This is a very important chapter for the last saga. We see this especially with the last two pages. Here, we have the emperors on the upper part of the page and in smaller panels below also important leading characters depicted there. In combination with the words of Vegapunk: “The fate of this world will be decided on whoever finds it!! It all depends on who finds the One Piece!!”, those panels seem like the starting signal for the race to the One Piece. Therefore, the Egghead arc acts as the initiating story for the whole last saga at which end, we will see the outcome of the war and the One Piece – both matters, Vegapunk was talking about in his speech.
What else Vegapunk was talking about was Roger. He said: “There are certain individuals, who can’t be oppressed. Such individuals are probably the closest to the truth!! A coincidence? Or did Roger set this all in motion?”. In a separate panel we then see Roger’s initial speech of: “My treasure? It’s yours to find. Everything is right where I left it!”.
And if we really think about Vegapunk’s question of, if Roger set this all into motion or not, can be answered quite easily:
For this, we have to imagine us into Roger’s situation right after he found the One Piece. Vegapunk mentioned in his speech that the only ones, who know the truth of the void century are the Roger-pirates. So, Roger knew what happened those 800 years ago and that the war, though there are no battles to be fought anymore, is still raging on as a `cold´ war. Vegapunk also mentioned that the ones, who will find the One Piece will be the ones, who have the most influence on the war. This means that Roger had the chance to take the One Piece and use its influence against the WG. However, he did not and Raylight told during the Sabaody arc that back then, they were not able to do so.
Instead, we are informed in chapter 506 that Roger turned himself in after he became the Pirate King.
This is highly questionable, since we also know that although he had a terminal illness, Roger liked the title and enjoyed flashy things and was enjoying himself. Have you all not wondered why Roger turned himself in so that the WG could sentence him to death at the end?
Roger had also a “wife” or girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time of his death.
To make things worse: During Marineford we even get to know that Roger cared for the wellbeing of his unborn son Ace, since he pleaded for Garp to take care of him, because he could not do so anymore.
Roger knew that his child would be wanted by the WG and pay the repercussions for his father`s actions and status as pirate king.
In short, Roger was having so much to live for and treasure the time he still had on earth. But all he did was turning himself in – and knowingly endangered his family with this action.
It just means that there had to be a reason in Gol D. Roger’s opinion, which was important enough to abandon his time and the safety with/of his son and lover and quit basking in the fame the title of Pirate King brought him.
What was so important?
The only possible answer lies in Roger’s execution itself. Because Roger´s death was the most important moment in One Piece history. And a very important one for Roger himself. This was the moment in which the pirate king had the world’s eyes on him and was the centre of attention – a good moment, if you want to proclaim something important to the world. And this something was that the One Piece is real and that everyone should dare to look for it.
This single statement gave rise to a new era of pirates, who frantically started looking for the One Piece. Roger wanted people to look for the treasure, because he wanted someone to arrive at Laughtale to find, what is hidden there.
Normally you would hide a treasure for yourself, because it belongs to you and you want to profit from it. Roger did not hide it, but instead made his find public so that the whole world knew the One Piece existed and started to look for it. This in return means that Roger thinks of the treasure as a very important thing that needs to be found by someone else.
Those words are his legacy to the world. Because with the One Piece confirmed to be real, many people started looking for it. In other words: Roger wanted the One Piece to be found. And he made the choice to fire the starting signal for it – and paid for it with his death.
Interesting is that Whitebeard supported his friend many years later at Marineford, when he proclaimed again that the One Piece was real. This was the least, he could have done for his friend those very last moments of his life.
So, both men indeed set off the trigger for many young pirates to look for it.
This even supports Raylight’s comment during Sabaody on how much he laughted and cried that day. Laughing: Because, while the WG wanted to set an example for other pirates, Roger used the stage the WG gave him, for his own purpose – irony.
Furthermore, in this chapter we see that Luffy and Bonney actively drive Saturn away, who had just landed on the Giant Pirates’ ship. With Mars blown far away, Mercury and Jupeter being held up by Emeth and Nasjuro being fended off by Atlas, all Gorosei currently are not able to become a thread to the SHP’s flight anymore. The Sunny has jumped off the Labo-Phase and is currently in mid air right above the Giant’s ship. She only needs to land near the Giants and everyone will be ready to sail and be gone.
This is what everyone thinks will happen.
In reality Oda is not nearly done with Egghead. As his editor already revealed, we still have a plot strand, Oda is still hiding from us, and which needs to be resolved during the arc. This is why Oda put the little time skip right inside the plot. And this is also, why so many fans feel that this arc is still lacking as of yet. Many do not feel satisfied at all. We had no real, long final fights and there were many things cut and skipped.
This gets also clearer, if we are looking at how Oda usually writes his plot and how smoothly he let’s plot-strands resolve. We can see how cut Egghead in comparison is and how frayed the arc feels. This underlines the words of Oda’s editor, that there is still more to come.
What this “more to come” is, can be relatively easy concluded from the information we already have.
First, we have to focus on Kizaru. The admiral has not been shown since chapter 1111, as he was hit by Luffy and kept on lying where he was. This way, Oda plucked him from the battle and made him wait until it is time for the character to move again. Then, in the current chapter, it was the first time, Oda drew him in a panel again and gave him a little focus. Currently, with the Gorosei out of the way and the SHPs being almost able to flee, Kizaru is the only one, who is able to reach them, should it come to that. Because remember, that the admiral can bridge even long distances rather easily, using his DF-abilities. He is the last person – currently – who can come after them.