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There's a reason why most readers don't believe Vegapunk actually showed up in One Piece Chapter 1061.
For several years, fans expected an elderly man to be the lead scientist under the Marines. However, during the early stages of the Egghead arc, many readers were surprised to see a young woman claim herself to be Vegapunk.
Eiichiro Oda is known to subvert expectations, so that's not to say that Vegapunk can't be a girl. However, something doesn't really add up. There are many reasons why readers are suspicious of this character's identity, so now is a good time to look over them.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's personal views.
Why do so many readers think Vegapunk didn't appear in One Piece Chapter 1061?
Vegapunk is clearly an elderly man in previous scenes
While Vegapunk did show up in Bartholomew Kuma's flashback regarding his Pacifista enhancements, their face was never fully shown. The lead scientist has only been seen wearing a lab coat with yellow gloves.
The first time Vegapunk was physically described in the One Piece series was back in Chapter 658, which took place in the Punk Hazard arc. The character was described as an "old man" by some random G-5 Marine.
Vegapunk was later seen chastising Caesar Clown for his unethical experiments. When Chapter 684 was finally adapted into the anime, the character was voiced by Japanese voice actor Yoshito Yasuhara.
The Punk Hazard arc seemed to indicate that Vegapunk is an elderly male character.
Most readers have alternative explanations
Given what's currently known, Vegapunk certainly wasn't a young woman during the Punk Hazard arc, which only took place a few months ago in the One Piece chronology. However, based on the mysterious woman's appearance in One Piece Chapter 1061, some readers have come up with interesting theories.
During her debut in the chapter, her skin-tight suit had a "Punk 02" label, while the mecha shark had "Punk 03" written on it. Things would make sense if Vegapunk himself was "Punk 01." Perhaps the young woman is a close relative or even another technological creation.
Readers must also keep in mind that whenever characters are introduced or reintroduced in the One Piece series, a text box usually follows them shortly after. This was the case for minor characters like Prince Grus and Hibari. However, Vegapunk didn't get any sort of text box, despite the character's major influence in the series.
Everybody will just have to wait and see
Oda is likely to clear up matters in the next chapter. If the mysterious woman does end up being Vegapunk, she will likely get her introduction box by then. However, if that isn't the case, her true identity will be revealed.
Either way, the Egghead arc will have a clear focus on Vegapunk. Readers will know what's going on sooner or later.
In any case, the mysterious woman has been very popular with the fanbase, mainly due to her attractive design. It remains to be seen if she will play a bigger role in the story.
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