Highlights

Straw Hat pirates grow stronger with each island, benefitting from haki, devil fruits, and advanced technology like Franky's inventions.
Egghead Island arc introduces Dr. Vegapunk to crew, potentially leading to major technological upgrades, benefiting all members.
Vegapunk's expertise could enhance battle efficiency for weaker crew members, preparing Straw Hats to face tougher challenges ahead.

Ever since leaving East Blue, the Straw Hat pirates have become stronger and stronger with each island they encounter. On some islands, the Straw Hats learn more about haki and devil fruits, while other islands contribute more technological advancements to the crew. In terms of technology in the One Piece series, the Straw Hat pirates have one of the most technologically advanced pirate ships in the world, thanks to Franky’s genius.

Moreover, the current level of technology the Straw Hat possesses is expected to increase after One Piece’s Egghead Island arc, as the renowned Dr. Vegapunk is sure to leave his mark on the crew one way or another.

One Piece Kaido and Uo Uo no Mi Devil Fruit

One Piece: Kaido's Uo Uo no Mi Devil Fruit, Explained

Kaido owed much of his overwhelming power to his Uo Uo no Mi, a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit that made him one of the strongest characters in One Piece.

Pre-Egghead Technological Arsenal

Even Before Egghead, The Straw Hat Pirates Utilized Technology In Their Battles

Haki and devil fruits undoubtedly reign in the power-level scaling of the One Piece series. However, whether it be for the weaker characters to have a way of fighting or to grant certain individuals advantages over others, increased technological advancement is also an efficient way of fighting. Characters like Franky, Vegapunk, and Vinsmoke Judge have proved that technology is not to be underestimated. Prior to the Egghead Island arc, the Straw Hat pirates were known to use technology to their advantage, whether it was intentional or circumstantial. Characters like Franky, Usopp, and Nami rely heavily on various tools for fighting rather than haki or devil fruits. Interestingly, Sanji also began to use technology to fight after he gained the Stealth Black Raid Suit from his father. While he did dispose of the suit after he noticed changes to his body, the suit has left permanent body modifications that have now made the chef’s body as hard as steel, if not harder. Because of this technological advancement, Sanji was able to defeat Queen with medium difficulty.

The Straw Hats pirate ship, the Thousand Sunny, serves as one of the most technologically advanced in the series with its canon abilities, its Coup de Burst, which utilizes cola, and many more. With the Egghead Island arc, the Straw Hats are expected to utilize more forms of technology, allowing characters like Franky to become stronger while other characters like Chopper, Usopp, and Nami will be able to better contribute to the crew.

Encounter with Egghead: Catalyst for Change

The Straw Hats Finally Meet Dr. Vegapunk

After getting to Egghead Island, the Straw Hats promptly come across Dr. Vegapunk and his clones. The first of the Vegapunks, Shaka, proceeds to tell the Straw Hats about the remnants of Ohara's legacy, which is being preserved long after Ohara's destruction. Moreover, Vegapunk speaks about the Void Century and the giant robot that attacked Marijoa centuries ago. As Vegapunk speaks about Ohara and the Void Century, he also seems to know about the warrior of liberation. All this information is highly valued by the Straw Hats; however, knowing and researching them has put a target on Vegapunk’s back.

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The first major fight of the Egghead Arc proved to be a spectacle on par with the One Piece anime's best moments, signaling exciting things to come.

With the World Government set out to kill him, Vegapunk asks for Luffy’s help in taking him away from the island. Vegapunk’s interaction with Luffy shows that he views the Straw Hat captain as an ally, as he is also acquainted with Luffy’s father, Dragon. As Vegapunk asks Luffy to take him off the island, the Straw Hat captain agrees. While there may be a few unforeseen events, Vegapunk, or at least one of his clones, is expected to set sail with Luffy, and if the genius sails with Luffy, the Straw Hats will most likely get upgrades.

Straw Hat Luffy, I feel it was fate that brought you here today, I need you to take me away from Egghead Quasar! —Dr. Vegapunk

Possible Technological Upgrades Post-Egghead

Vegapunk's Expertise Could Benefit The Straw Hat Crew

While characters like Franky, Usopp, and Nami would benefit the most from Vegapunk due to their nature of using weapons for battle, it is important to note that Vegapunk is extremely knowledgeable about devil fruits and once worked with Vinsmoke Judge, who experimented with bloodline elements, meaning even Luffy, Chopper, and the other devil fruits of the crew could benefit greatly. Moreover, due to his work with Judge, Vegapunk is expected to know about Sanji’s cyborg condition, meaning most members of the Straw Hat pirates could potentially benefit from Vegapunk’s genius.

With Vegapunk, the Thousand Sunny is expected to go through major upgrades, making the ship even more versatile than it already is. Additionally, as fans have noted, in the last few arcs, Nami’s skill in battle has been less than satisfactory, but with Vegapunk, her Clima-Tact could undergo potential upgrades, raising her battle efficiency. Chopper, on the other hand, could benefit from Vegapunk’s medical knowledge, allowing him to make the rumble ball more efficiently without the side effects that were shown in Wano.

Possible Impact of Upgrades on Crew Dynamics and Battles

Strengthening The Straw Hat Pirates For Future Challenges

As seen in the last few arcs, not all members of the Straw Hat pirates have been able to actively contribute to the various battles the crew has been involved in. With Vegapunk and the potential upgrades he’s expected to bring to the crew, the overall strength of the Straw Hat pirates is expected to grow considerably, to the extent that only major players will be able to give the Straw Hat issues. Moreover, as Luffy is expected to face powerful pirate crews like the Blackbeard pirates sometime later, the remaining members of the Straw Hats will have to become strong enough to face Blackbeard’s Ten Titanic Captains, meaning that the weaker members of the crew can’t remain as they are.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.