One Piece’s Egghead Arc has pushed Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate allies to their limits as the story kicks off the franchise’s final saga. As the race for the One Piece treasure heats up, so do tensions between the pirates and the Marines, making this one of the most exciting chapters in the series’ epic tale.
Ever since Luffy activated his Gear 5 powers, One Piece‘s fights have taken their action —and comedy — to the next level. Luffy’s Awakening has changed One Piece forever, and his recent fight with Rob Lucci is a wonderful example of how fun the show’s battles can be when Luffy faces a formidable opponent and must tap into his Gear 5 abilities. With the fate of Egghead Island hanging in the balance, the battle between Luffy and Lucci was an epic one, and its eventual outcome has created some serious new problems for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Lucci’s Arrival on Egghead Island was Filled with Violence
Rob Lucci is Determined to Eliminate Dr. Vegapunk No Matter the Cost
Rob Lucci and his fellow CP0 agents Kaku and Stussy made their way to Egghead with one goal in mind: to eliminate the super-genius Dr. Vegapunk and his six satellites. The mysterious World Government tasked them with their mission, and when they do arrive at the island they are unafraid to use any means necessary to get their hands on Vegapunk.
After being denied entry to Egghead, Lucci and his allies realize that Vegapunk was already aware that they were coming to assassinate him and had put measures in place to stop them. Violence ensues, with Lucci’s ship unleashing cannon fire to try and force their way onto Egghead.
Dr. Vegapunk had planned for such an outcome, and his Sea Beast Weapons were waiting in the waters around Egghead to protect it. Thinking on his feet, Lucci launched a plan that sacrificed their ship to the beasts and took advantage of the Seraphim S-Bear’s Devil Fruit ability to get onto the island. Unfortunately for Rob Lucci, Vegapunk’s newest ally — Monkey D. Luffy — was already on Egghead, ready to unleash his Gear 5 powers to protect the island and his genius scientist friend.
Lucci Disobeyed Orders and Attacked Luffy on Sight
The Two Have Been Enemies Since their Battle at Enies Lobby
After S-Bear’s ability transports Lucci directly into Egghead’s Fabiriophase level, chaos ensues across the island. One of Dr. Vegapunk’s satellites, Shaka, orders the civilians of the island to evacuate and sends Vegapunk’s bodyguard, Sentomaru out with three Seraphim units to try and force Lucci and his crew to leave. One of Vegapunk’s other satellites, Atlas, also attempts to attack Lucci, but she is ill-equipped for the assassin’s might, and he defeats her with a single blow.
Lucci and the other CP0 agents then run into Luffy, who is on a mission of his own for Vegapunk, and Lucci immediately recognizes his enemy. Kaku reminds Lucci that Luffy was recently promoted to the level of Emperor after defeating Kaido, making it a bad idea for them to attack Luffy without prior orders.
Seeking the thrill of another battle with Luffy and realizing that Atlas is already critically injured, Lucci is confident enough to ignore the advice of Kaku and Stussy. He challenges Luffy to battle on the spot, assuming his awakened Zoan form will be enough to secure him a victory, and launching one of One Piece‘s most thrilling battles to date.
Luffy vs. Lucci Saw Both Fighters Assume Their Awakened Forms
Their Epic Fight Leaves Egghead’s Fabiriophase in Total Ruins
An early skirmish between Luffy and Lucci in their base forms ends in a standstill, prompting Luffy to activate his Gear 5 form in a desire to end things quickly. Not one to back down from a good fight, Lucci responds by using his own Awakened Form, transforming into a powerful leopard-like beast. Lucci lets Luffy know that he’s gotten a lot stronger from their first battle at Enies Lobby, and their resulting fight proves him to be telling the truth.
Lucci’s new form was so strong that he was actually able to overwhelm Luffy, attacking the would-be King of Pirates by surprise. Luffy and Lucci trade blows for quite some time, causing total chaos in the Fabiriophase and forcing civilians in the area to flee for their lives.
It is during their epic fight that Dr. Vegapunk realizes the true nature of Luffy’s Devil Fruit. He and the Straw Hat Pirates were watching the fight via surveillance footage on the island, with Vegapunk explaining that Luffy’s Devil Fruit abilities allow him to become the legendary sun god, Nika. With this revelation, Luffy’s Gear 5 form makes him more powerful than he even realizes.
Sentomaru’s Arrival Complicates The Fight
Dr. Vegapunk’s Bodyguard May Have Done More Harm Than Good
Luffy and Lucci continue to fight in their awakened forms until the arrival of Dr. Vegapunk’s bodyguard, Sentomaru, stops them in their tracks. Sentomaru and his three Serpahim units arrive to help the Straw Hats battle Lucci and the other CP0 agents, but their presence eventually does more harm than good.
Kaku orders the CP0 agents’ Seraphim ally, S-Bear, to attack Sentomaru, but the tables quickly turn on Kaku because Sentomaru holds a higher level of authority over the Seraphim agents. This forces Kaku and Stussy to retreat from battle and allows Sentomaru and his warriors to turn their attention to Luffy and Lucci’s ongoing battle.
With all the might of his Gear 5 powers, Luffy was readying up a powerful attack that may have ended the battle when Sentomaru interrupted things, distracting Luffy and giving Lucci time to launch his own powerful counterattack. Rather than preparing a finishing move for Luffy, Lucci instead turned his attention to Sentomaru, attacking him with his powerful Shugan move. In one quick move, Lucci incapacitates Sentomaru and then does the unthinkable: prepares to take control over Vegapunk’s remaining Seraphim.
A Battle to Protect Sentomaru Ensues
Luffy Knows He Must Prevent Lucci from Controlling the Seraphim
With Sentomaru in critical condition, Lucci shifts his gameplan from beating Luffy to destroying Vegapunk’s bodyguard, which will allow him to take command of the incredibly powerful Seraphim. Luffy quickly catches on to Lucci’s scheme, striking him with the Gomu Gomu no Dawn Whip in an effort to protect Sentomaru.
Lucci holds steady, and is not distracted from his new mission to eliminate Vegapunk’s bodyguard. Luffy then ramps up his powers even further, launching a final attack with the Gomu Gomu no Dawn Rocket, defeating Lucci and making him pass out. Luffy turns his attention to Sentomaru, wanting to help him but knowing that he also needs to protect Dr. Vegapunk.
Sentomaru reassures Luffy that Vegapunk’s life is more important, and so Luffy launches himself into the air and gets on the Vaccuum Rocket to escape the destruction and get to safety with Vegapunk. Down below, Lucci quickly begins to regain consciousness after his defeat at the hands of Luffy — and he immediately sets his sights back on Sentomaru.
Lucci Ultimately Walks Away from the Fight with a Valuable Prize
Luffy May Have Defeated Him, But Lucci Still Wins Control of the Seraphim
Lucci is able to make quick work of the injured Sentomaru, and he is then joined by his allies Kaku and Stussy in the Fabiriophase. Luffy may have won the battle, but Lucci was able to secure a valuable asset for his team; the Seraphim now fight on their side. Now, Lucci and the other CP0 agents are able to turn their attention back to their original mission: killing Vegapunk and his satellites.
The CP0 agents and their new Seraphim allies secure any potential exits, forcing Vegapunk’s satellites to act very carefully in order to ensure their survival. Lillith and Shaka begin arguing over the best plan of action when the security measures in their stronghold mysteriously stop working.
Even Lucci can’t believe the Frontier Dome’s security system would malfunction at such an opportune time, prompting him to think that he’s being lured into a trap set by Vegapunk. Proceeding with the utmost caution, the CP0 agents are able to enter the Labophase, proving that the security system failing was not a trick but rather pure luck.
With Lucci and the other CP0 agents closing in on Vegapunk, Luffy and the Straw Pirates now have the monumental task of keeping their scientist friend safe. As Episode 1,102 draws to a close with the CP0 agents breaking into the Labophase unharmed, they have the Seraphim on their side — and One Piece also reveals that Kizaru and the Marine fleet are closing in on Egghead, spelling out even more trouble for both Luffy and Dr. Vegapunk.