The central premise of One Piece revolves around the global race of pirates in search of the titular treasure, with the World Government doing everything in its power to stop them.
Over the last two decades, Eiichiro Oda has woven many threads into the final treasure, making the rewards of the final treasure more significant than just wealth, fame, and power. However, ever since the beginning of the final arc, and with the introduction of Dr. Vegapunk, many crucial details have been unveiled that are just as important as the One Piece itself.
That said, one subtle detail from One Piece Chapter #1123 may have made even the final treasure seem less significant against it. This detail revolves around an invention by Dr. Vegapunk that may hold the key to saving countless lives if the world faces its worst possible fate: sinking into the ocean, as Vegapunk predicted in his broadcast.
Adding further context, the broadcast reveals that the rising sea levels are the result of the World Government deploying an ancient weapon to obliterate the Lulusia Kingdom. Dr. Vegapunk also remarks that a similar catastrophe occurred during the Void Century, suggesting that the World Government is intent on repeating history to achieve a “great cleanse,” their ultimate goal. This implies that they seek to submerge the world once more, making on Dr. Vegapunk invention the key to saving humanity from this impending disaster.
Vegapunk’s Island Cloud Is the Most Important Thing in One Piece‘s World
This Invention Will Help Save People When the World Sinks Into the Ocean
One Piece Chapter #1123, “The Void Fortnight”, explains Vegapunk’s genius plan to set the stage for the climax of the Egghead arc. In this flashback, Vegapunk also mentions saving his “Cloud Plant” that produces the island clouds, exclaiming that it might be the key to saving the world. the foundation for humanity’s survival. As the name suggests, these island clouds are stable enough for people to stand and walk on.
While the idea of civilizations built on islands of clouds might seem far-fetched, One Piece has already provided a precedent with Skypiea Island. The Straw Hats visit this mysterious island early in the series, proving that life on the island clouds is possible. Nami also spent the time-skip years on another sky island, Weatheria. The World Government’s recent actions suggest that it may increasingly resort to using Ancient Weapons, which could lead to a dramatic rise in sea levels, eventually making life on the ground nearly impossible. In this context, Vegapunk’s “Cloud Plant” could be humanity’s last hope for survival.
Even if the Straw Hats manage to find the One Piece, the treasure’s true rewards remain vague and it could prove less significant than this life-saving technology in the disastrous event. Vegapunk’s invention, which could literally become the only thing that stops the World Government from achieving its apocalyptic goal, and the foundation for saving countless lives from a world on the brink of submersion.
This makes Vegapunk’s island clouds, and the means to produce them, the most crucial asset in One Piece‘s world right now. While the Cloud Plant seems apparently lost along with Egghead, Lilith’s survival means that it can be rebuilt somewhere else. As the last hope for humanity’s future and survival, it eclipses the importance of any treasure, even the legendary One Piece.
