Highlights
- Eiichiro Oda has cleverly foreshadowed events in the manga, and fans are now learning more about the mysterious character Bartholomew Kuma in the Egghead arc.
- Kuma's tragic past reveals his enslavement by a Celestial Dragon and the loss of his parents. He found friendship and power through meeting Ivankov and Ginny, and later joined the Revolutionary Army.
- Kuma's dedication to finding a cure for Bonney's disease led him to become a pirate and a test subject for Vegapunk. His actions made him a criminal, and he had to leave the Sorbet Kingdom.
Eiichiro Oda is a literary genius who has proved, time and time again, that his writing is unmatched. Fans who have read the manga from the beginning know how cleverly Oda has foreshadowed various events that didn't occur until years later. In addition to this, Oda is also skilled at keeping things under wraps, especially things pertaining to certain individuals.
One of the most mysterious characters in One Piece is Bartholomew Kuma. His past has always been a mystery, and fans have speculated on how he became the person that he is. Thankfully, Oda decided to address all these issues in the Egghead arc, the first story arc in the Final Saga. The recent chapters in the manga have been focused on Kuma and his past.
Humble Beginning
From the start, Kuma came off as a character who might play a big role in the series at some point, and it is being proven now. With the manga in the Final Saga, many new details about Kuma's origins have been revealed. The first major one revolved around the former Shichibukai's race. Bartholomew Kuma is a member of the Buccaneer race. The people of this particular race have been prosecuted since time immemorial. According to the information publicized by Oda, the Buccaneers committed a major sin against the World Government, which earned them the fury of the organization.
Due to his heritage, Kuma and his parents were enslaved by a Celestial Dragon. Kuma's mother could not survive for long, and she succumbed while in captivity. Clapp, Kuma's father, tried to keep up their spirits by talking about Nika. However, he was shot and killed by a Celestial Dragon. Kuma was the sole survivor and was eventually selected by the World Government to be bait for the Hunting Competition. The competition was held in God Valley, and it changed Kuma's world forever.
Finding New Friends
With no one to call his own, Kuma thought that the Hunting Competition was where he would die. Fortunately, he ended up meeting Ivankov and Ginny. The three became friends and would help each other for years to come. With their aid, Kuma also got his hands on the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi. Afterward, the trio escaped from God Valley amidst the chaos caused by the arrival of the Rocks Pirates. Kuma and Ginny stayed together and grew up in the Sorbet Kingdom. The two would have gotten married, but Kuma didn't want his Buccaneer lineage to cause problems for a person that he held dear.
As he got older, Kuma started the job of taking care of elderly people. He used his Devil Fruit powers to help them with their problems. However, things got messy when King Bekori decided to turn the southern parts of his kingdom into a lawless area. Kuma and his friends fought to protect the people, but they were thrown into prison, and they would have stayed there forever if it weren't for Dragon and the Freedom Fighters.
Becoming A Revolutionary
Dragon, Ivankov, and the rest of the Freedom Fighters attacked the Sorbet Kingdom, forcing Bekori to run away with his tail between his legs. This incident paved the way for Kuma and Ginny to join the Freedom Fighters, after which it became the Revolutionary Army. Some time later, disaster struck as Ginny was kidnapped by a Celestial Dragon. She was taken to Marijoa and forced to marry him. Two years after the incident, Ginny was thrown out because she had contracted the Sapphire Scale Disease.
She somehow managed to call Kuma and the others to speak to them one last time. Kuma used the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi to travel to Ginny's location, but it was already too late. After her death, Kuma took on the responsibility of raising a young Bonney. When she also came down with the Sapphire Scale disease, Kuma decided to quit the Revolutionary Army and solely dedicate his life to finding a cure for Bonney. As if things were bad enough, King Bekori decided to come back and cause more chaos, but Kuma managed to crush him and his forces.
The Tyrant
Kuma's success won over the people, and they wanted him to be their new king. However, Bekori was not pleased with the development. So, he started to circulate rumors about Kuma being a tyrant and how he tortured the people of the Sorbet Kingdom. These fabrications probably earned him the support of the World Government, which is why it supplied Bekori with a fleet of Marines. Bekori failed yet again, but Kuma's actions made him a criminal. So, he had to leave the Sorbet Kingdom and become a pirate.
The World Government was aware of Kuma's actions, and it placed a bounty on his head. In an attempt to cure Bonney, Kuma became Vegapunk's test subject and eventually a Shichibukai. It is unclear when Kuma was offered the opportunity, but Oda will divulge this information before the end of the arc.
