There is a mismatch in the numbering of the Vegapunk Atlas in One Piece, but was it a mistake or was it the foundation for a more intricate tale for the Satellite?
Grancrest Senki
The most recent representation of the leading scientist for the World Government is Dr. Vegapunk Atlas. She is one of the five Satellites of the doctor and is said to represent fury. What number she is, though, is a question worth asking.
In Vegapunk Atlas's One Piece Chapter 1062, "Adventure in the Land of Science," there are two numerals. She was Punk 06 at first. She was later given the Punk 05 designation, though. This is most likely a mistake in the artwork, but it might potentially contain information about the past of Dr. Vegapunk's satellites.
What Is the Discrepancy in One Piece?
There are a total of six Vegapunk Satellites. Each of them acts as a substitute body for the "Stella," the genuine Vegapunk. Every one of them bears the writing "Punk 0X," where X stands for a special number between 1 and 6. Although the purpose of these numbers is unknown, it appears that they are used to classify the Satellites.
It was hard to tell exactly what number Vegapunk Atlas was when she first debuted. It was facing away from the audience and was on the left side of her dress. She formally introduced herself and it was immediately seen that her dress had "Punk 06" inscribed on it.
The very next scene, though, gave the opposite impression. Kaku displayed a schematic showing images of each of the Vegapunk Satellites as he described their operation. Atlas wasn't named as Punk 06, though; that honor went to the as-of-yet-unseen Vegapunk York. Atlas was substituted with Punk 05.
This disparity is particularly difficult to explain. On the one hand, Kaku's satellite diagram appears to be quite concrete. On the other hand, one could consider Atlas' clothing to be tangible proof. To refute either claim, further data must be provided.
Another "error" from earlier in the chapter strengthens the case for Atlas being Punk 06 further. While first difficult to see, the first image of her clothing now clearly appears to read "Punk 06" given the surrounding information. Either Atlas is Punk 06 for real, or the artist repeated the same error.
There are a few theories for the discrepancy's in-story causes. Perhaps the simplest explanation is that Kaku's diagram was incorrect. If the numbers are meant to be ordinal, Atlas might have lost her ranking to York if her number altered between the time the diagram was created and today.
Was Vegapunk Atlas' Number An Art Error?
The difference may have an in-story explanation, although it is more likely the result of an art error. On Atlas' outfit, Oda or one of his assistants unintentionally scrawled "Punk 06" rather than the intended "Punk 05." If this is the case, when the manga volume is published, the images where the disparity appears will need to be altered.
By the time the next chapter is published, the confusion ought to be cleared up. If "Punk 06" is still visible on Atlas' clothing, it was a deliberate decision that will be explained later. When the chapter is published in volume form, the error in the art will need to be corrected if it becomes "Punk 05." It's safe to infer that the machine seen is, at the very least, Vegapunk Atlas. Unless there was yet another error there.