Chapters · Final Saga › Egghead

Chapter 1106: On Your Side

Arc: Egghead · Saga: Final Saga · Released: 2024-02-04

Summary

As the Buster Call levels Egghead and the Marines scramble to evacuate, the World Government orders the Kuma-faced Pacifistas to “shoot that foolish family” — Kuma and Bonney — “once and for all.” Instead, the units go haywire and turn their cannons on the Marine fleet. A recorded message from Vegapunk (Stella) explains why: dreading that the Navy might one day order a clone in Kuma’s form to kill the daughter Kuma loved, Vegapunk inserted a hidden directive into every unit built to look like Kuma — that even if the highest authority in the world, or the entire world itself, should command it, the Pacifistas will protect Bonney; “this is just a selfish wish of mine… Kuma will ALWAYS be on your side.” Mortally wounded and accepting “the consequences for my willful actions,” Vegapunk watches as Saturn orders Kizaru to eliminate them; Kizaru moves to cut Bonney “in two” — only for Gear-5 Luffy (“Full tummy, full power!!”) to crash in and blast him away, bouncing laughing through the burning city to scoop survivors clear. As Luffy’s joyful “Doom-dut-da-da” rhythm rolls across the island, the buried ancient Iron Giant creaks and begins to stir, and Vegapunk realizes the truth he “couldn’t be sure of until [he] saw it” — the Straw Hat Luffy that Kuma had his eye on is Nika, the Sun God the world has awaited for centuries: “Kuma was right!! This Buster Call is futile!!” Off the northeast coast, an enormous fleet bears down — the legendary Giant Warrior Pirates, Dorry and Brogy, charging in for “Straw Hat… or should it be, Sun God!!”

New reveals

• The “On Your Side” directive: Vegapunk programmed a hidden override into every Kuma-form Pacifista so that they will defend Bonney against any order — “even if the highest authority in the world should command it,” “even if the entire world should be your enemy” (pp. 8-9). When the WG orders the units to gun down Kuma and Bonney, they instead “go haywire” and fire on the Marine fleet (pp. 6-7).
• Vegapunk’s motive, stated: “The one worry in the back of my mind was seeing Bonney killed by the father she loved” — so he made the units that wear Kuma’s face incapable of harming her; “this is just a selfish wish of mine… Kuma will ALWAYS be on your side” (pp. 8-9) — the chapter title.
• Luffy = Nika confirmed by Vegapunk: “The very same Straw Hat Luffy that Kuma had his eye on… was Nika, the Sun God!!! For centuries, people all over the world have been waiting for him!!! Kuma was right!!” (p. 15).
• The Iron Giant stirs: the dormant ancient robot creaks awake (“VMMM… CREAK…”) as Luffy’s Nika drum rhythm rolls over the island — “He appears from the blue with laughter and this rhythm… Nika?” (p. 14).
• Gear-5 rescue: Kizaru, ordered to “eliminate them,” nearly cuts down Bonney (“I’ll cut you both in two… It won’t hurt”) before Gear-5 Luffy blasts him away (pp. 11-12).
• The Giant Warrior Pirates arrive: an enormous fleet off the northeast coast — Dorry and Brogy, a band “I thought fell apart over 100 years ago” — charges in “for you, Straw Hat… or should it be, Sun God!!” (pp. 16-17).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Luffy (Gear 5 / Nika) · Jewelry Bonney · Vegapunk (Stella, mortally wounded) · Atlas · Kuma (referenced — Pacifista form / directive) · Kizaru · St. Jaygarcia Saturn · Dorry · Brogy · Iron Giant Emet (ancient robot, stirring) · Nico Robin (title-page art only) · Giant Warrior Pirates · Marines · Egghead (northeast coast) · Pacifista · Buster Call · Sun God Nika · Drums of Liberation

Notable panels

• Page 1 (title page): Reader-Request art — “Robin giving a crocodile a cute outfit” by Aba. Nico Robin in beachwear, carrying a surfboard, walks a tropical street past a shop while a large crocodile in a white “LACOSTA” t-shirt (a Lacoste-logo parody) and striped trousers shoulders a bindle. Decorative reader-request splash, not a serialized cover story or foreshadowing color spread.
• Pages 6-7: The Kuma-faced Pacifistas turn and open fire on the Marine ships — “Why are they turning this way?!!” / “The Pacifistas have gone haywire!!!”
• Pages 8-9: Vegapunk’s directive monologue intercut with the Pacifistas blasting the fleet — building to “Kuma will ALWAYS be on your side!!!” (chapter title) over a weeping Bonney.
• Page 11: A Kuma-form unit takes Kizaru’s laser to shield Bonney; Kizaru appears with a glowing blade — “I’ll cut you both in two. Don’t worry, Bonney… It won’t hurt.”
• Page 12: Gear-5 Luffy crashes in — “AHYA HYA HYA!!” / “Full tummy, full power!!!” — and blasts Kizaru away (“BAKOOOM!!!”).
• Page 14: The buried ancient Iron Giant creaks awake to Luffy’s “Doom-dut-da-da” rhythm; the bottom tier re-renders the Nika Silhouette in Skypiea dancing-silhouette-in-a-sun + Liberation-drum composition (Bonney recalling Kuma’s “That’s right. He’s my idol… NIKA?”).
• Page 15: Full-width beat — Vegapunk’s realization that Luffy “was Nika, the Sun God!!!” with Gear-5 Luffy laughing in the sky.
• Pages 16-17: The Giant Warrior Pirates’ fleet charges the coast; Dorry and Brogy (“Ge gya gya gya gya!!!”) arrive — “A new state of emergency!! The Giant Pirates have arrived!!!”

Open questions raised

• Are the arriving Giant Warrior Pirates the off-page defenders who destroyed the WG pursuit fleet in Ch. 1105 — and why have they come “for the Sun God”?
• Will the stirring Iron Giant fully reactivate, and what does its resonance with Luffy’s Nika rhythm mean?
• Can Vegapunk (Stella) survive his wounds long enough to do anything more, or is this his end?
• With the Pacifistas now turned against the Navy, does the WG still control the Buster Call?