5 characters who need to appear in the next One Piece cover story

In One Piece, cover stories are short, self-contained tales narrated through the cover pages of certain chapters of the manga. They consist of single panels with short captions, spanning several chapters to form a sequential mini-story. One Piece author Eiichiro Oda typically creates these stories to provide additional focus on secondary characters, including both allies of the Straw Hat Pirates and former antagonists, without slowing down the main plot.

Cover stories are a hallmark of the One Piece manga, allowing the author to offer insight into the intricate, entangled world of the pirate-themed series. These tales, whose content is fully canon, tie up loose ends or foreshadow future events, setting up plot twists in the main story while giving a welcome update on characters that fans have grown fond of.

One Piece cover stories include Buggy’s grotesque tribulations after his defeat in Orange Town, Koby and Helmeppo’s hardships after joining the Navy, Enel’s journey to the Moon, the surreal adventures of Gedatsu and Wapol, the former CP9’s life post-Enies Lobby, and the Straw Hat crew’s preparation to the two-year training period. With the current cover story focusing on Yamato’s pilgrimage across Wano, read on to discover five characters the next one is likely to focus on.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1158.

Five One Piece characters the next cover story is likely to focus on

1) Sentomaru

Sentomaru served as the captain of the Navy’s Science Unit and Dr Vegapunk’s trusted bodyguard before the scientist’s assassination during the recent Egghead Incident. Sentomaru’s decision to defend his employer against the World Government led him into situations often beyond his control, ultimately causing him to risk his life and lose his position.

Worse still, Vegapunk manipulated Sentomaru, leveraging on his devotion to secure his aid and persuade him to defy his superiors, despite knowing he intented to die from the start to trigger the broadcast of his pre-recorded message to the world. As he tried to stand up for Vegapunk, Sentomaru was attacked and brutally injured by Rob Lucci, then beaten up by his former mentor, Admiral Borsalino “Kizaru”.

Sentomaru's latest appearance in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Badly wounded, Sentomaru only managed to escape Egghead alive after Emet, the Iron Giant, unleashed a burst of Joy Boy’s Conqueror’s Haki to knock out the Navy soldiers and repel the Five Elders from the island. The last time Sentomaru appeared in the One Piece manga, he was rowing away from Egghead in a small boat, silently weeping for Vegapunk’s death.

Sentomaru’s loyalty to Vegapunk came at a steep cost, as he gave up his Marine career and nearly died. Yet, it was all for nothing, considering Vegapunk’s true intentions from the start. One Piece may now reveal Sentomaru’s fate after leaving Egghead, and his next actions. Perhaps, he will cross paths with Kizaru again. The Admiral is already conflicted about opposing his former friends and having to kill Vegapunk, so their reunion might push him to truly question his Unclear Justice.

2) Stussy

Despite being an elite member of CP0, Stussy was secretly loyal to Dr Vegapunk, the scientist who created her as a clone of former Rocks Pirates member Buckingham Stussy. When she and two other CP0 elites, Rob Lucci and Kaku, were sent to assassinate Vegapunk, Stussy waited for the perfect moment to betray her colleagues, which she eventually did, leaving them bewildered and confused.

However, Lucci later retaliated for Stussy’s betrayal. When Lucci targeted Vegapunk to complete his mission, Stussy attempted to protect the scientist, but all she could do was to act as a human shield for him. Then, Lucci struck Stussy, brutally injuring her with a single attack that left her on the brink of death. Fortunately, emergency care saved her from her grievous wound.

As the events of the Egghead Incident unfolded, Stussy freed Kaku from his imprisonment in a special bubble. With tears in her eyes, she apologized for her earlier deception, confessing that she had come to see him and Lucci as true friends. Visibly saddened, Kaku feinted indifference, but urged Stussy to flee immediately, as Lucci would surely kill her once he returned.

After the conclusion of the Egghead Incident concluded, Lucci and Kaku returned to their ship, and Lucci informed his subordinates that Stussy wasn’t with them because he had killed her. Granted, it’s possible that Lucci genuinely believed Stussy had succumbed to the wound he had inflicted on her, though clues suggest otherwise.

Lucci most likely didn't kill Stussy but let her go (Image via Shueisha)

Despite his established portrayal as a sadistic and ruthless villain, a superhuman killing machine who joined the World Government’s ranks to satisfy his bloodlust, Lucci has developed a hidden compassionate side. This was evident when Lucci, unable to move after Roronoa Zoro critically injured him during their fight, begged Saint Mars to ensure Kaku’s survival amidst the destruction of the Egghead laboratory.

Given Lucci’s surprising compassion, it’s plausible that, when he finally managed to return to the laboratory, he didn’t mercilessly kill Stussy but instead spared her. To protect her from the World Government’s prosecution for treason and defection, he then lied about her death, so that she could escape quietly. Whether this was a spontaneous decision or something that Lucci did after Kaku asked him, the manga’s deliberate omission of Stussy’s death strongly suggests she survived.

Most likely, Lucci told Stussy that she was dead to him and Kaku, but allowed her to leave on the condition that she never shows herself again, as he would kill her on sight if they crossed paths in the future. This scenario not only provides remarkable character development for Lucci but also sets the stage for Stussy’s survival to lead into the next cover story. It would be interesting to see how she carves out a new purpose in life, finally free from her ties to Vegapunk, CP0, and all other allegiances.

3) Vegapunk’s satellites

Edison, Pythagoras, Atlas, and Shaka's latest appearance in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

During his time on Egghead, Dr Vegapunk split his essence into six artificial beings known as “satellites”, Edison, Lilith, York, Shaka, Pythagoras, and Atlas, each embodying a distinct aspect of the scientist’s personality. After Vegapunk’s death, his brain, preserved in Punk Records, remained active. Edison, Shaka, Pythagoras, and Atlas reconstructed their destroyed bodies by using spare parts.

Then, the surviving satellites departed on Punk Records, which had been disconnected from Egghead’s laboratory and set to fly by drifting the sky on artificial clouds. Shaka and the others are certain to reappear in the story, as the manga showed them contacting Haredas of the Weatheria scientists for assistance in continuing their research.

Perhaps, their future role in the main plot of One Piece’s final saga will be foreshadowed by a cover story exploring their lives after the Egghead Incident. Cover stories typically focus on secondary characters from the previous arc, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see one centered around the remaining Vegapunk satellites as they harness some knowledge to shock the world again.

4) York

York's latest appearance in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

One of Vegapunk’s six satellites as the embodiment of the scientist’s greed, York decided to betray Vegapunk and the other satellites, selling them out to the World Government in a bid to become a Celestial Dragon. Consequently, York can be considered the primary instigator of the Egghead Incident.

While York gloated over the presumed death of her fellow satellites, Shaka, Edison, Pythagoras, Atlas, and Lilith all survived, the latter even escaping with a clone of Vegapunk’s main body, aiming to eventually resurrect the scientist. York could only watch as Lilith fled with the Straw Hats while Shaka and the others drifted into the sky on Punk Records.

Following Saint Jaygarcia Saturn’s death and his replacement with Saint Figarland Garling as the new Warrior God of Science and Defense, York became Garling’s direct subordinate. This means that, instead of the luxurious and carefree Celestial Dragon lifestyle she craved, York will have to face a grueling existence as a subaltern of the ruthless Garling.

The gluttonous and lazy York, whose life once revolved around literally eating and sleeping on behalf of the other satellites so that they could concentrate on their invidivual tasks, will now be forced to work for real, potentially shouldering the entire workload of the other Vegapunk bodies. This ironic twist is only fitting, given her deception. With this in mind, a cover story exploring York’s well-deserved struggles in Mary Geoise would be a delightful addition to the One Piece manga.

5) Bartolomeo

In the recent One Piece chapters, the Red Hair Pirates confronted Bartolomeo and his crew for burning their flag, a huge act of disrespect. Bartolomeo, a pirate captain who joined the Straw Hat Grand Fleet pledging his loyalty to Monkey D. Luffy, had offended Shanks and his men by burning the flag that symbolized their protection and authority over Gartel Island.

A devoted admirer of the Straw Hat Pirates, idolizing and worshiping them to the point of becoming shy, getting excited,or bursting into tears in their presence, Bartolomeo was unaware of the connection between Luffy and Shanks when he disrespectuflly burned the latter’s flag.

Bartolomeo's latest appearance in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

As Bartolomeo begged for mercy, the Red Hair Pirates gave him a bottle of poison, instructing him to have Luffy drink it. Unwilling to involve Luffy in his troubles, Bartolomeo drank the poison himself immediately. The poison turned out to be fake, a test devised by Shanks to gauge Bartolomeo’s loyalty to Luffy.

After passing the test, Bartolomeo and his crew departed aboard their ship, the Going Luffy-senpai. However, Yasopp from the Red Hair Pirates fired a powerful attack on them. The blow destroyed the ship, leaving the crew’s fate unknown.

Despite the explosion, it’s likely that Bartolomeo survived, considering how Eiichiro Oda handles death in One Piece. A future cover story focusing on Bartolomeo’s life after the tragic confrontation with the Red Hair Pirates could set the stage for his reappearance in the narrative.