Thoughts about the chapter:
The very important background info (explaining Sanji’s behavior):
I hope everyone has noticed the reaction Sanji is having upon seeing Stussy being stabbed with a Shigan into her chest/belly. He is not reacting like we used to know him do from the past. Because, usually we are accustomed to him protecting every female character from harm or getting at least angry when he sees a pretty female being harmed in any way. Here, he isn’t doing anything of this.
Unusual, is it not?
This makes me think back to occasions where he let other characters hurt a woman in such a fashion and not be bothered about it. In fact, I cannot remember anything alike.
But in fact, the only times a female was hurt by a person and he did not intervene was, when the SHP faced female opponents in battle, who were antagonistic. Those were the only times Sanji was ok with someone hurting a woman: If said woman was an enemy.
And Stussy being an enemy would also perfectly fit into the picture and into the plot flawlessly (She called Akainu about the SHP being on Egghead and was this way directly responsible for the now 9 VA and 30,000 marines currently surrounding the island).
If you do not believe me, consider the following:
Saturn states here that the three most important things, which need to be saved at any cost are:
- York
- Punk Records
- Mother Flame
Now, if you look at whom Lucci was trying to kill, we see he aimed at the Stellar. Only for Stussy to throw herself between them in the last moment. We have two different options as to why the situations played out this way:
- Stussy tried to safe Stellar
- Stussy tried to safe Punk Records
Option one would make her an obvious ally to Vegapunk.
Option two would mean that Stussy was not protecting the Stellar, but Punk Records, which would die with the Stellar if he were to perish. It would mean she works for the WG and is a double agent. It would also fit with her calling Akainu in the first place.
In fact, Lucci trying to kill Vegapunk could be considered as odd because:
- Either he has not gotten the information that Saturn wants Punk Records not to be destroyed and is working according to his old mission
- Or he does know that the WG wants to have Punk Records and nevertheless attacks the Stellar
The first option would not be that plausible, because we have to remember that he was able to contact the WG easily and even send them information. For him to not know what their current order is, is suspiciously awkward.
With the second option, I am questioning myself as to what his goal for the attack was. It could be to kill Vegapunk, but for what reason? His new mission from Saturn stated that Punk Records needed to be saved at all costs and not get destroyed.
His goal also could have been to kill Stussy. Because look, the Stellar was not the Vegapunk, who stood the nearest to him – that was Atlas and than came Edison. The Stellar was even farther away and it would have been easier for Lucci to attack Atlas and Edison first, before moving in to kill the Stellar. He did not do so, but instead aimed for the Stellar, who Lucci knew the WG needed alive at all costs. To prevent Punk Records from dieing, and because she is on the WG's side Stussy needed to throw herself in front of him and maybe Lucci banked on it to hurt or even kill her. Maybe she was the aim in this case.
Remember: Lucci wanted to make her pay and Luffy’s and Lucci’s agreement stated that he was not to kill any of Luffy’s crew or one of the Vegapunks. Lucci is not doing so by going against Stussy, because she was not mentioned in their agreement with any word.
And also remember: Lucci is on Luffy’s side. If you don’t believe me, you can read this analysis as base on which I ground this statement:
Analysis
Also, Egghead is not over, yet. We are still missing very important parts of the arc: We still don’t know what happened during the small time skip. We still don’t know why Bonney has forgiven Vegapunk. And than there is the incident with the camera snails being destroyed and the intercom failing – we do not know if this was York. It could have been her, but we cannot be sure. Zolo wanted something from Vegapunk as well. We have the robot lying in the scrap yard and the matter of the power source that still is a mystery. Kuma was climbing the Red-line like the robot did 200 years ago and we do not know why.
Those things need to still be addressed. I do not think Oda will leave the SHP without at least some of it being revealed.
We are not yet in the end-fight, if you asked me.