Summary
- Oda has become more ruthless in his approach as One Piece enters its Final Saga, willing to kill off characters that are not relevant to the plot.
- Stussy, a former member of the Underworld, plays a crucial role in the Egghead arc by thwarting CP0 and helping the Straw Hat Pirates regain control.
- Stussy is gravely wounded, but her resilience suggests that her injury may not be a major issue, especially as the crew faces a massive threat in Kizaru.
One Piece is one of the few shonen series that does not rely on character deaths to lay emphasis on an event. In fact, this is one of the major complaints that fans have about the series. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Oda has mastered the art of articulation. He can use words and art to get the message across. As One Piece manga has entered the Final Saga, Oda seems to have become more ruthless in his approach, which makes sense considering he doesn't want to prolong the story any further. It appears that he is willing to kill off characters that are not going to be relevant to the plot.
The Egghead arc is the inaugural arc in the Final Saga. It is still not over, and it has already featured some of the biggest battles in the entire series. There is a very strong possibility that before the arc wraps up, fans might get to see an all-out battle between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Navy. The pirates have been cooped up inside the Frontier Dome for quite some time, and they were busy trying to find the culprit. Once the Navy reached the island, Rob Lucci broke off the temporary alliance and attacked Vegapunk, only for Stussy to step in.
Whole Cake Island Debut
Stussy was introduced in the Whole Cake Island arc, where she was invited as a member of the Underworld. Despite being a Cipher Pol agent, she dabbed in the Underworld business. Given the fact that so many notable characters are also affiliated with the Underworld, it wasn't surprising for Stussy to do the same.
Many fans believed that Stussy might get involved in a major incident in the Whole Cake Island arc. However, Oda had other ideas and decided to focus on the Straw Hat Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates. Due to the presence of so many big-name individuals in one place, it made sense to save Stussy for later.
A Loyal Ally
One of the biggest surprises of the Egghead arc was Stussy's connection to MADS and Vegapunk. Just as CP0 gained the upper hand in the battle, Stussy decided to intervene and stop them from causing Vegapunk any harm. First, she knocked out Kaku and then proceeded to put Lucci out of commission.
Stussy's intervention proved crucial, as it enabled the Straw Hats and Vegapunk to regain control of the Seraphim and stop their rampage. However, her actions had their consequences. After she attacked two of the elite CP0 members, Stussy knew that it would be impossible for her to live freely. Judging from her reaction, she didn't seem too bothered by it. With Lucci and Kaku in chains, Vegapunk asked Stussy to travel with him. It was an offer that she could not refuse. Before they could begin the journey, York betrayed them and kidnapped Dr. Vegapunk. Naturally, the Straw Hats and the other people could not leave without the scientist. They had no idea that York was behind the betrayal, so they began looking for the culprit. Eventually, Atlas and Robin found the abandoned laboratory where York was hiding. With the satellite defeated, the Straw Hats could finally make preparations to leave the island.
Risking Her Life Yet Again
The heroes suffered another setback when they found out that Kizaru and a massive fleet had arrived outside Egghead Island. They did not want to fight, so they decided it would be better to take the Thousand Sunny and get away from the island. With Sentomaru fighting Kizaru, it seemed that he would be able to hold off the Admiral long enough to let the others get off the island.
However, Kizaru showed his superiority by taking out his old student with a few attacks. Rob Lucci was aware of the situation and decided it was the right time to attack Vegapunk. Stussy sensed that something was off. She saw Lucci rushing toward the scientist, and she got in the way of the assassin's attack. Stussy collapsed, and it looked like she was losing a lot of blood. Thankfully, Zoro was present on the scene, and he stopped the Lucci from causing any further damage. The CP0 agent was confident that with Kizaru's arrival, they could defeat the pirates and achieve their goal of murdering Vegapunk.
Is Stussy Dead?
Stussy appears to have been gravely wounded, and it won't be possible to give her medical attention immediately as the crew faces a massive threat in Kizaru. So, Stussy will remain in an injured state for a while before Chopper takes a look at her. However, it shouldn't be a problem for her, especially considering that she is resilient.
Luffy and Kizaru have already started their fight, and both of them will be looking forward to ending it as quickly as possible. The last time they came face-to-face, Kizaru absolutely humiliated Luffy and his entire crew, but this time things are different. Luffy is a Yonko, and he comes into the fight with a victory over the "Strongest Creature in the World." He can use all three types of Haki, and he even awakened his Devil Fruit. Kizaru won't be a pushover, but there is no way that he can defeat Luffy.
One Piece manga is available to read on Viz Media.