Why a small detail in One Piece Chapter 1061 may reveal big things about Vegapunk

One Piece Chapter 1061 spoilers were released on Tuesday this week, bringing with them the long-awaited introduction of Dr. Vegapunk. The enigmatic head of the Special Science Group has finally been introduced, much to the joy of fans everywhere who expect big things from their presence.

Currently, fans are still uncertain about their intentions, alignments, or objectives, with their only obvious affiliation being with the World Government and the Marines. However, a tiny detail within the One Piece Chapter 1061 spoilers may have hinted at what their true allegiances are.

Follow along as this article fully breaks down why the One Piece Chapter 1061 spoilers may imply Vegapunk to be a member of SWORD.

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One Piece Chapter 1061’s emphasis on SWORD base near Vegapunk’s island suggests her heroic alignment

One Piece Chapter 1061’s spoilers began by emphasizing that the Straw Hats had arrived at Egg Head Island, the “island of the future,” which belongs to Vegapunk. Immediately after this, spoilers emphasized the presence of a Marine base nearby, where “the children of Punk Hazard, Tashigi, and some members of SWORD” are present, including Helmeppo.

While this may seem like a subtle inclusion with nothing more to tell than its face value, some fans suspect this to actually be suggestive of Vegapunk’s true allegiances. Although it’s expected to have a Marine base stationed near Vegapunk’s home, the choice to emphasize it’s filled with SWORD members and people the Straw Hats have previously allied with is intriguing.

Some fans feel this is a subtle hint from Oda that Vegapunk may be involved with the elusive SWORD group, of whom fans are only aware of a few members as of this article’s writing. Helmeppo, Coby, and X Drake are currently confirmed members, with the lattermost seemingly leading the group based on what fans know about the organization.

In the wake of raw scans being released, fans also see that Vegapunk introduces herself to Luffy and co in an amicable manner. While it's not necessarily a given indicator that she’s willing to ally herself with the Straw Hats or their ideals and goals, it is certainly a better reception than most Marine personnel have.

Furthermore, it would explain why Vegapunk granted Kuma’s last request as a human to guard the Straw Hats’ ship, the Thousand Sunny, until they returned from their time-skip adventures. Despite Kuma’s mechanical body suffering from lack of maintenance and devoted safekeeping, Vegapunk still approved a request which essentially ruined her greatest creation (at the time).

Another major hint from the chapter which may support Vegapunk’s being a member of SWORD is Helmeppo’s expressed desire to ask to borrow her Seraphim Pacifista to rescue Koby. While Helmeppo is likely a respected member of the Marines, to have such power to ask to borrow the military group’s strongest current weapons seems unlikely for him.

This would seemingly suggest that he’s asking her this from a place of friendship, whether it be their friendship or Vegapunk’s friendship with Koby. In either scenario, it becomes clear that at least some SWORD members are friendly with Vegapunk, even to the point of asking for favors that commanding officers may not otherwise approve of.

However, this is all speculative, as One Piece Chapter 1061 has not been officially released yet. As a result, fans won’t quite know Vegapunk’s goals, intentions, and allegiances with any certainty until she reveals them in later issues.

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