One Piece may have already explained why the Ancient Kingdom was targeted and wiped out

Modified May 24, 2024 09:18 GMT

Dr Vegapunk as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei)

The Egghead Arc of One Piece has taken a turn again, as Vegapunk's broadcast following his death has finally started shedding light on the first pirate, Joy Boy, and the Ancient Kingdom. Meanwhile, fans have also learned that Vegapunk was searching for a solution to a major problem in the world, and recently got a peek at his invention, the Mother Flame, which has given rise to several theories.

Some speculate that the flame could be produced using atomic energy, while others suggest that the ancient source of energy could be linked to Joy Boy’s hair. What is interesting is that one of the latest fan theories has tied in how the energy resource might have directly led to the downfall of the Ancient Kingdom.

As fans wait for official answers, this theory reframes the manga as a conflict between renewable and nonrenewable energy.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

One Piece theory suggests that the Ancient Kingdom’s energy source led to its eradication

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According to a very in-depth One Piece theory presented on X a few days ago by user @lexypanterra111, the sins that Vegapunk has talked about in his latest broadcast perhaps has a lot to do with non-renewable and renewable energy.

As readers of the manga are aware, it was Vegapunk's dream to harness free energy for everyone, and it was this very dream that ultimately led to his downfall, as he, like the mythical Icarus, flew too close to the sun and lost his life at the hands of the World Government, who saw him as a threat.

The reason for Vegapunk's pursuit of a renewable source of energy was that he saw that the root cause of wars in the world of One Piece is scarcity of energy resources, a point that Jinbe concurs with. Vegapunk believed that if he could somehow discover this energy that is described as being present everywhere, and if it could only be converted into an applicable form, it would bring world peace.

According to the fan theory, Vegapunk was seeking to harness solar energy, as evidenced by him gazing skyward, probably at the sun in chapter 1068.

Sun God Nika as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei)

In chapter 1114, Vegapunk revealed his two sins: firstly, his intent to provide the world with free energy, and secondly, his study of the Poneglyphs and the forbidden books to gather knowledge about the Void Century.

It is specifically Vegapunk's quest for understanding and harnessing this free energy he found had powered the Ancient Kingdom, including the giant robot found on Egghead, that led him to study the censored part of One Piece history. However, this renewable energy source is no longer available in Luffy's era, and thus Vegapunk had to look for alternatives.

The X user states that Vegapunk's first sin is actually his use of non-renewable energy, specifically nuclear energy, which is produced by heating water through nuclear fission reactions and has several drawbacks. First of all, it is scarce and does not ensure equal development across the world. Moreover, it poses significant dangers, including the potential for creating powerful weapons.

Vegapunk's greatest mistake was reactivating an ancient nuclear weapon, Uranus, using a powerful energy source he created called Mother Flame, which was used by the World Government to destroy their enemy, the Lulusia Kingdom.

Lulusia Kingdom being destroyed as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei)

The X user sees why the Five Elders are so concerned about Vegapunk's lab: not only will messing with the Mother Flame lead to a massive explosion, but its destruction may result in them losing their only supply of energy for Uranus.

It is speculated that Vegapunk might reveal that the disappearance of the ancient method of harnessing sun energy was deliberately carried out by enemies of the Ancient Kingdom, namely the World Government, which fought Joy Boy and sank the Ancient Kingdom into the sea, causing water levels to rise.

Thus, the World Government, an alliance of twenty nations at the time, was envious of the futuristic Ancient Kingdom for whatever reasons, and destroyed it.

It is also speculated that the Ancient Kingdom's name might be linked to the sun, and that Joy Boy himself might have been the source of this renewable energy given his connection with Sun God Nika. The theory also suggests that this energy enabled teleportation, which Vegapunk demonstrated when he disappeared from Fabriophase, and might even have allowed for the distribution of the Poneglyphs across the world.