One Piece finally addresses a major Sanji controversy, but could cause even more trouble

Warning: SPOILERS for One Piece Chapter No. 1123

In Chapter #1123, the A piece Manga revealed that the death of the brilliant scientist Vegapunk was not an unfortunate consequence. Most of the events that occurred during the series' thrilling Egghead Arc had already been foreseen by the former World Government inventor, including his untimely demise. Sanji tried to save the scientist from deathbut Vegapunk begged the cook to let him die.

This is strongly believed to be the reason why the blonde Straw Hat Pirate did not show off his incredible skills during the fight against Admiral Kizaru. For many months, Sanji's lackluster performance in the fight against the Marine caused chaos among fans of the series. While this revelation may put those concerns to rest, it could create new problems as the Prince of the German Kingdom appears to be disobeyed Luffy's orders to protect Vegapunk.

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Sanji is not a weak fighter, but he could have disobeyed Luffy

Vegapunk asked Sanji to let him die

After learning of York's betrayal, Vegapunk devised a plan to prevent the World Government from hiding the truth about his studies on the Void Century from the public. He recorded a video in which he talked about his research, the truth about the cruel war that took place 800 years before the series, and the power that the coveted One Piece treasure holds. The scientists programmed the transponder snail in which he filmed his confession to activate as soon as his heart stopped beating. When Sanji declared that he would prevent anything from happening to him, Vegapunk begged him to allow his death.

When the genius died at Kizaru's hand in Chapter 1108, many fans of the series wondered why Sanji couldn't save him. A large portion of the fanbase believed that the Straw Hat chef was suddenly weaker than previously believed, while others tried to defend Sanji by claiming that he couldn't save Vegapunk from his fate. Chapter 1123 may settle the controversy and prove that Sanji is actually not a weak fighter, but just respected the scientist's wish and allowed Kizaru to kill him so that his plans could continue undisturbed.

If this interpretation of events is correct, it will not only end the controversy about Sanji being powerless against Kizaru, it will surely cause further debate among fans. Luffy had asked Sanji to protect Vegapunk shortly before the battle against the World Government began. By allowing Kizaru to kill the brilliant inventor, Sanji directly defied his leader's orders, which will not go down too well with his crewmates. This issue will likely become relevant during the upcoming Elbaf arc and lead to renewed tensions between Luffy and Sanji.

Was Sanji right to disobey Luffy's orders?

Vegapunk's death triggered a message that changed the world

If Sanji truly did ignore his captain's orders, it can be argued that he was not in the wrong for letting Vegapunk die. After all, if this was the scientist's wish, neither Sanji nor Luffy had the right to go against it. While Stella's rescue seemed to be the best outcome, Vegapunk's death sparked the spread of his message around the world, and this event is perhaps the hardest blow the World Government has suffered in its long history.

The effects of Sanji's decision will probably be revealed sooner or later when the story of A piece moves into the Elbaf bend. Whether Sanji Whether he acted righteously or not will be determined by his friends and his captain and could become an interesting point for the further plot.