Serving as the Straw Hats' flagship after the Enies Lobby Arc,the Thousand Sunny is a cutting edge vesselcapable of navigating even the most unforgiving seas in the World ofOne Piece. Made with the wood of the Treasure Tree Adam, the Sunny — as it is affectionately referred to by the crew — replaced the Going Merry, which was the Straw Hats' ship prior to its eventual deterioration by the time of the Water 7 Saga. In completing the ship, and accompanying them on their journey through the Grand Line, the Straw Hats' shipwright Franky is realizing his own dream, of sailing around the world in a vessel he built by himself.
However, the act of building the Thousand Sunny, and incorporating the many modifications he made to its design, did not occur in isolation. Where Franky had the assistance of Iceburg and the famed Galley-La Company in building the ship on Water 7, the new weapons system and other technological advancements he added to the ship were also indebted to the time he spent in the Future Country Baldimore, on Karakuri Island, during the time skip. There, he discovered the old laboratory of Dr. Vegapunk, the world’s foremost scientist, who Franky idolized for his genius. Now, after encountering during the Egghead Island Arc ofOne Piece’sFinal Saga, it is almost certain that fans will be wonderinghow Vegapunk could help Franky in upgradingthe crew’s now iconic ship.
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How Did Vegapunk Influence The Sunny?
The original design of the Thousand Sunny and all its weapons is sole product of Franky’s own ingenuity, refined after decades of building Battle Frankiesand modifying his own cyborg body. Of its own accord, this version of the Sunny was an extremely advanced ship, and perhaps even one of the best on the sea at the time, which speaks volumes of how good Franky was at his craft. After returning from his time on Karakuri Island, Franky was quite well acquainted with Vegapunk’s work, having gone through the latter’s research extensively in studying his old inventions. Consequently, Franky became one of the very few people in the world who could really comprehend and recreate Vegapunk’s work in all its complexity.
He was able to successfully replicate the lasers used by the Pacifista, which were based on the incredibly potentabilities of Admiral Kizaru’s Pika Pika no Mi. This was then used to bolster the fighting capabilities of his own cyborg body. The newest addition to the Soldier Dock System, that of the Brachio Tank V, was also implemented after the time skip after Franky studied Vegapunk’s notes. While no direct correlation has been established between the two, it is safe to say that the knowledge he gained on Karakuri Island must have influenced his decision to upgrade the soldier dock system.This can be assumed mainly due to the wealth of new technnology and ideas that he was exposed to in the time skip.
Franky also based the design ofthe BF-38 Iron Pirate “General Franky"on Vegapunk’s work. Combining the Kurosai FR-U IV and the Brachio Tank V, which dock together to form the giant mecha, the BF-38 is a remarkable achievement in its own right. As the pinnacle of the Battle Frankies he has been creating since his childhood in Water 7 as an apprentice under the Fishman Tom, the BF-38 would not have been possible without the insight he gained from Vegapunk’s research. The influence in this case, might not have been direct, but it is certain that Vegapunk had a major part to play in the upgrades that Franky devised for the Sunny on returning to the Sabaody Archipelago, shortly before the Straw Hats set out into the new World.
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What Additions Could Vegapunk Make?
Considering that Vegapunk is now the only person in the world ofOne Piecewith knowledge of the Void Centuryand the technology of the Ancient Kingdom, it might not be too much of a surprise for him to enhance the ship’s already fearsome power. The Enies Lobby Arc introduced the Ancient Weapon Pluton, a battleship with enough destructive power to eliminate entire islands instantaneously. As Franky destroyed the only known blueprints for the vessel, it is possible that Vegapunk might have gained some information about the warship and its weaponry from the ruins of the Library of Ohara.
Since he has managed to hide his awareness of the contents of theresearch done by the scholars of Oharafrom the World Government, it might not be a stretch for him to know more than he is letting on about the Ancient Weapons. This is one possibility for how he could contribute to the augmentation of the Sunny. In a similar manner, Vegapunk could also incorporate aspects of Uranus, if it is revealed to be a man made weapon similar to Pluton, into the Sunny’s design. Finally, he may also simply build on Franky’s own designs and add more channels to the Soldier Dock System, perfecting the already commendable work of the Straw Hats' shipwright.
The actual role Vegapunk could play in the Straw Hats' journey is still not yet confirmed, and he may still meet his end at the hands of his satellite York, or when confronted by the Marines who have orders to execute him. At present, the biggest question may be whether he will even get a chance to sail with the crew when looking atthe chaotic state of affairs on Egghead Island. That being said, the future ofOne Piecewill be infinitely more interesting with him around to assist the crew, and hopefully, he will have a major role to play as the story builds towards the earth-shattering climax that it was always destined for.
