One Piece Teases Luffy’s Connection to Egghead’s Iron Giant

While all eyes have been on Admiral Kizaru and the inevitable rematch between him and Gear Five Luffy, a mysterious robot that everyone nearly forgot about has begun to move, and it could have huge implications for One Piece’s story going forward. One Piece’s anime has made a glorious return, kicking things into high gear on Future Island and as things continue to heat up on Egghead, its seems Vegapunk, Luffy and the Straw Hats can use all the help they can get to make their escape. Luckily, a giant, Void Century robot might just come to their aid, revealing a connection with Luffy, the Nika Fruit, and maybe even Joyboy in the process.

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Egghead’s Ancient Robot May Be Connected to Nika and Gear Five

First introduced in Episode 1095, all that fans know so far about the Iron Giant in the anime is that the robot was constructed 900 years ago, exactly during the elusive Void Century. According to Vegapunk, the robot was last active 200 years ago when it mysteriously attacked Marijoa 200 years ago, until it ran out of power. The robot’s goal for doing so is a mystery, though Robin has pointed out that this rampage in the Holy Land took place right when discrimination against Fishmen was becoming a major issue.

Though the World Government ordered the robot’s destruction 200 years ago, scientists at the time could not go through with the order, leaving it at Egghead until Vegapunk came across it. In Episode 1098, Shaka has also revealed that the Iron Giant served as the basis for creating the Vegaforce-1, though he could never replicate the Iron Giant’s power source, which he described as a power that defies all knowledge and logic of the present-day world of One Piece.

Knowing what we do about Gear Five and the true capabilities of the awakened Nika Fruit, Luffy’s powers do fit the bill of this ancient power source quite perfectly. Gear Five has proven to defy all rules of logic and physics, and the fact that the Iron Giant reacted almost immediately to the drums of liberation further supports this theory. In Episode 1094, Lilith even curiously mentioned wanting to create a second sun with an undying flame to use as an ideal, alternative energy source.

Perhaps this could be a hint at the ancient power source of the Iron Giant and the Ancient Kingdom being related to Sun God Nika in some way. As things stand, it appears as though the Iron Giant may be powered by the Drums of Liberation, which is essentially the sound of Luffy’s heartbeat while in Gear Five, diegetic music heard both by the characters and the viewers. Absurd as it may sound, even One Piece’s manga has yet to provide a definitive answer in this regard, making this our best bet so far.

The Iron Giant Will Be Crucial in One Piece Going Forward

Overall, there are still many lingering questions about the Iron Giant, such as what spurred it into action 200 years ago and why it has awoken again now. However, now that the Iron Giant is awakening again, hopefully, it won’t be too long till fans get some answers. The giant robot has the opportunity to completely turn the tide in the Straw Hats’ favor, becoming a crucial ally in the fights to follow on Egghead. More importantly, given the time frame of its origins, the Iron Giant will surely serve as a means for One Piece to reveal more about the Void Century, the Ancient Kingdom, and maybe even the enigmatic figure named Joyboy at the center of it all.

One Piece is available to stream on Netflix and Crunchyroll.