Chapters · Final Saga › Egghead

Chapter 1122: Time Is Right

Arc: Egghead · Saga: Final Saga · Released: 2024-07-22

Summary

As Vegapunk’s posthumous broadcast keeps airing worldwide, the planet reels: townsfolk demand the Navy act and fear the sea will swallow them, while prisoners in a prison-block cheer that “pirates are going to rule the world” and that “the One Piece does exist.” The signal even forces itself through the Cross Guild (where the crowd hails a horrified Buggy as the man who’ll rule the world) and reaches Blackbeard, to whom Caribou promises a delightful secret — “Bring him to me!!!” In the seas off Egghead, the reactivated Iron Giant — named on-page as Emet — looms over the fleeing Straw Hats and giants, mistaking Luffy for Joy Boy. It apologizes to Joy Boy, says it wanted to “make you king,” and on hearing Luffy’s full name — “the man who will be King of the Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy” — and his “D.”, unleashes overwhelming Conqueror’s Haki (“Color of the Supreme King?!”) that makes the attacking Marine fleet and sea-monsters vanish: “I won’t let you die!!!” At Pangaea Castle the Five Elders bow before a viscerally agitated Imu, whose heart pounds at the name “Joy-Boy!!” A closing flashback reveals the source of Emet’s power: a child (hat-silhouetted) once “tied a knot of the greatest Haki” and locked it inside Emet’s body, to be untied only “when the time is right” — when Emet’s life, or someone it wants to protect, is in danger — promising “I’ll save you all the way from the past!!”

New reveals

• The Egghead Iron Giant’s name is EMET — recurs in the expanded closing flashback (p.16, “Remember, Emet”); first named on-page in Ch. 1119.
• Emet wields Conqueror’s / Supreme King Haki. It unleashes a vast wave of it to protect the Straw Hats and giants; onlookers gasp “Color of the Supreme King?!” and “Such powerful Haki!!!” The Haki makes the attacking Marine ships and sea-monsters “disappear” (p.11–12, 15).
• The Haki was a stored gift. In flashback, a child tells Emet they have “tied a knot of the greatest Haki and locked it inside your body,” to be untied “only when the time is right” — when Emet’s life or someone it wishes to protect is endangered (p.16–17).
• Emet mistakes Luffy for Joy Boy. It apologizes to “Joyboy” for not being able to “make you king,” says Luffy “looks so much like him,” and reacts to Luffy declaring himself Monkey D. Luffy — emphasis falls on the “D.” (p.7–10).
• Imu’s heart pounds at “Joy-Boy.” At Pangaea Castle the Five Elders bow to Imu (“O great Imu!!”); Imu reacts with audible heartbeat (“B-BMP”) and the cry “JOY-BOY!!” (p.14).
• The broadcast’s worldwide reach: Impel-Down-style prison cells, the Cross Guild, and Blackbeard’s crew all receive Vegapunk’s signal; the recorded message includes “…the One Piece does exist,” “Joyboy is…,” and Vegapunk addressing Luffy’s dream (“I have to stop your dream… from being realized!!!”).
• Caribou’s secret for Blackbeard: Caribou promises Teach a revelation that “will delight you”; Blackbeard orders “Bring him to me!!!” (p.5).
• Vegapunk satellites Atlas and Edison are referenced as imperiled/unaccounted-for during the descent/escape (p.15).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Luffy · Zoro · Nami · Iron Giant Emet · Joy Boy (referenced) · Vegapunk (broadcast recording) · Atlas (named) · Edison (named) · Buggy · Blackbeard · Caribou · Imu · Dorry · Brogy · Five Elders · Haki · Cross Guild · Blackbeard Pirates · Straw Hat Pirates · Giants · Egghead · Mariejois · Pangaea Castle

• Unidentified: figures watching the broadcast inside a prison block (a pinstripe-suited, stitched-face man and a wide-brimmed-hat man, p.3) — not named on-page; not minted. The hat-silhouetted child in the closing flashback (p.16–17) is unnamed — strongly implied to be Joy Boy (inference, GUARDED).

Notable panels

• p.1 — Cover (single illustration, “Cover Request: redraw the artwork of Smoker, a boy from Aichi Prefecture submitted 22 years ago”). Smoker with his jutte; not a continuing cover-serial.
• p.2–5 — Montage of the world reacting to the broadcast: townsfolk, prisoners, the Cross Guild (Buggy hailed as world-ruler), Blackbeard’s crew (Caribou’s secret).
• p.6–8 — Emet reactivated and colossal, towering over the fleeing giant ship; “IRON GIANT!!” / “GIANT ROBOOOO!!”
• p.10 — Luffy: “The man who will be King of the Pirates!!! I’m Monkey D. Luffy!!” — panel isolates “D.”; Emet: “Don’t die, okay?!”
• p.11–12 — Emet unleashes Conqueror’s Haki (“Color of the Supreme King?!”); Marines collapse; “I won’t let you die!!!”
• p.13–14 — Cut to Pangaea Castle: an explosion; the Five Elders bow to Imu, whose heart pounds — “JOY-BOY!!”
• p.16–17 — Flashback (full-spread emotional core): the child names Emet and explains the locked Haki-knot — “I’ll save you all the way from the past!!” (mirror-worthy)

Open questions raised

• Who is the hat-silhouetted child who built/befriended Emet and tied the Haki-knot? (Strongly implied Joy Boy — GUARDED.)
• Whose Conqueror’s Haki did Emet unleash — Joy Boy’s, stored across 800+ years? Can stored Haki really be “knotted” into a body and released later?
• Why does Imu react so personally to the name “Joy Boy”?
• What is the secret Caribou is bringing to Blackbeard, and who is the “him” Blackbeard demands be brought?
• What happened to Atlas and Edison?
• Does Emet recognizing Luffy’s “D.” imply the Will of D. is something a Void-Century construct was built to recognize?