The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1062, “Adventure in the Land of Science,” by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul, and Vanessa Satone, available in English from Viz Media.
Dr. Vegapunk Atlas is the latest model of the World Government’s top scientist to be introduced. She’s one of the doctor’s five Satellites and supposedly embodies wrath. However, there’s a question to be asked as to which number she is.
One Piece Chapter 1062, “Adventure in the Land of Science,” Vegapunk Atlas is given two numbers. At first, she was Punk 06. Later, however, she was designated as Punk 05. This is probably an error in the art, but it could also be a clue into the history of Dr. Vegapunk’s Satellites.
What Is the Discrepancy in One Piece?
There are six Vegapunk Satellites in total. Each of them serves as an alternative body for the real Vegapunk, the “Stella.” They all have “Punk 0X” written somewhere on them, where X represents a unique number between one and six. The reason for these numbers is unknown, but they’re apparently meant to categorize the Satellites.
When Vegapunk Atlas first appeared, it was difficult to make out just what her number was. It was on the left side of her dress and facing away from the audience. When she formally introduced herself, it was clear that “Punk 06” was written on the side of her dress.
However, the very next scene contradicted this. As Kaku was explaining how Vegapunk’s Satellites work, he presented a diagram with figures representing each of them. However, Atlas wasn’t listed as Punk 06; that title was given to the yet-unseen Vegapunk York. Atlas was instead listed as Punk 05.
This discrepancy is an especially odd one to figure out. On one hand, Kaku’s diagram of the Satellites seems pretty concrete. On the other hand, Atlas’ dress could be taken as physical evidence. More evidence needs to be presented to debunk either point.
The argument for Atlas being Punk 06 is further backed by another “mistake” from earlier in the chapter. The first shot of her dress, while indecipherable at first, looks much more like it says “Punk 06” with the given context. Either Atlas really is Punk 06 or the artist made the same mistake twice.
As for in-story reasons for the discrepancy, there are a couple of possibilities. The simple answer might be that Kaku’s diagram was wrong. Atlas might have also had her number changed between when the diagram was made and now; if the numbers are supposed to be ordinal, then she could have lost her ranking to York.
Was Vegapunk Atlas’ Number An Art Error?
While there might be an in-story reason for the discrepancy, it’s more likely a simple mistake in the art. Either Oda or one of his assistants accidentally wrote “Punk 06” on Atlas’ dress instead of “Punk 05” as it should have been. If this is true, then the images where the discrepancy appears will have to be changed when it gets published in a manga volume.
The mixup should be resolved by the time the next chapter is released. If Atlas’ dress still reads “Punk 06,” then it’s an intentional choice that will be elaborated on in the future. If it gets changed to “Punk 05,” then it was a mistake in the art that will have to be fixed when the chapter is released in volume form. At the very least, it’s safe to assume that the machine presented is, in fact, Vegapunk Atlas. Unless that was somehow another mistake.
