One Piece chapter 1061 provided the fans with the first glimpse of who seems to be Dr. Vegapunk. The scientist was taken away by the World Government when she was working on experiments involving the Lineage Factor and cloning. Despite being arrested, the Marines did not imprison her, instead, they decided to use her knowledge for their own gain.
Since then, Vegapunk has served the Marines and made many important discoveries that have helped the organization in its goal to eradicate pirates from the world. For a long time, the readers were under the impression that Vegapunk was an old man, but the recent chapter changed everything, and it raises the question, is the person really who they claim to be?
Contradicting Evidence
Previously, whenever Vegapunk's name was mentioned, the pronouns associated with the character were he/him. In one of the previous arcs, Vegapunk was addressed by a member of the G-5 as a man. During a flashback in the Punk Hazard arc, Vegapunk was seen talking to Caesar, and in the anime, the voice used for this character was that of a man. During the Marineford arc, Bonney was seen talking to members of the crew and telling them that the Summit War and the deaths of Whitebeard, and Ace were a certain man's fault. Bonney did not name this person, instead, she just ordered her to set sail to the New World. The identity of this man remained a mystery until Bonney confirmed that she came to Egghead Island to confront Dr. Vegapunk. So, with so many characters calling him a man, using male pronouns for him, and even the anime using an old man's voice for him, how is it possible that Vegapunk is a woman?
Another Invention
Vegapunk is a well-known genius, who has made many notable discoveries over the years. He is so important to the Marines that he has a personal bodyguard assigned to him because they cannot risk him dying or being injured. Vegapunk's newest invention- the Seraphim made their debut in the story. These weapons of mass destruction were created by the Special Science Group, which is headed by Dr. Vegapunk. The Seraphim have the traits that belong to the nearly extinct Lunarians, and they also have some features resembling the former Shichibukai.To create such a complex machine, Vegapunk used the Lineage Factor. So, a person who is capable of creating such highly detailed inventions can surely create a cyborg that they can control from a distance.
There is a chance that Vegapunk has created several bodies, and he controls them from a distance, as he can't risk appearing publicly. This is supported by the fact that he managed to survive the disaster that took place on Punk Hazard. It is possible that back then, Vegapunk was using an old man's body, and now he is using the body of a woman. Another reason why the person, who introduced herself as Vegapunk could actually be a cyborg is that she has Punk 02 written on her clothes. The other two inventions that were shown in the chapter also had numbers written on them.
The mechanical shark had 03 written on its fin, and the giant robot had 12 written on it. So, if all three have numbers written on them, it is likely that all of them have been created by Vegapunk. Furthermore, if the woman is actually Vegapunk, it would make sense for her to have 01 instead of 02.
Having number 02 insinuates that she is not at the top of the chain of command and that there is someone else, who is at the top. One other detail that supports the idea of her not being Vegapunk is that she did not get an introduction box. It is something that is used by Oda to introduce a new character in the series, and since she did not get a box of her own, many fans believe that she is not the real Dr. Vegapunk.
Who Could The Person Be?
It is possible that this woman could be Vegapunk's daughter, which would place her directly below him in terms of authority. As the daughter of the most incredible scientist in the world, she has every reason to use her father's name while introducing herself. By her way of talking, this person hates pirates which contradicts Vegapunk's personality. The real Vegapunk appears to be kinder as he programmed Bartholomew Kuma so that he could fulfill his last wish of protecting the Thousand Sunny.
Another dominant theory that has been floating around is that this woman is related to Vinsmoke Sora as both of them have very similar faces. The woman claiming to be Vegapunk seems to be inspired by the legend of Sora, the warrior of the sea. According to legend, Sora teamed up with a giant robot and fought against the evil Germa 66. The woman with Punk 02 on her clothes clearly hates pirates, and she possesses a giant robot.
It is possible that Vegapunk got his hands on Vinsmoke Sora's Lineage factor, and he used it to create the female body. This, however, is a very long shot, and there isn't enough information to prove the connection between the two. As things stand, the chances of the woman being Vegapunk are quite low, but Oda has surprised the readers in the past, and there is no reason why he can't do it again. The next chapter of One Piece will provide more details about Vegapunk, Bonney, and Egghead island, so every fan is anxiously awaiting its release.