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The official release of One Piece 1075 is scheduled for February 19, 2023, until which fans will have to settle for unofficial translations of leaks and raw scans. Admittedly, the chapter doesn't seem to feature big battles or thrilling reveals.
Instead, it seems to be more of a transition chapter, with the Strawhat Pirates dividing into subgroups. As he often does, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda sets characters to lay the basis for future developments. The pieces are on board, meaning that the Egghead Arc is ready to get into the heart.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1075 and reflects the writer's personal views, which may be subjective in nature.
One Piece 1075 implies that the Egghead Arc is about to kick its climax
The Strawhat Pirates have divided themselves into subgroups
The previous chapter of One Piece revealed that Dr Vegapunk's main body, the "Stella", had suddenly disappeared, while Jewelry Bonney, who was with him, was still within the building. To handle the situation, the Strawhat Pirates and the six Vegapunk satellite bodies decided to organize themselves.
Luffy and Zoro remain behind to watch over Lucci and Kaku, who are still asleep after being struck by Stussy. The Vegapunk satellites and the rest of the Strawhat Pirates leave to look for "Stella" and repair the damage created by the Seraphims' previous attack.
As things stand in One Piece 1075, the characters are split as such:
- Group 1: Luffy and Zoro, with Vegapunk Shaka
- Group 2: Sanji and Jinbe, with Stussy
- Group 3: Franky, Usopp, Vegapunk Lilith and Vegapunk York
- Group 4: Nico Robin, Chopper and Vegapunk Atlas
- Group 5: Brook, Nami and Vegapunk Edison
One Piece chapter 1075 reveal that the traitor present in the laboratory is acting even more directly now. After hitting Vegapunk Pythagoras with an attack that causes him to explode, the traitor destroys all the Den Den Mushi, cutting the communications.
Vegapunk Shaka is monitoring everything, but all he could grasp is a shadow, meaning that the identity of the traitor still remains a mystery. However, the former should be the safest, considering that he is together with Luffy and Zoro, the two strongest members of the Strawhat Pirates.
Lucci and Kaku are old villains who come back for more
During the Enies Lobby Arc, Lucci and Kaku confronted Luffy and Zoro. Kaku was able to give Zoro a certain amount of trouble, but ended up brutally overwhelmed when the latter went all out using his Nine Sword Style: Ashura.
Lucci, on the other hand, proved himself to be a true pain in the neck for Luffy. Despite using his Gear 2 and Gear 3 forms, the latter struggled to take him down. To beat Lucci, Luffy needed every bit of strength that his body had.
After two years of time skip, Lucci and Kaku have come back much stronger than they were before. Having unlocked the Awakening of their Zoan Devil Fruits as well as developed a notable level of Haki, they were promoted as elite agents of CP0.
However, Luffy and Zoro have improved on an even greater scale. After receiving training from Silvers Rayleigh and Dracule Mihawk respectively, they wreaked havoc in the New World. In the recent Wano Arc, they have receive a further boost in power.
Luffy gained several power ups, including the Advanced Conqueror's Haki and the Awakened stage of the legendary Nika-Nika Fruit. These abilities allowed him to overcome Kaido after a very difficult fight, obtaining the title of Yonko.
Zoro partook in the battle against Kaido, wounding him and protecting Luffy from the devastating Hakai attack. He later achieved the all-powerful Advanced Conqueror's Haki and annihilated King, the right-hand man of Kaido.
On Egghead, Lucci and Kaku, tasked with killing Vegapunk on behalf of the World Government, met Luffy and Zoro again, and tried to challenge them. However, the two Strawhats can now easily handle them, not even treating them as real challenges.
Lucci and Kaku's unexpected proposal to Luffy and Zoro
To make things worse, Lucci and Kaku's colleague Stussy suddenly betrayed them, revealing her true allegiance to Vegapunk. She hit the duo with her special ability, causing them to immediately fall asleep.
Completely unconscious, Lucci and Kaku were bound with Seastone. Luffy and Zoro were left behind to guard them, but suddenly two Seraphims, S-Hawk and S-Bear, broke into the room and started attacking everyone.
While Luffy was temporarily away with Vegapunk Shaka, Zoro handled the situation, fending off the two Seraphims. A testament to his honorability, he protected the sleeping Lucci and Kaku.
Declaring that he wouldn't feel good if he let them be killed while they were unconscious and thus unable to defend themselves, Zoro stood in front of the two. Meanwhile, Luffy arrived.
Suddenly, the effects of Stussy's technique vanished, and Lucci and Kaku woke up. Leaving fans in shock, Lucci asked Luffy and Zoro to free him and Kaku, allowing them to become their allies for the incoming battle.
Readers weren't the only ones to be surprised by Lucci's words: Luffy and Zoro were even more jarred. They reacted to the proposal with hilariously disgusted faces, strongly resembling those of Whitebeard and Oden when Roger asked the latter to join him.
Final thoughts
With Sanji's comical interaction with Stussy, as well as Luffy and Zoro's hilarious reaction to Lucci's proposed alliance, One Piece chapter 1075 was very fun to read through unofficial scans and spoilers. While it didn't feature prominent moments, it clearly laid the foundations for future developments in the intertwined plot of Egghead Arc.
Luffy and Zoro may not be delighted at the idea of allying with Lucci and Kaku, but the latter's proposal admittedly makes sense. The two CP0 agents are powerful individuals who could provide Luffy and Zoro useful support in battle.
Conversely, if left chained with their Seastone, they are just deadweights that need protection. With Admiral Kizaru and Five Elders member Saint Jaygarcia Saturn being on their way to Egghead, Luffy and Zoro will have quite the challenge to face.
Having to confront such opponents, they can't afford to be distracted by anything else. It would be a smart move from them to free Lucci and Kaku from their bindings and allow them to deal with the Seraphims.
