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Following the sect-shaping division amongst One Piece’s fan base which the Wano Arc created as it was released weekly, the beloved Egghead Island arc has truly been a breath of fresh air. Most fans, and more importantly a greater number than during Wano, currently agree that the latter arc is refreshing, exciting, intriguing, and of an incredibly high quality.
As series author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda takes a break week following the release of One Piece chapter 1079, fans are both looking to Egghead’s future and discussing its past. However, in the process of doing the latter, fans have discovered one major loose end that Oda still needs to tie up.
With Blackbeard Pirates set to arrive at Egghead Island, Caribou’s allegiances in One Piece will become clear
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Since the Straw Hats first made landfall on Egghead Island, fans have questioned exactly what Caribou’s role would be in One Piece’s first true stab at a “whodunnit” story. However, with the eventual reveal that Vegapunk York captured the true Dr. Vegapunk and betrayed the group overall, the purpose of Caribou’s presence became unclear.
This was especially shocking because of how much sense it made for him to have captured Dr. Vegapunk. After not being able to extort the Straw Hats in the fullest way he had hoped, Caribou used his Swamp-Swamp Fruit to swiftly and unnoticeably capture Dr. Vegapunk. He then made a deal with the Straw Hats to get taken to a more favorable island, and possibly then some.
Since the reveal of York’s betrayal in recent issues, the present (albeit unpopular) topic of conversation amongst One Piece fans has been exactly what role Caribou will play. One topic fans kept coming back to in discussions was his learning that the Ancient Weapon Pluton was in Wano, overhearing this as a stowaway on the Straw Hats’ ship on the way to Egghead Island.
However, fans couldn’t agree on exactly who Caribou would possibly call. Some suggested Big News Morgans, while others argued the World Government and other large groups. Thankfully, the final panels of chapter 1079 just may have shown fans exactly who Caribou called and who his new allies are.
With the latest One Piece issue confirming that a sect of Blackbeard Pirates is currently approaching Egghead Island, fans are anticipating this to have been Caribou’s doing. In calling Blackbeard, he most likely told the pirate of Dr. Vegapunk’s current vulnerability, Pluton’s location, and the fact that the Straw Hats have Road Poneglyph rubbings on hand.
In exchange, Caribou most likely asked to become a ranked member of Blackbeard’s fleet. Whether or not he was given such a lofty position is up to debate, with official canon material suggesting that a 10th captain is yet to be revealed. However, it’s certain that Caribou’s ambitions are great enough to have him ask such a question.
There’s also the possibility that Caribou is already a member of the Blackbeard Pirates, and will simply be promoted to the role of 10th captain. The possibility in this lies in not knowing Caribou’s specific activities following his initial post-time-skip appearances and before his re-emergence in One Piece’s Wano arc.
In any case, Caribou will almost certainly be revealed to be allied with, have been allied with, or have become allies with the Blackbeard Pirates to some degree. To not only continue emphasizing the threat that the group possesses, but to also do so in a way that sees Straw Hat information stolen, would emphasize how dangerous they are.
Furthermore, even if Caribou himself isn’t the 10th captain, it would make sense to introduce the 10th captain on the back of Caribou’s interventions as the series dives into its final stages. As a result, it’s almost certain that the upcoming issues of One Piece will reveal him to be aligned with the Blackbeard Pirates. However, this is still speculative as of this article’s writing, allowing Oda to pull one over on readers yet again in this arc.
Follow along for more One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
