Highlights
- Bartholomew Kuma, a former member of the Shichibukai, has a tragic backstory as a member of a rare race, which led to him being captured and treated as a slave by the World Government.
- Kuma is a believer in Nika, the Sun God, and passed on this knowledge to Jewelry Bonney, making them part of an elusive group.
- Kuma possesses an overpowered Devil Fruit, the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, which allows him to deflect any attack, remove physical pain, and store memories. He obtained this Devil Fruit during the God Valley incident.
Bartholomew Kuma was introduced very early in One Piece. At the time, he seemed nothing more than a member of the Shichibukai, a pirate who did the bidding of the heinous World Government. But with time, the truth about Kuma and his past came to light.
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Given his recent involvement in the One Piece manga, it looks highly likely Kuma will play an integral role in the Final Saga. With every passing chapter, more details about Bartholomew Kuma are being revealed, and it won't be long before the entire truth is unveiled before the entire world. One Piece fans have been trying their best to stay up-to-date with the new updates regarding the former Shichibukai.
7 A Buccaneer
Member Of A Rare Race
Bartholomew Kuma's life has been filled with woes. When he was just a kid, the World Government captured him and his parents. The organization wanted to punish the family because they were members of the Buccaneer race. In reality, only Kuma and his father were Buccaneers, but the World Government wasn't willing to risk anything. So, all three of them were taken captive and treated as slaves by the Celestial Dragons.
According to the World Government, the Buccaneers had committed a major transgression in the past, which is why the race was hounded. Unfortunately, Kuma's mother died in captivity, and not long after, he lost his father. Kuma remained a slave until the God Valley incident.
6 Believer In Nika
A True Believer In The Sun God
In the Wano Country arc, One Piece fans learned about Nika for the very first time. It was revealed that he was the Sun God and was respected by people, especially those who were in captivity. Over the years, Nika's name was almost entirely eliminated from history by the World Government.
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This was likely because of Nika's involvement in the war against the organization. Despite the best efforts of the World Government, there were still some people who knew about Nika. Kuma's father knew about the legendary figure, and he often told his son about him. Kuma later passed this knowledge on to Jewelry Bonney, making them part of an elusive group.
5 Overpowered Devil Fruit
Send Everything Away
Bartholomew Kuma demonstrated his Devil Fruit abilities before the time-skip, and it didn't take long for fans to deduce that it was an incredibly strong weapon. Kuma's Nikyu Nikyu no Mi falls into the Paramecia class. It caused Kuma to grow paw-like pads on the palms of his hands, with which he could deflect any attack.
Kuma can also use it to remove physical pain from the body. Also, he can store memories inside a paw-shaped bubble, which a person can access by putting their hands inside it. Kuma obtained his Devil Fruit during the God Valley incident. The Nikyu Nikyu no Mi was one of the two prizes that were up for grabs, but Kuma and his allies managed to steal them. Ivankov pressurized Kuma, and he wasted absolutely no time in consuming it.
4 Possible Real Life Influences
Inspired By Bartholomew Roberts
The name Bartholomew is very likely taken from the real-life pirate Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts. He was a Welsh pirate who achieved a great deal of success during the Golden Age of Piracy. Bartholomew Roberts' success saw him being labeled the Great Pirate.
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With his death, the Golden Age of Piracy came to an end. There is a strong chance that, like his namesake, Kuma will play an important role in the story, and his sacrifice may help Luffy achieve his dream.
3 Part Of A Special Trio
Pirate, Shichibukai, and the Revolutionary Army Officer
​​​​​​Bartholomew Kuma's life has been full of interesting twists and turns. Initially, he was a member of the Revolutionary Army. He was among the top officers, and everyone in the organization respected him. However, he decided to leave the Revolutionary Army in order to take care of Bonney.
It seems that at some point, Kuma became a pirate and once again caught the attention of the World Government. But this time, he ended up joining the Shichibukai. Kuma's decision was most likely because the organization coerced him into accepting it. Once he was under its control, Kuma was selected to be a test subject for Dr. Vegapunk, who performed a plethora of experiments on him.
2 Favorite Foods
A Bear's Favorites
Bartholomew Kuma has been an ever-present figure in One Piece. He has made appearances at different points in the story. So, it is hardly surprising that Oda has divulged information about his life in some SBS.
The author of One Piece revealed that Kuma's favorite foods are honey and salmon. This falls in line with his bear theme. The creatures are known to have a fondness for the two items. In another SBS, Oda drew as a child, in which he was reading a book and carrying sticks on his back, insinuating Kuma's wise and hard-working nature.
1 ​​​​​​Least Popular Shichibukai
At The Bottom Of Ratings
Given his involvement in the story, many would think that Kuma would be among the most loved characters in the series. However, it is actually quite the opposite. Kuma has ranked low in almost all the popularity polls. In the 4th poll, Kuma finished in the 52nd spot.
Unfortunately, things did not change in the other polls. He finished 85th, 129th, and 98th in the 5th, 6th, and 7th popularity polls, respectively. But there is a strong chance that next time he will be very high on the list.
