Bartholomew Kuma, once one of the 7 warlords, was a leading figure until the group was disbanded.
His past as a revolutionary and his huge bounty of 296 million Berries testify to his power.
Former king of the Kingdom of Sorbet, he became a ruthless pirate, nicknamed « the Tyrant ». Transformed into a cyborg by Dr. Vegapunk, he becomes the fearsome Pacifista PX-0.
His Nikyu Nikyu no Mi power, which repels everything with his palms, is unique.
Kuma plays a key antagonist role in the Thriller Bark Arc, just after Gecko Moria.
In the Sabaody arc, he is a major antagonist, but secretly acts to help the Straw Hats.
After his total conversion to cyborg, he once again becomes a slave of the Celestial Dragons, under the name of Invincible Slave.
What’s more, he is Jewelry Bonney’s adoptive father and belongs to a special race: the Buccaneers.
Kuma, a complex character, plays a crucial role in the One Piece universe.
His relationships:
World Government:
Kuma is transformed into a Pacifista, a cyborg unfailingly obedient to the World Government. Why did he choose to become an infallible tool of the government?
The mysteries surrounding the suppression of his personality and memories, as well as his decision to become involved in the Pacifista project, remain unsolved for now.
Marine :
Bartholomew Kuma, now emptied of his humanity, works closely with the Navy. His alliance with them has increased his fighting power tenfold, thanks in part to enhancements made by Dr. Vegapunk.
These modifications have transformed Kuma into a fearsome war machine.
Revolutionary Army:
Bartholomew Kuma has a complex and significant relationship with Monkey D. Dragon and the Revolutionary Army. As a former prominent member of the Revolutionary Army, Kuma played a crucial role in their struggle against the tyranny of the World Government. His devotion to the revolutionary cause and unwavering commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality placed him in high esteem with Dragon, the charismatic leader of the Revolutionaries.
However, with Kuma’s transformation into a Pacifista, his relationship with the Revolutionary Army was irreparably altered. His mind and memories erased by Vegapunk’s modifications, Kuma is a shadow of his former self, becoming a weapon in the service of the World Government, the Revolutionaries’ sworn enemy. This tragic transformation raises poignant questions about the nature of his commitment to the Revolutionaries and the sacrifices he has made for the cause.
Bonney:
Kuma, in Bonney’s eyes, was an exceptionally loving father. She cherished this relationship deeply, to the point of seeking revenge against Vegapunk for the cybernetic modifications inflicted on Kuma.
Ginny:
As children, Kuma and Ginny met at the purification festival in God Valley, where they were both slaves to the celestial dragons.
After escaping, Ginny chose to stay with Kuma in the kingdom of Sorbet, forming an unbreakable bond over fifteen years.
Both later joined the Revolutionary Army. Although deeply in love, Kuma hesitated to marry Ginny, fearing to repeat the tragic fate of his mother, enslaved by celestial dragons.
His love for Ginny was so great that he took Bonney under his wing after Ginny’s death, although Bonney was probably born of a forced marriage with a celestial dragon.
Vegapunk:
Kuma and Vegapunk share an apparently solid relationship. Vegapunk has honored Kuma’s last request as a human being: to watch over the Straw Hats’ ship until they return. This gesture suggests Vegapunk’s deep respect for Kuma.
His power:
Kuma stands out as the only character to have twice solo defeated the entire Straw Hat crew, a feat unheard of in the series’ universe until now.
The pacifista:
Kuma has been transformed into a cyborg by Vegapunk, distinguishing himself from other cyborgs by his remarkable agility and intensity. His speed is such that he can make himself invisible to the Straw Hats and those on Thriller Bark. Whether this speed is due to Vegapunk’s modifications, to his powers derived from the Devil Fruit, or simply to his own natural speed, however, is difficult to determine.
As a Pacifista, Kuma has the ability to fire laser beams from his mouth, capable of causing large explosions and melting steel.
This laser seems to be an imitation of Kizaru’s powers. Unlike the other Pacifistas, in whom the laser is also integrated into the palms, Kuma possesses it only in his mouth.
His Devil Fruit:
Bartholomew Kuma possesses the powers of Nikyu Nikyu no Mi. This Paramecia-type fruit gives him the incredible ability to repel anything with his pads, even reaching the speed of light. This power manifests itself in distinctive pads on the palms of his hands.
Bartholomew Kuma has the ability to make people « disappear » by touching them with his hands.
Later, it is revealed that his power consists in propelling them great distances, sending them to destinations chosen by him, even if these places require days of travel to reach normally.
Kuma possesses an exceptional ability to « repel » or deflect impalpable elements, such as pain or fatigue from individuals. This ability was revealed when he absorbed all the suffering endured by Luffy at Thriller Bark, leaving him totally invigorated.
This suggests that Bartholomew Kuma’s powers could be used to heal. However, in this instance, he took away Luffy’s pain because Zoro had volunteered to take it instead.
It seems that Kuma’s ability doesn’t heal wounds, but rather allows him to extract them and move them elsewhere.
If this pain or fatigue is not absorbed by another individual, it will return to its original « body ».
Appearance:
Bartholomew Kuma is a giant of almost 7 meters,
Always seen with a bible, his bear-like look is unique in the One Piece universe.
His face, neutral with a protruding chin and white eyes, makes a lasting impression.
Originally, Oda envisioned Kuma in bright colors: brown hair, orange jacket, yellow hat with green spots. But the anime adopted darker tones, a trend that the manga eventually followed.
His style evolved over time. In the revolutionary army, Kuma wore a brown hood concealing everything but his face. After the ellipse, his look changes radically, revealing his cyborg body with pincushion patterns on his torn jacket.
A character with a design as evolving as his story, Bartholomew Kuma captivates One Piece fans.
Bartholomew Kuma’s personality :
Kuma, in the pay of the World Government, has his own rules. He despises the Navy, cooperating only on orders. A former member of the revolutionary army, this revelation by Emporio Ivankov in Marineford comes as a shock.
A calm giant, Kuma is different from the other warlords. A benevolent man, he has twice saved the Straw Hats.
Imperturbable, he speaks little but often uses « target » in his sentences.
Kuma fooled the World Government while still a warlord.
He hid his alliance with the revolutionary army until a forced lobotomy.
Calm, he avoided direct confrontation, as with Admiral Kizaru.
Protective, he kept the « Thousand Sunny » for two years, without healing its wounds.
Today, after the Pacifista project, Bartholomew Kuma has lost his will, his personality and his memory. He is now a « living weapon », blindly obeying the World Government.
Doflamingo says his original personality is « dead ».
