Ch. 701The Prince and the Pauper
Key plot points and events
- Vegapunk realizes the “Pluton Blueprints” Caro recovered are actually plans for improved Dragon Ships—not the true Ancient Weapon. He suspects Xin Luo’s connection to the fleet but keeps his thoughts hidden.
- Xin Luo orders Vegapunk to memorize the plans, then kill himself and return under the protection of his Rune mark. He insists Pluton must be built, but not for Loa, whom he considers too powerful to possess it.
- Vegapunk agrees to leave for Turtle Island, privately despising the Antonio Family. He travels under close guard, unaware that a purge of Caro’s former loyalists is taking place.
- Vegapunk arrives safely and is welcomed by Loa. The scene then shifts to an Undead Legion camp in the Ice Domain, where Loa, Vegapunk, and Monkey D. Dragon meet.
- Before discussing Pluton, Loa offers a way to block Vegapunk’s Rune for several decades using an ice-encased Scale, protecting him from Xin Luo’s control.
Character developments
- Vegapunk shows both caution and growing independence: he conceals his discovery from Xin Luo, resents the Antonio Family, and eagerly accepts Loa’s help to escape the Rune’s influence.
- Xin Luo is revealed as calculating and ruthless, using the Rune to control Vegapunk and viewing Pluton chiefly as a counterweight to Loa.
- Loa welcomes Vegapunk and prioritizes freeing him from the Rune before beginning work on Pluton.
- Dragon appears to be working with Loa and Vegapunk, urging them to move quickly before Xin Luo discovers the deception.
Significant themes
- Power and balance: Pluton is treated as a weapon capable of upsetting the world’s existing balance.
- Coercion versus freedom: Xin Luo controls Vegapunk through the Rune, while Loa’s offer gives him a chance to act without that threat.
- Deception and divided loyalties: Vegapunk hides his knowledge and feelings, while the voyage and meeting conceal competing political agendas.
Character interactions
- Xin Luo pressures Vegapunk with orders and the Rune, while Vegapunk masks his fear and compliance.
- Loa greets Vegapunk warmly, then offers him a possible route out of Xin Luo’s control.
- Vegapunk expresses gratitude to both Loa and Dragon and pushes to begin work on Pluton, though Loa insists they address the Rune first.