One Pieceis a world slowly sinking into the sea, its past buried in a void and its future gearing up for destruction. Fans have been speculating about the nature of this world for almost twenty years now,and in chapter 1113, Dr. Vegapunk finally stepped forwardto reveal the truth—at least, some degree of it.
What follows is one of the most important revelations inOne Piece’s history. Even though it’s far from the full picture, Vegapunk’s message has laid most of the groundwork for the finale.
Vegapunk’s Message: Two Sins and a Warning
Vegapunk’s broadcast is triggered when his heart stops, signaling the release of a pre-recorded message. He immediately grabs the world’s attention with an ominous declaration:
“To make a long story short, the world as we know it will sink into the sea.”
According to Vegapunk, this cataclysmic event is not a natural phenomenon but a man-made disaster that began centuries ago. His message revolves around two central sins he committed, which ultimately connect back to the Void Century and the creation of an energy source known as the “Mother Flame.”
The Void Century: War, Ancient Weapons, and the Flooded World
Vegapunk explains that 900 years ago, the world was vastly different. A highly advanced civilization thrived, only to be wiped out in a massive war. This war involvedthe use of three ancient weapons—Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus—each with the power to destroy entire continents.
The result of this conflict was a dramatic rise in sea levels, submerging continents and creating the fragmented world seen inOne Piecetoday. According to Vegapunk, the current world map is merely a collection of surviving islands from a once-massive continent that now lies beneath the sea.
Evidence of a Sinking World
Vegapunk’s claim about the world sinking isn’t without precedent. For years,One Piecehas subtly hinted at this phenomenon:
All of these examples point to a recurring pattern of sinking islands and rising sea levels—a legacy of the ancient weapons and the Void Century’s final war.
Joy Boy, The Ancient Kingdom, and the Fight for the Future
At the heart of the Void Century’s story is Joy Boy, a figure Vegapunk describes as the first man to be called a pirate. Joy Boy led a powerful faction against the 20 Kingdoms that would later form the World Government. While the exact cause of the conflict remains unclear, it’s evident that two competing ideologies clashed—a war that reshaped the world forever.
Vegapunk’s message highlightsJoy Boy’s attempt to preserve the three ancient weapons, raising a crucial question: Why would someone so closely associated with peace want to protect such destructive powers? The answer may lie in Joy Boy’s ultimate goal—to prepare the world for an inevitable future conflict.
The Role of Ancient Weapons and the Endgame of One Piece
Two of the three ancient weapons have been revealed so far, and both have direct connections to the sea:
Vegapunk’s warning suggests that these ancient weapons are the key to the world’s survival—or its destruction. The Mother Flame, the same energy source that sank Lulusia, may be the catalyst for a new conflict involving these weapons.
The Sinking World: Lulusia, Enies Lobby, and the Government’s Secret Plan
Vegapunk’s warning that“the world as we know it will sink into the sea”isn’t just an isolated prediction. The world has been sinking for centuries, and it’s no coincidence.
The first major clue is Lulusia Kingdom. This incident feels eerily similar to Enies Lobby, an island suspended above an enormous, seemingly bottomless void in the ocean. No one knows how the hole beneath Enies Lobby came to be, but the parallels to Lulusia’s fate suggest a shared cause. Both locations experienced dramatic destruction that left nothing but water and a giant gap where land should be. Could Enies Lobby’s mysterious geography be the result of an ancient weapon wiping out a landmass just like Lulusia?
EvenWater 7reflects this theme, with its sinking city built on top of layers of older structures. While its residents believe the island is simply sinking, Vegapunk’s warning hints that something much larger is happening—something tied to the world’s slow and deliberate submergence.
Why Would the World Government Sink the Land It Rules?
The idea that the World Government may be intentionally sinking the world seems counterintuitive at first. After all, why would a ruling power destroy the very land it governs? The answer may lie in the ancient war between Joy Boy’s civilization and the alliance of 20 kingdoms that would become the World Government.
Joy Boy’s promise to Fish-Man Island and the Noah arc holds a crucial clue.During the Void Century, Joy Boy planned to bring the inhabitants of Fish-Man Island—those most adapted to living underwater—to the surface. This plan was never fulfilled, but it raises an important question:
Why would a race capable of thriving underwater want to live on land in the first place?
The answer may be that the surface world was originally their home, but it was flooded during the war. Joy Boy’s goal wasn’t to migrate Fish-Men to a new world but to restore their original home. The Noah, often described as an “ark,” may have been built to carry the island’s people back to the surface once the water receded. Joy Boy’s promise to Fish-Man Island could be about reversing the damage caused by the war and bringing back what was lost.
The day will come when all the answers are laid bare, and I warn you — that moment will happen when we reach the very precipice of the world’s drowning.
— Dr. Vegapunk
Why The World Government Wants The World To Sink
If Joy Boy’s mission was to restore the world, then the World Government’s goal seems to be the opposite: tomaintain the world in its fragmented, submerged state. One possible reason for this is control. The current world is made up of thousands of isolated islands, making it easy for the World Government to dominate and suppress information.
A unified landmass would be far harder to control. Communication would be easier, alliances would form, and the truth about the Void Century would spread faster than ever. By keeping the world divided and submerged, the World Government maintains its grip on power.
Another possibility is thatthe ancient weapons themselves are keyto the World Government’s long-term strategy.
One can assume that in the past there were anumberof continents we know nothing about. If the world were still the same as it was in the past, then the act of erasing 100 years of history would be simply unthinkable and impossible.
— Vegapunk
By controlling the sea levels and sinking key regions, they can eliminate threats like rebellious kingdoms or rising powers. The destruction of Lulusia is a perfect example—it wasn’t a random act of violence but a calculated move to erase an entire kingdom from existence.
The Mystery of Fish-Man Island’s Connection to Joy Boy
But why is Fish-Man Island’s destruction always framed as inevitable? Shyarly’s prophecy foretells that Luffy—Joy Boy’s modern counterpart—will bring about the island’s destruction. This could mean that the act of raising the Noah and fulfilling Joy Boy’s promise will breakthe bubble surrounding Fish-Man Island, forcing its inhabitants to migrate to the surface.
Interestingly, Vegapunk’s message also hints at this migration. If the world continues to sink, the submerged civilizations of the past may be forced to rise again.
What Does This Mean for the Future of One Piece?
Vegapunk’s speech serves as both a warning and a call to action. The rising sea levels and the ancient weapons are part of a larger narrative that’s been quietly building for decades. TheOne Pieceworld is on the brink of a second cataclysm, and the fate of the world rests in the hands of those who can uncover the full truth.
With the Void Century’s secrets coming to lightand Joy Boy’s legacy playing an increasingly central role, the endgame ofOne Pieceis closer than ever. The battle for the future will not just be a clash of ideologies but a fight for the survival of the world itself.
As Vegapunk himself says,“History tells a story… and the day will come when all of its answers are laid bare.”That day may be closer than anyone expects.
One Piece
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One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
