There are a handful of scientists in One Piece that we have to talk about. One Piece, as a series, has become progressively more and more scientific as the narrative has progressed. It’s important to define what a scientist is to the world of One Piece; someone experimenting and creating something raw that serves them or their surroundings. So, in this discussion, we’ll be avoiding characters like Nico Robin. She definitely studies the scientific method, but we’re looking at gears and chemicals today. So, who are the most notable scientists in the game? Can one possibly rank these characters? We’ll give it a shot.
9. One piece Clown Scientist Indigo
Indigo, a member of the Golden Lion Pirates, serves as the secondary antagonist and scientist in the tenth installment of the One Piece Movie series. He is responsible for creating Boss and the other formidable creatures under Shiki’s control. Indigo possesses the unique capability to generate explosive chemical orbs from his own body, which he uses to launch attacks—a power he refers to as “Chemical Juggling.” What makes Indigo’s powers so unique to One Piece is that they have no relation to Devil Fruit. He can escape water, so he somehow managed to concoct powers through chemistry.
8. Revolutionary Scientist Lindbergh
Lindbergh, as an executive within the Revolutionary Army and one of the great scientists of the series, occupies a highly influential role within the organization. Furthermore, as the commander of the South Army, he exercises authority over its entire cadre of soldiers. His cat-mink steampunk attire screams scientist, but he actually has proven himself worthy beyond style. Additionally, he possesses the remarkable ability to craft laser weaponry, a feat typically attainable only by brilliant engineers such as Vegapunk or Franky.
7. Weather Scientist Haredas
Haredas is a geriatric resident of Weatheria, where he served as Nami’s weather manipulation instructor during the Time Skip. Now, the screams of fans can be heard from here. Many will argue that he is a plot device. Well, this plot device has managed to find a way to control the weather, so let’s take a step off the old soap box. Haredas is essentially a knockoff of Merlin and manages to teach one of One Piece’s most stubborn characters how to use the Weather Ball.
6. Ex-Wife Buckingham Stussy
There’s a lot to say about Stussy and a lot of that is not so pleasant. While in tandem with MADS, she collaborated with prominent scientists including Dr. Vegapunk and Vinsmoke Judge. However, it has been asserted that she primarily freeloaded off their research, reaping its benefits without active participation. Stussy did encounter Vegapunk and engaged in some form of cooperation with him during her tenure within the group. With this one, it’s fair to assume – even if Stussy was a freeloader – that she held enough expertise to work with the most brilliant mind in the world.
5. Destruction Scientist Queen
Queen the Plague holds the prestigious position of being one of Kaidou’s three most trusted confidants within the Beasts Pirates. At least for a time. He possesses a truly sadistic nature, exhibiting an unsettling fascination with blood sports and execution games, which he uses to amuse himself like a twisted Roman Emporer. Who are we kidding… a normal Roman Emperor.
Notably, Queen and Vinsmoke Judge were once colleagues in the long-established MADS. During their time together in MADs, Queen, Judge, and Caesar frequently clashed due to their aspirations to claim the second-highest status within the group. Consequently, Queen harbors a strong desire to establish himself as the superior scientist when compared to Judge. From what fans know, Queen took the bronze medal on this one.
4. Cyborg Scientist Franky
We talk about Franky extensively in The Franky Family Story, from his upbringing… to his involvement with the Straw Hats. Look, let’s get serious here. Anyone with the engineering prowess capable of constructing the Thousand Sunny has earned a seat at the table. One could argue what he does isn’t stereotypically scientific (beakers, test tubes, etc.), but the science of shipbuilding is his game… and pretty much his game only. At least for now. Plus, we’re not even counting the enhancements he gave himself!
3. Vinsmoke Judge
Vinsmoke Judge, also known as “Garuda”, assumes the roles of both king within the Germa Kingdom and supreme commander. He also stands as the patriarch of the Vinsmoke Family, holding the plot-enhancing position of being Sanji’s biological father. Judge is unflinching in his determination to achieve his objectives, displaying a readiness to employ any means necessary. This includes genetically enhancing his own children to superhuman levels. Expressing his willingness to transform them into formidable beings for the sake of victory in warfare, a sentiment he candidly shared with his spouse.
Collaborating with Vegapunk, Judge managed to uncover the intricate blueprints for the creation of life itself, referred to as the “Lineage Factor”. As an individual, he’s a pure villain, but his scientific contribution to the OnePiece universe easily places him in third.
2. Caesar Clown
Caesar joined the World Government alongside Vegapunk and collaborated with him at Punk Hazard. One of his more notable undertakings involved the creation of SAD, a chemical he provided to the Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo for the production of SMILEs. We go deep on the topic in our Artificial Zoan segment.
There appears to be lingering animosity between Caesar and Vegapunk, exemplified by what follows Caesar’s activation of a chemical weapon on Punk Hazard. This event resulted in the destruction of the environment. Something most of those involved look at with disdain or shame. Caesar is notably characterized by his strong sense of pride, as shown by his pronouncement that his work from four years ago, which led to the Punk Hazard incident, was not a failure but a resounding success. That said, he is one of the brilliant scientists of One Piece.
1. Vegapunk
If this was a given, we are sorry. How else was this supposed to go? Dr. Vegapunk is the chief scientist within the SSG, serving the Marines. His extensive body of work encompasses the exploration of “Seastone’s” mysteries and applications to the joint discovery of the Lineage Factor. As stated, prior to his work under the World Government, Vegapunk acted as the director of an unconventional scientific research group known as MADS.
During this period, he collaborated with other scientists, including Caesar Clown, Vinsmoke Judge, Queen, and Buckingham Stussy. At some juncture in the past, engrossed in his inventions, Vegapunk managed to divide his existence into six distinct entities, referred to as “satellites.” We address each one of them in our piece Who Are Vegapunk’s Satellites? Because they are technically an extension of Vegapunk, none of them qualify to be listed. Anyway, Vegapunk is the clear winner here. His genius transcends magic.
