One Piece: Sentomaru's existential drama in Egghead, explored

After a six-month hiatus, the official One Piece anime returns, diving into the long-awaited adaptation of the Egghead Arc. The arc’s futuristic environment sets the stage for a chaotic, unprecedented conflict as the Straw Hat Pirates attempt to escape the island of Egghead, besieged by the World Government’s Marines, CP0, and Five Elders.

The Egghead Arc revolves around the World Government’s attempt to murder Dr Vegapunk, weaving a narrative of intense drama that unfolds through both past flashbacks and the present-day narration. As Egghead turns into a messy battlefield, however, it’s Sentomaru— the trusted bodyguard of Dr Vegapunk— who faces one of the deepest existential struggles of all.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1145.

Sentomaru faced one of the worst existential dramas in One Piece, and it’s not talked about enough

Vegapunk's loyal and valiant bodyguard

Sentomaru before the timeskip (Image via Toei Animation)

Sentomaru first appeared in One Piece during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, when Admiral Borsalino “Kizaru,” some Pacifista cyborgs, and he squared off against the Straw Hat Pirates. At the time, Sentomaru posed an insurmountable obstacle for the Straw Hats. He easily stopped and overpowered Luffy, repelling all of the young pirate’s attacks and knocking him back with devastating ease.

Not long afterwards, Sentomaru partook in the Paramount War in Marineford, where he led an army of Pacifista cyborgs against the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies.

The following two-year timeskip saw Sentomaru becoming a full-fledged member of the Marines, ascending to the role of Commander of the Navy’s Science Unit, a special rank that added to his long-standing duty as Dr Vegapunk’s personal bodyguard.

Sentomaru after the timeskip (Image via Toei Animation)

Sentomaru’s boast of having the “greatest defense in the world” may be an exaggerated claim, but his combat prowess is undeniably impressive.

He can strike his enemies with sumo-style open-palm thrusts, and even project his Armament Haki to damage the target from a distance, without needing direct contact. He can also use the Color of Armament to create defensive barriers in order to block incoming attacks.

With his formidable Haki techniques and hand-to-hand moves, Sentomaru stands out as a fighter capable of holding his own in most cases. During their clash in the Egghead Arc, he was even able to block an attack from Kizaru, although he ultimately succumbed to the Admiral without inflicting any damage on him.

Sentomaru has always regarded the Straw Hat Pirates with a certain degree of respect, and was shocked to see their incredible power surge during the timeskip. When the CP0 attacked Egghead, Sentomaru decided to ally with the Straw Hats in order to fend off the mutual enemy and protect Dr Vegapunk. However, this decision was the first step of Sentomaru’s tremendous drama.

One of the Egghead Incident's biggest victims

Sentomaru vs Lucci in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Although initially confused about the situation, Sentomaru blindly followed Vegapunk’s orders to side with the Straw Hat Pirates against CP0 when the scientist reminded him about his debt of gratitude and loyalty. Unfortunately, during his fight with Luffy, Rob Lucci noticed the presence of Sentomaru, and targeted him to eliminate his command of the Seraphim cyborgs.

In a flash, Lucci used his speed and power to slaughter Sentomaru, breaking through his defense with a single, piercing strike. Lucci’s Haki-imbued blow drove into Sentomaru’s chest, and the latter was left to collapse, which allowed Lucci and the others to take command of the Seraphim.

Sentomaru vs Kizaru in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Some time later, Sentomaru awoke from unconsciousness and tried to eat and recover from his injuries. Yet, his personal drama was only just beginning. In the attempt to stop the World Government’s advancing fleet, he activated and deployed all the Mark III Pacifista cyborgs stationed on Egghead, which forced Admiral Kizaru, who was aboard the nearing ships, to step in and personally confront him.

Kizaru showed respect for Sentomaru, and was visibly unhappy about having to attack his former friend. Even then, the Admiral had no choice but to take down Sentomaru, blasting him into the ground with a laser beam. Left unconscious by the blow, Sentomaru woke up in time to save Jewelry Bonney.

Sentomaru leaving Egghead in One Piece chapter 1124 (Image via Shueisha)

Struck by Kizaru, Bonney had been sent flying through Egghead’s Labophase and was falling all the way down to the Fabriophase. Sentomaru used the last of his strength to grab Bonney before she could hit the ground. He then succumbed to his wounds and blacked out. A group of Marine soldiers found him unconscious and severely injured, and seized the opportunity to capture him.

Tied up and held at gunpoint by the Marines, Sentomaru only survived as the soldiers were knocked out when Emet, the Iron Giant, unleashed a burst of Joy Boy’s Conquerors’ Haki. With Vegapunk gone, killed by Kizaru, Sentomaru had no choice but to flee Egghead, silently shedding sad tears as he rowed away from the island on a boat.

A man abandoned or betrayed by everyone he trusted

Sentomaru's first meeting with Vegapunk and Kizaru in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Sentomaru was deeply loyal to Vegapunk as, when he was a boy, the scientist had pulled him from the brink of despair. Many years before the present One Piece narration, Sentomaru’s fellow citizens banished him to the desolate Mount Kintoki due to his violent behavior.

Fate intervened when Vegapunk stumbled upon Sentomaru, and, impressed by his strength, offered the young boy to become his personal bodyguard.

Being on the edge of starvation, Sentomaru accepted the job offer. He started considering Vegapunk as his savior, and vowed to repay this lifetime debt to the scientist by protecting him at any cost.

Unfortunately for Sentomaru, his unwavering loyalty cost him dearly when he chose to defend Vegapunk against the World Government.

In the Egghead Arc, Vegapunk deliberately leveraged Sentomaru’s devotion to secure his help, using a psychological trick to convince Sentomaru into defying his superiors. What was even worse, Vegapunk’s true plan was to die at the hands of the World Government in order to trigger the broadcast of his pre-recorded message.

Kizaru and Sentomaru in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Vegapunk intended to die from the beginning, yet he asked Sentomaru to fight for him all the same, forcing the courageous bodyguard to unnecessarily risk his life against powerhouses such as Rob Lucci and Kizaru. Of course, the fact that Sentomaru sided with Vegapunk also caused the former to give up his Marine career forever.

So, not only did Vegapunk manipulate Sentomaru, using him as a tool, but he actually turned his loyal bodyguard into a disposable pawn. Sentomaru willingly risked his life and agreed to become a wanted man for nothing. He did that thinking that he could save Vegapunk— but unbeknownst to him, the scientist had planned to die all along.

Upon hearing about Vegapunk’s death, Sentomaru couldn’t help but cry, unaware of Vegapunk’s intricate schemes. Sentomaru’s drama didn’t end there, as not just Vegapunk, but almost any other person whom he trusted ended up betraying him in some way.

Although reluctantly, Admiral Kizaru carried out his grim mission to kill Vegapunk, and gravely injured Sentomaru in the process. Kizaru and Sentomaru were longtime acquaintances, sharing a bond akin to uncle and nephew. This connection was built on Kizaru’s mentorship and Sentomaru’s fascination for the Admiral’s Glint-Glint Fruit.

As the Egghead Incident erupted, Kizaru praised Sentomaru’s resolve to stand up for Vegapunk, but duty left him no choice other than to defeat his former disciple. At least, Kizaru showed some compassion as he didn’t deliver a fatal finishing strike on Sentomaru after overpowering him.

Left to fend for himself by his own people when he was just a child, Sentomaru believed he had found reliable guides in Vegapunk and Kizaru, only for the Egghead Incident to mercilessly tear those bonds apart.

Even Monkey D. Luffy, another man whom Sentomaru held in high regard, let him down. Luffy claimed that he would protect Vegapunk, but failed to fulfill this promise, leaving Sentomaru to mourn the scientist’s death.

Sentomaru standing up for Bonney in One Piece chapter 1093 (Image via Shueisha)

Likewise, Jewelry Bonney showed some concern for Sentomaru’s fate, but never urged anyone to go and rescue him, even though he had used the last of his energy to shield her from certain death. As for Vegapunk’s surviving satellites, they appeared indifferent to Sentomaru’s fate, considering how they left him to his uncertain fate.

While Sentomaru may not strike most One Piece fans as a particularly tragic figure within Eiichiro Oda’s pirate-themed tale, this brave and steadfast man was, in one way or another, abandoned by everyone he held dear or placed his trust in.

In a funny and yet cruel twist of fate, Sentomaru’s ordeal during the Egghead Incident began when he was on a rare day off, which only adds bitter irony to his harrowing plight.