How is Vegapunk dead but also alive in One Piece?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga.

The recent chapters of One Piece delivered a shocking twist with the apparent murder of Dr. Vegapunk, which spurned his multiple revelations regarding the series’ lore. While Vegapunk’s last words brought the denizens of One Piece on the same page as the readers, many were naturally saddened by his passing. Luffy and Lilith are part of the heavily-affected population.

Interestingly, however, Lilith was quick to regain composure. After grieving for the loss of her other versions, Lilith comforted the grieving Luffy. She told Luffy that while Vegapunk may be dead to them, he was still somehow alive. Though we didn’t hear her explanation, I do have two conjectures.

Theory 1: Vegapunk lives on through his knowledge

Vegapunk’s brilliance isn’t just in his inventions but in his unprecedented accumulation of knowledge, much of which is stored in the massive data repository known as Punk Records. This repository, housed in Vegapunk’s giant head, serves as a collective database of all his research, ideas, and discoveries. It’s possible that Lilith’s statement refers to this knowledge as the essence of Vegapunk’s existence. Even though his physical body might be gone, his intellect and contributions to the world persist through Punk Records. Since Vegapunk’s dream had always been to make knowledge accessible to everybody, keeping the records safe essentially meant saving himself.

You may also argue that Punk Records may literally be the key to Vegapunk’s “revival.” Since it likely holds the scientist’s memories and Vegapunk already mastered cloning, you can argue that the memories simply need to be transferred into a clone of himself to “revive” Vegapunk. However, I believe that is unlikely. Similar to how Iceberg and Co. couldn’t construct another Going Merry, Vegapunk’s clone will remain as Vegapunk’s clone. It could look and act as Vegapunk, but it wouldn’t be the Stella.

Theory 2: Vegapunk lives through Lilith

Lilith, one of Vegapunk’s satellites, might hold a more literal explanation. Each satellite is a part of Vegapunk, sharing his mind and purpose. If Lilith is still alive, she quite literally represents a living fragment of Vegapunk himself. She has the same knowledge and intellect as any other Vegapunk, and she can also access and utilize the Punk Records.

This makes Lilith more than just a surviving satellite. She could be seen as a continuation of Vegapunk’s existence. She can continue Vegapunk’s work for years to come and even realize his dream. Should she find it hard to accomplish on her own, she may also create other satellites or even reconstruct the other satellites using their spare parts and memories.