orders from the Cross Guild, I doubt he’s working alone. Because his landing on Egghead was an unexpected surprise.
So, who could he be working with?
Stussy?
Look, I still think this chick is suspect as hell.
And I think she’s the one giving Caribou orders on how to sabotage the Labo. She may’ve spotted him lurking around after being kicked off the Sunny and recognized him as a former Baroque Works Agent. Maybe she found a way to call him?
Just in Chapter 1073, Shaka revealed that Stussy has been an undercover for the SSG for ten years. However, it was a situation that wasn’t exactly planned.
So, to me, her true loyalties remain in question. She may see it as a benefit to protect the Vegapunks at all costs. Even at the risk of blowing her cover. But is this all out of loyalty to Vegapunk, her creator? Or does she have some ulterior motive that has yet to be revealed?
In a previous post of mine, I had theorized that Stussy’s true allegiance is with the Revolutionary Army. While I didn’t know Stussy was a clone when I made that post, I still think it holds some merit.
With the Seraphim, it appears that all of Vegapunk’s clones start off as children. So, it’s possible that Stussy was recruited into Cipher Pol as a child. Most, if not all, Cipher Pol Agents are recruited as children. We saw that during Lucci’s flashback. And it was a subject touched on in Big Mom’s flashback:
Clones do appear to have their own Will. So, maybe Stussy joined the Revolutionary’s cause to bring an end to child trafficking? The World Government had stolen away her childhood and made her into their pawn.
Or maybe Stussy isn’t too bothered about children bought and sold on the Black Market and isn’t a Revolutionary at all?
For the purpose of this post, would she be an ally of Crocodile’s?
Crocodile is hellbent on tearing down the system. And has shown that by the Cross Guild issuing bounties against the Marines. Perhaps, all Stussy wants is revenge? Or she is just bored and simply wants to watch the world burn?
Regardless, I still think Stussy is making moves to execute something big. Huge. Whatever it is, it had to be something worth blowing her cover with the World Government.
Her latest move, I believe, was making a call to Big News Morgans in Chapter 1074:
During the Whole Cake Island Arc, we saw Stussy and Morgans being buddy-buddy. With Stussy sometimes giving Morgans the inside scoop into developing news. But only if it can be spun in a way that favors her objectives. Whatever those objectives are…
In this latest spin, the World Governments comes off as a bunch of evil assholes and that the Straw Hats are on the warpath. Neither party looks too good. So, definitely, Stussy is no ally to the World Government or the Straw Hats. And maybe not even Vegapunk.
Unless…
F*ck a Murder Mystery. This is a Full-Blown Conspiracy Plot!
One worthy of its own Bond film, in my opinion.
Instead of asking which Vegapunk is the traitor, what if they are all “traitors”?
Look, I think Vegapunk is generally a good guy. And I think he genuinely wants to travel with the Straw Hats. However, the guy may’ve gotten caught up with some bad business. Possibly, the aforementioned diamond-racket he had been running with Crocodile that I had suggested earlier?
With Buggy in Chapter 1058, we saw that Crocodile is something of a predatory businessman:
Because Buggy defaulted on his loan, he’s essentially become Crocodile and Mihawk’s slave. Crocodile wasn’t going to let Buggy escape Emptee Bluffs while he owed him money. And I doubt Crocodile would let his diamond-producer and future weapons manufacturer escape either.
Really, the Vegapunks are currently caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side, they have the World Government out to assassinate them. On the other, they got a notorious pirate right on their ass.
However, the Straw Hats may be giving the Vegapunks the very narrow out that they need. So, why would they try to sabotage their own rescue?
Well…maybe all 7 Vegapunks don’t want to be saved?
Lilith (Evil) and Edison (Thinker) are the sketchiest ones. With Lilith being all about the money to fund research. And Edison being named after Thomas Edison, famous inventor but ruthless businessman. They may see it as a benefit to side with the Cross Guild over the Straw Hats. Therefore, they are looking to betray them.
Same could be speculated about York (Greed). And maybe even Atlas (Violence) and Pythagoras (Wisdom). All fairly negative traits. Wisdom, depending how you look at it.
Shaka (Good), I believe, is neutral. He might be hoping for the best. That, they all escape from Egghead with the Straw Hats. But expects the worst. Where the escape fails. And maybe a few of Satellites get caught in the crossfire.
Then, there’s the main Vegapunk, Stella. Who, I believe, is completely oblivious to whatever fuckery his 6 Satellites have been up to. But he knows how he’s at fault.
The whole diamond-racket thing, that was all his idea. He probably met Crocodile as a Warlord in Marie Jois or something like that. Then, struck a backroom deal with him to sell diamonds on the Black Market. But as far as the sabotage of his lab and imprisonment of Cipher Pol Agents, that might be all on his Satellites. And they are now just roping him into their grand plan.
Traveling on a ship with the Straw Hats, they won’t have the money or space to continue working on research. The whole purpose for their existence. But if Crocodile had proposed a deal sometime in the past to supply main-Vegapunk with all the money he needs, along with a new lab, that might be something the 6 Satellites remember. And is something they might want. Even if main-Vegapunk had originally declined. I’m thinking this could have taken place while Crocodile had his plans set in motion for takeover of Alabasta.
With Vegapunk’s whole arrangement with the World Government going up in smoke in the moment, the 6 Satellites might be going right for Crocodile’s deal. And may’ve even been the ones to set Stella-Vegapunk up.
Based on what Stella-Vegapunk said in Chapter 1076, it seems that the reason why the World Government turned on him was because it got leaked that he was researching the poneglyphs:
What if Crocodile found out about Pluton through Vegapunk’s research? If not from Vegapunk himself, then maybe through one of his 6 Satellites?
One or a couple of Satellites are playing into Vegapunk’s more conniving nature. Where the research must continue. No matter the cost.
And maybe Stussy did not just snitch out the World Government to Morgans. But Vegapunk to the World Government, too.
I sense a perfect storm brewing in Egghead. With not just one or two betrayals. But several.
All because Vegapunk has a tendency to make shady business deals with not-so-great people.
Hey! Bonus Thought:
If Crocodile has been in cahoots with Vegapunk, maybe he’s in possession of the S-Croc Seraphim? Maybe Vegapunk reported him as a failure because he couldn’t replicate Crocodile’s sand-logia powers. So, now Crocodile has his own mini-me like Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. An imperfect clone. But something he’s grown to love. Dumb thought, sure. But I think it would be funny.
Conclusion
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that all the major players from the Alabasta Arc are suddenly becoming relevant again. We just got an update on Vivi in Chapter 1074. So, she might get roped into this conspiracy going on in Egghead thanks to her current connection with Morgans. She might just pick on it first that it’s Crocodile up to no good yet again. And might try to find a way to warn Luffy, now knowing where he is and what is going on.
Regardless, we should be getting some updates on what other things the Cross Guild has cooking other than the Marine bounties. And I’m about 99.9% sure Crocodile has his eyes set on Vegapunk. So, he might be behind all the screwy stuff that has been going down on Egghead. If not, he plans on getting his hand on that genius one way or another. Make him a useful slave just like Buggy.
Then next, is to take over the world. Muahahahaha!
Thinking of Vegapunk, he might be a perfect example of a dumb smart person. When it comes to math and science, he will always be the smartest person in the room. But when it comes to business, he’s still liable for getting scammed. Understanding people may not be his strong suit. Rather, it is his weak point. And it might just be a weak point that a guy like Crocodile would be happy to exploit.
