The Egghead arc is the first arc of the One Piece final saga, and it could also be considered the setup for the final saga considering how much the arc has revealed so far in the manga.
Not only has the Egghead arc revealed the true faces of the Five Elders, who had been mysterious entities to this point in the story, but also the reveal of JoyBoy as the first pirate of the Grand Line in the recent chapter (chapter 1114) could have hyped up the saga even more, not because of the reveal of an anticipated character, but because of some previous words from Oda.
A few years back, Eiichiro claimed he was excited to draw a pirate, using the stereotypical look of a pirate, in the One Piece final saga. With the One Piece final saga now revealing Joyboy as the first pirate of the Grand Line, the end of the series could be near.
Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece final saga and has the author's opinion.
Why Egghead Arc is a setup for the One Piece final saga?
The Egghead arc of One Piece commenced with chapter 1058, and so did the One Piece final saga of the series. The arc featured the Straw Hat Pirates visiting Egghead Island to assist Dr. Vegapunk in escaping the Island so that the World Government couldn't kill him.
After Vegapunk's research, he was deemed a dangerous entity by the World Government, and the CP0 was sent to execute the most genius scientist, who arrived at the same time as the Straw Hats.
Considering how many mysteries were revealed compared to the previous arcs, this arc was a setup for the One Piece final saga. The former warlord and the man who split the Straw Hats during the Sabaody arc, Bartholomew Kuma, was revealed as an ally to the pirate crew, every action of whom had a meaning and impact on the story.
The rulers of the World Government, the Five Elders, were no longer mysterious entities. One of them, Saint Saturn, introduced himself on Egghead Island arc alongside Admiral Kizaru as the man who forced Kuma to become the Pacifista model.
But it didn't stop there. After Vegapunk's death at the hands of Admiral Kizaru, the scientists pulled out a surprise move and started revealing the world's truth in front of the Grand Line. This rendered Saint Saturn confused and looking for a way to stop the scientists before it was too late.
Moreover, one of the biggest reveals of this arc was when Saturn summoned all Gorosei on Egghead Island after he found himself helpless. The Five Elders appeared in their yokai form and wreaked havoc on the Island, destroying everything that could be a possible source for Vegapunk's stream.
With the reveals of such quantity and magnitude in a single arc, the Egghead arc became the setup for the One Piece final saga. But the cherry on top was the reveal in chapter 1114, where Vegapunk revealed the existence of JoyBoy, who existed during the Void Century and was the world's first pirate. Moreover, JoyBoy could also be the man Oda is excited to draw.
Why the introduction of JoyBoy could mark the end of Egghead arc and the start of the final phase of the final saga?
In June 2007, Eiichiro Oda released a statement that a character with an eyepatch would appear in his series 'final phase,' claiming that he was excited to draw him.
The introduction of JoyBoy at such an important part of the One Piece final saga could mean that the eyepatched pirate Oda mentioned 14 years ago could be JoyBoy himself. So, judging from Oda's words, the next few chapters could see the end of the Egghead arc and the start of the final phase of the One Piece final saga.
Related Links
- One Piece chapter 1114 highlights
- One Piece manga to go on break after chapter 1114
- One Piece fans may soon see Joy Boy's promise fulfilled
- Chapter 1114 spoilers confirm Luffy as One Piece's chosen one