Summary
One Piecemanga has been primarily focused on the backstory of Bartholomew Kuma. The once-Revolutionary Army officer has lived a difficult life, full of tragedies. As a child, Kuma was exposed to the horrific nature of the Celestial Dragons. They enslaved Kuma and his parents because they were Buccaneers, aOne Piecerace that had committed a major transgression against the World Government. Kuma’s mother didn’t last long in captivity, and she was joined by her husband, who was shot by a Celestial Dragon, leaving Kuma alone to fend for himself. The young Buccaneer remained strong because of his faithin the Sun God, Nika. Kuma’s life changed during the God Valley Incident, where he was selected to be the bait for the hunters. Kuma ran for his life and eventually met Ivankov and Ginny. Not long afterward, Kuma got his hands on the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, which he consumed without a second thought. Kuma, Ginny, and Ivankov became close friends and ended up joining the Revolutionary Army. Kuma was happy with the progress, as the organization enabled him to help even more people. On an ominous day, Ginny was kidnapped by a Celestial Dragon, who sought to marry her. Kuma was hapless, and he couldn’t figure out a way to save her.
Two years after the incident, Ginny talked to Kumaand the Revolutionary Army. Sadly, she was at death’s door, and there wasn’t much that Kuma could do about it. Kuma lost the person closest to him, but he gained a new one in Bonney. She was Ginny’s daughter, and Kuma decided to raise her. He did the best that he could, but Bonney also fell sick. Like her mother, Bonney had the Sapphire Scale disease. Kuma decided to quit the Revolutionary Army to dedicate the entirety of his time to finding a cure for Bonney. Kuma learned that Bonney would die before she turned ten. He was in despair, but he did not give up hope. Kuma kept looking for a cure. One year after learning of her daughter’s plight, Kuma had to face another problem.
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The Revolution
Toward the end of Chapter 1098, the old folks came running to Kuma, informing him of Bekori’s return. They stressed that things were exactly the same as they were 16 years ago, and Bekori was already killing people in the streets. The king of the Sorbet Kingdom wanted to exact revenge for what the Revolutionary Army did to him. As a narcissistic individual, Bekori believed that he could do whatever his heart desired, and he couldn’t distinguish right from wrong.
Bekori’s army was razing everything to the ground. The old denizens could not compete with the king’s forces, so the responsibility fell on Kuma’s shoulders. He had to fight against Bekori and his army, which he did with aplomb. This particular incident came to be known as the “One-Man Revolution.” After wiping them out, Kuma became the king of the Sorbet Kingdom. However, word started to spread that he was a tyrant. This was the doing of Bekori, who couldn’t fathom the fact that he had been bested by Kuma.
Another Failure
After some time, Bekori returned to confront Kuma, and this time he took the help of the Marines. However, the outcome was the same. Kuma destroyed all the Navy ships, but he was forced to go on the run. Kuma left Bonney in the care of Conney, as he could not endanger her life. He became a well-known pirate and was issued a significant bounty.
While he was still a pirate, Kuma met with the Revolutionary Army. He was approached by Belo Betty, who asked him permission to become the East Army Commander. Kuma granted her request to lead the eastern forces. When Kumawas talking to Dragon, the latter advised him to seek out Dr. Vegapunk. Dragon revealed that Vegapunk’s new laboratory was not well-guarded, making it feasible to infiltrate.
Curing Bonney
Bartholomew Kuma wasted no time in heeding Dragon’s advice and made hisway to Egghead Island. Upon his arrival, Kuma talked to Vegapunk about the possibility of a cure. The scientist said that he had the technology to cure the Sapphire Scale disease, so naturally, Kuma was overjoyed at the news. However, Vegapunk wasn’t going to carry out such an expensive procedure without taking something in return. So, he asked Kuma to become a test subject for him.
He assured that the research would be beneficial to the entire world. Kuma felt reassured, and hetold Vegapunk that hewould be more than happy if he could make a difference. Vegapunk even called Kuma a saint, but the latter responded by saying that he was a simple pacifist.
