One Piece’s parallel with the real world intensifies because of its darkest character, Dr. Vegapunk. who pursues innovation irresponsibly.
The world of One Piece has tyrannical rulers, heartless monsters, and more, but no other character might be as dark as Dr. Vegapunk. What makes the silly doctor so unsettling is that he is a symbol of humanity’s pursuit of innovation without any accountability.
It is the existence of Vegapunk that turns One Piece into a dystopian nightmare where innovation advances at a faster rate than human conscience. Vegapunk reflects the real world, where people desire to create, but have a tendency to refuse the consequences.
Vegapunk Embodies Progress Without Accountability in One Piece
Dr. Vegapunk’s genius inventions and discoveries have been world-changing in One Piece. He has created seastone ship hulls that can ward off Sea Kings, a system that can potentially achieve weather control, and other beneficial things. At the same time, he created haunting technologies as well.
Vegapunk created the Pacifistas, which are deadly in warfare, artificially replicated Devil Fruit powers, and even the Seraphims. Most notably, he created the Mother Flame, an alternative energy source which Imu used to empower an Ancient Weapon to wipe out the Lulusia Kingdom.
Thus, the character has created some of the most haunting technologies that can wipe out humanity, while insisting that he only wants to help. Vegapunk refuses to confront what his genius has created and thus mirrors the real world, where the dire consequences of technological progress go unquestioned.
Vegapunk Isn’t Evil, and It Makes His Character Uncomfortable
Villains have clear motivations that drive them and make them antagonistic forces, like greed, hunger for power, money, or control. Vegapunk? He has none of them. He does not want to be the king of the world or to create worldwide destruction. He is just a genius who wants to innovate to his heart’s desire, and that’s what makes him dangerous.
The greatest dystopian worlds are not created by villains but by people who have good intentions at heart, but never stop to question what cost it comes at. Vegapunk is so busy with his new inventions that he never wonders if humanity could handle the consequences.
Vegapunk knows the truth behind the World Government, but does not have the guts to act against them. He fears the consequences that will befall him, so he quietly keeps his head buried in his island, pushing out whatever the WG demands, since it gives him at least a little space to tinker away.
Vegapunk is a reflection of the common man who only does as they are told since they cannot go against greater forces all alone. This is what makes the character so uncomfortable to watch, because he is a reflection of the audience, the real world.
