Dr. Vegapunk has only been in One Piece for a short time thus far, but his silhouette was quietly shown during the manga’s “Punk Hazard” arc.

The following contains spoilers for the One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda, available in English from Viz Media.

Dr. Vegapunk is among One Piece‘s more mysterious characters, but he is known for his incredible scientific advancements and strange, distinctive appearance. Fans had long been curious about what he actually looked like, with many speculating his features and design in advance. However, it turns out that his appearance was revealed in a subtle way earlier in the series — specifically during the “Punk Hazard” arc.

The Straw Hat Pirates have found themselves in yet another scuffle on the island of Egghead, where they’ve learned many details about the genius scientist — including his true allegiance. While Vegapunk has been providing his services to the World Government, he’s turned out to have quite a neutral stance. After all, his biggest dream is simply to unify all the world’s knowledge and make it accessible to the public.

One Piece Showed Dr. Vegapunk’s Silhouette When He Banished Caesar From Punk Hazard

One of the biggest plot twists during One Piece‘s “Punk Hazard” arc is Caesar’s revelation of the true culprit behind the island’s catastrophic explosion years ago. The mad scientist had been parading himself as some sort of savior to the victims in Punk Hazard, but revealed the truth in his fit of rage and frustration. While it is true that Caesar worked with Vegapunk before, he was banished from the team for his immoral point of view. The flashback of Vegapunk officially banishing Caesar quietly showed a seemingly forgettable silhouette of the genius scientist.

Since it was nothing more than a shadow, it is quite difficult to determine the scientist’s true appearance. After all, the image is blurry and dark, making it hard to see the details. Looking back on it with hindsight, the silhouette shows a large forehead and a tongue sticking out, which is consistent with Vegapunk’s recently revealed design.

One Piece Fans Had Long Speculated About Dr. Vegapunk’s Appearance

Even before the reveal of Vegapunk’s full appearance, One Piece fans had theorized about what he could look like based on his reputation and previous appearances in the series. Some had imagined him as a mad scientist with wild hair and an eccentric outfit, while others foresaw a more clean-cut and serious-looking individual. Interestingly, none of these theories actually matched the scientist’s character design.

Since the silhouette was only briefly shown during the “Punk Hazard” arc, many have likely missed it. Nonetheless, it is proof that Eiichiro Oda had decided on Vegapunk’s design years before the full character reveal. For those eagle-eyed fans who managed to catch the silhouette, it provided somewhat better grounds for speculation.