The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1065, “Six Vegapunks,” by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul and Vanessa Satone, available in English from Viz Media.
When the Pacifista Seraphim models debuted in One Piece Chapter 1059, “The Matter Involving Captain Koby,” they proved to be a devastating force. Just two of them were enough to lay waste to Amazon Lily. Even Blackbeard began to sweat when he was challenged by one of them. However, this was only a small sample of what they can do.
According to Chapter 1065, “Six Vegapunks,” the Seraphim are still incomplete. There are a lot of areas in which Dr. Vegapunk seeks to improve these androids. If the final product ever gets shipped out, then it could be more than even the powerful pirates of the New World are ready for.
What Can the Seraphim Do?
A new demonstration of the Seraphim’s power was given in Chapter 1065. This time, Vegapunk sicced what looked like a young, Lunarian Jimbei on the Straw Hat Pirates. It managed to stand up to the Sanji, Usopp, and Nico Robin with a combination of its durability and lasers.
On top of this, the Jimbei Seraph, called S-Shark, displayed the powers of the Swim-Swim Fruit. It would have this ability in tandem with Fish-Man Karate, though it was stopped by Usopp before it could try. While the attack was interrupted, it was made apparent how dangerous this combination of inherent abilities can be.
Franky would have done some serious damage to S-Shark if his Radical Beam had hit. According to Vegapunk Edison, the Seraphim weren’t ready for laser tests as they were still children. In other words, not only are the Seraphim meant to be older and presumably grow stronger with age, but they could also become laser-resistant.
According to Vegapunk Pythagoras, the Seraphim’s attack patterns evolve as they grow. The theory was that experiences were being recorded in their Bloodline Elements, the One Piece equivalent to DNA. In any case, the biological factor of these cyborgs could mean they have many traits a person would have over a machine. They might be capable of independent thoughts and actions, adjusting to their opponents’ attacks, and maybe even a little bit of Haki. This is to say nothing of whether they can train their bodies to grow stronger in addition to whatever strength they get with age. If they really have all of these biological capabilities, then they have the same potential to grow as any character in this shonen battle manga.
What Is the Seraphim’s Most Dangerous New Ability?
Perhaps the most troubling ability displayed in Chapter 1065 is the potential to use Devil Fruit powers. Abilities like the Glint-Glint Fruit’s lasers could already be replicated with science. Now, however, these machines can also use more abstract abilities like those of the Swim-Swim Fruit. Depending on whether this was also achieved through science or eating a Devil Fruit, the Seraphim could be able to use multiple abilities.
Chapter 1065 has done a lot to set the Seraphim up as a major threat to the Great Pirate Era. Not only are they meant to become bigger and stronger, but they can also now use Devil Fruit powers. This is in addition to their base kit of Lunarian traits, lasers, and the enhanced natural abilities of whomever they’re modeled after. If the Straw Hats aren’t mindful of this, they could repeat their traumatic experience with Pacifistas at Sabaody.