Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #1117 of One Piece.

One Piece‘s Egghead Arc has been building up to an epic climax for quite a while and has kept fans at the edge of their seats with every new revelation of Vegapunk’s message. However, the latest chapter may have ruined the series’ best chance to reveal its biggest mystery yet, and there may not be any better chances for such an epic revelation in the future.

In chapter #1117 of One Piece, Vegapunk’s message cuts off right as he is about to reveal a crucial bit of information about the D Clan. The chapter gives fans all but a single letter before the Five Elders immediately attack the Iron Giant and manage to put an end to the broadcast. Not only was this development quite frustrating but also anticlimactic.

Vegapunk’s message would have been the perfect time to reveal at least a little more about the D Clan, as there may not be a more opportune moment again in the future. While the Straw Hats still have many means of learning the truth, the eventual revelation may not have the same buildup or tension that Vegapunk’s broadcast had carefully built up to.

One Piece May Not Have a Better Chance To Reveal the Meaning of D

Vegapunk’s Broadcast Was the Perfect Opportunity for a Dramatic Revelation

While Vegapunk’s message has revealed plenty of shocking information about the submerged world of One Piece, the Void Century, the Ancient Weapons, Joyboy, and even the mysterious Ancient Kingdom he belonged to, as far as the D Clan goes, fans still know nothing new about the D clan since Imu revealed them to be the enemies of the World Government. However, this was arguably a fact that was already well-known since Dressrosa.

Admittedly, it isn’t uncommon for One Piece to continually tease a mystery in such a way, but many would surely agree that Eiichiro Oda has kept his secrets for long enough. Fans have been dying to know the meaning of D ever since its first mention on Drum Island and Vegapunk’s broadcast was the perfect opportunity to finally reveal some new information, if not the whole truth.

Granted, the Straw Hats can still glean the truth for themselves when and if they arrive at Elbaf and are given access to the remnants of Ohara’s findings. However, the revelation may not have the weight to it as Vegapunk’s message would have. As the last few chapters have painstakingly depicted, the whole world of One Piece has been listening to Vegapunk’s message down to even the most minor characters like Chouchou and the mayor of Orange Town.

The Egghead Arc and Vegapunk’s message have seemingly been building up to this climactic moment since the very start only for it to be disappointingly cut short. The Iron Giant who has been on the move since chapter #1066, was also cut down in a matter of seconds without getting to do or say much at all. This was just as disappointing given how many times the Iron Giant’s awakening was teased only for it barely stand a chance against the Five Elders in the end.

One Piece May Be Milking Vegapunk’s Message and the D Clan Reveal

While it may not seem like very long, Vegapunk’s broadcast has been going on for nearly ten chapters, which have felt like an eternity owing to Eiichiro Oda’s regular breaks. The message first began in chapter #1108, which was released towards the end of February. Every new chapter of One Piece has managed to keep fans waiting on every word by Vegapunk thanks to the shocking revelations in every chapter. However, at this point, the story may be stretching the message longer than it should.

It is unlikely that Vegapunk’s message will properly resume in the chapters to come, as the Straw Hats have nearly made their getaway but it surely would have been nice to gain even a little bit more information on the mysterious D clan before the message ended. It might have been better to see Vegapunk’s words partially obscured, like the last line of Lily’s letter was in chapter #1085.

Nonetheless, as things stand, it is impossible to make any guesses about the meaning of D based on the one syllable that was revealed. Perhaps the cut-off part of Vegapunk’s message will make sense in the future much like Lily’s message did, but until One Piece deigns to reveal anything more, fans will continue to remain in the dark about the D clan and what the inherited will that accompanies the initial entails.

One Piece is available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.