- Further information: Nikyu Nikyu no Mi
- Further information: Pacifista
- Bartholomew Kuma vs. Perona and Zombies
- Bartholomew Kuma vs. Straw Hat Pirates and Rolling Pirates
- Bartholomew Kuma vs. Roronoa Zoro
- Bartholomew Kuma vs. PX-1 vs. Straw Hat Pirates
- Shichibukai and the Marines vs. Whitebeard Pirates and their allies
- Bartholomew Kuma (as PX-0), Donquixote Doflamingo, and Gekko Moriah vs. Little Oars Jr.
- Bartholomew Kuma (as PX-0) vs. Emporio Ivankov
- Bartholomew Kuma vs. every attacker of the Thousand Sunny
- "Kuma” means "bear" in Japanese, which represents his character's animal theme.
- In the TV version of the FUNimation dub of the anime, when Kuma is introduced, the word "BIBLE" is edited out of the book he is carrying. In the uncut DVDs, the world "BIBLE" is retained.
- Due to his apparently reserved disposition and the fact that he is invariably seen with a large bible, Kuma is likely modeled after Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts, a gentleman pirate known for his religious obstinacy. Roberts was also known for being merciless when trying to exact revenge on anyone who wronged him. Fellow Shichibukai Dracule Mihawk's appearance is also based off of Roberts.
- Kuma was revealed to have been effectively dead during the Battle of Marineford, which concluded the Golden Age of Pirates and began the "New Age". Coincidentally, it was Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts whose death ended this world's "Great Pirate Age".
- Following the dismissal of Gekko Moriah, Kuma is now both the oldest and the tallest of the still active Shichibukai (assuming any new recruits do not transcend him).
| Bartholomew Kuma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Statistics | |
| Japanese Name: | バーソロミュー・くま |
| Romanized Name: | Bāsoromyū Kuma |
| English Name: | Bartholomew Kuma |
| First Appearance: | Chapter 233; Episode 151 |
| Affiliations: | Shichibukai; Revolutionary Army (former) |
| Occupations: | Shichibukai; Pirate; Revolutionary officer (former) |
| Epithet: | "Tyrant" (暴君, Bō-kun); PX-0 |
| Japanese VA: | Hideyuki Hori |
| Age: | 45 47 (after timeskip) |
| Height: | 689cm (22'6") |
| Bounty: | Formerly  296,000,000 |
| Devil Fruit | |
| Japanese Name: | Nikyu Nikyu no Mi |
| English Name: | Paw-Paw Fruit |
| Meaning: | Pad |
| Type: | Paramecia |
Appearance
Kuma is an enormous man (nearing 7 meters tall, he is the second tallest Shichibukai, being one inch shorter than Moriah) who is usually seen carrying a Bible. His overall appearance resembles that of a bear, though there are a few key differences.His eyes are strangely covered by either a pair of glasses or clear-mirrored lenses. While initially he will give the impression of wearing glasses, it seems that, based on the Pacifistas that were destroyed, those are actually his own eyes. His hat features a pair of rounded ears, and, along with the fabric of his pants, is covered in brown spots. His jacket contains a large white design reminiscent of a target crosshair or a coda (musical term). There are also several paw prints lining the bottom hem of his coat. He also has a long protruding chin. He bears the tattoo "PX-0" on the left side of the base of his throat.
In the anime, Kuma's hair and jacket are black, and his hat is gray. The covering of his Bible is also shown to be intricately colored purple. In the manga, Oda originally intended for Kuma to have a completely different color scheme. Kuma's hair was shown to be brown, his jacket bright orange, his hat yellow with green spots, and his Bible a solid gold color. Later in the manga chapters, his coat was changed to more closely resemble the one in the anime, though the rest of his design remained untouched.
Gallery
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Kuma's original color scheme decipted from manga.
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Kuma's new color scheme from Chapter 532.
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Kuma as seen in Unlimited Cruise.
Personality
Despite his imposing figure and his past reputation, Bartholomew Kuma is a very calm and quiet person. In addition to his demeanor, he can also be seen as somewhat of a benevolent character, especially compared to the other Shichibukai. This assumption can be reached through some of his actions, specifically when he spared the lives of the Straw Hats on two separate occasions.Although he obeys the commands of the World Government, Kuma disagrees with what his superiors deem "good" and "bad" in the world. Instead, Kuma strives to uphold his own ideals (described as Moral Justice) whenever possible. He even goes so far as to imply that Blackbeard's acceptance into the Shichibukai ranks had been a poor decision by the government, despite the fact that it filled the position left by Crocodile's defeat.
However, Kuma's loyalty does not extend to the Marines. This can be seen when he refuses to answer a direct question from Admiral Kizaru during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc. Due to his unwillingness to aid the Marines without a direct order, Kuma didn't hesitate to lie when it came to his victory over the Straw Hats at Sabaody Archipelago.
When talking, Kuma customarily uses the word target in his sentences. He also tends to ask a person where they would like to go on a trip before he sends them away with his Devil Fruit's power.
There are still several mysteries behind Kuma's character. The details behind his transformation into a "Pacifista" and what exactly it entails are still unknown. He also whispered a message to Silvers Rayleigh during the battle at the Sabaody Archipelago, which the old pirate believes puts the other man at risk The message given to Rayleigh was finally revealed much later. The exact words were "I work for the Revolutionary Army. Since we have a connection, I want to help this group (the Straw Hat Pirates) escape".
| “ | We will not be seeing one another again... Farewell. | ” |
— Kuma's last words to Luffy before losing his free will to the Pacifista project's finalization. | ||
After the timeskip, Sentoumarou said that Kuma has been acting strange ever since he lost his free-will. It turns out that prior to being the modifications completely converted him, he and Doctor Vegapunk made a deal to have his final form protect the Thousand Sunny until one of the Strawhat Pirates arrived.
Relationships
| Sorry for the mess, this section needs to be cleaned up due to some parts being irrelevant or wrong. |
World Government
Kuma is currently a completely modified Pacifista who follows the government's orders without question. Moriah stated that because of Kuma's allegiance, Kuma worried him more than any other Shichibukai. It is worth noting however that Kuma was originally a revolutionary who hated the government. He also claimed to Silvers Rayleigh that he is still a revolutionary prior to his final Pacifista modifications. The reason for his pretense as a loyal tool of the World Government has not been revealed yet, nor has the reason why he agreed to have his personality and memories removed or why he even agreed to be a part of the Pacifista project.Marines
| “ | We (Shichibukai) have no obligation to cooperate with the Marines save where the government is directly involved... Your question shall remain unanswered. | ” |
— Kuma's response to Kizaru's demands. | ||
Revolutionaries
Prior to receiving his final modifications, Kuma told Rayleigh that he was a member of the Revolutionaries. This is supported by his past membership of the organization and acquaintance with Dragon and Ivankov. He also had knowledge of Luffy's relationship with Dragon (something that even Ivankov was unaware of) and he subsequently spared the Straw Hats' lives on two occasions, as well as guarding their ship for 2 years from the likes of pirates and marines.It was stated by Ivankov that he and Kuma knew each other, and that he is no longer the man he once was. The relationship is confirmed in the flashback when Dragon saves the people from the fire in the Gray Terminal where Kuma is seen with Ivankov and the crew on Dragon's ship.
Shichibukai
Kuma has only been shown interacting with one of the Shichibukai, Gekko Moriah. Moriah feels that because of his loyalty to the World Government, he can't be trusted.Kuma knows the home islands of Hancock, Mihawk and Moria. It's unknown if he's been to these locations.
Straw Hat Pirates
Kuma was ordered to kill the Straw Hat Pirates after Moriah's defeat at their hands. However, he spared their lives once at Thriller Bark, and then again on Sabaody Archipelago, where he helped them escape Kizaru and Sentoumaru, his last known act under his own free will.While Kuma helped the entire Straw Hat crew, he has shown a certain respect for Zoro, specifically after he finds the swordsman alive following the events at Thriller Bark. Zoro, too, recognizes and respects Kuma’s strength, admitting that he is only alive because of the other’s mercy.
Kuma also knows a lot about Luffy, as he at least knew that Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Dragon are his adoptive brother and biological father, respectively. Both relationships were not public matters, and as such, very few people actually know about them, until Sengoku made it public during the war. He gave Luffy one final farewell before sending him to Amazon Lily and losing his free will to the Pacifista project's finalization.
Kuma's intentions during the incident with the World Nobles on Sabaody Archipelago was to save the Straw Hat crew. He also made a deal with Dr. Vegapunk to program him to protect the Thousand Sunny until a Straw Hat member returns. Franky told the other Straw Hats that they owe a debt to Kuma.
Abilities and Powers
Kuma is one of the few people to have completely defeated the entire Straw Hat Pirates. He is also the only character introduced so far that has defeated the crew single-handedly, twice. Although, the crew was extremely weak both times and they were in no shape to fight another battle, much less a Shichibukai (though Kuma's victory was downplayed, as at the first encounter, the crew had just finished battling another Shichibukai, Gekko Moriah, as well as an island full of zombies, and Oars. In the second encounter, they had just battled against a large amount of Marines, PX-4, Admiral Kizaru, and PX-1). He doesn't want the crew dead however since he allowed them to escape.Devil Fruit
| “ | If you were to go on a trip... Where would you like to go? | ” |
— Kuma before using his Devil Fruit powers | ||
The fruit's powers also allow him to move at the same speed as the objects he pushes, possibly by using it to push himself, appearing instantaneously at a desired location regardless of distance, all the while he moves with no more than a slow walk. Kuma has made numerous people 'vanish' by slapping them with one of this hands. It is later revealed that he pushes them away, sending them flying to another destination, which he can choose, even if the destination requires several days to reach. Kuma's abilities can also be used to create massively destructive attacks. This is displayed by one of his signature moves, "Ursus Shock", essentially a 'bomb' made of highly compressed air created by pushing the air between his hands. This destructive power is enough to turn an entire island to dust or severely cripple the massive giant, Oars Jr. Kuma has also shown the ability to "push" or deflect things that lack palpability such as people's pain and exhaustion. This is shown when Kuma took all of the pain that Luffy had suffered on Thriller Bark and left him feeling completely healthy, meaning that his abilities can be used to heal people and cure them. However, in this case, Kuma removed Luffy's pain because Zoro had agreed to accept it in his place. It is not clear what would happen if the pain, which took the form of a giant bubble, had not been transferred to Zoro. It would seem that Kuma's ability does not give him the power to heal damage as much as simply extract it and let it go somewhere else.
Pacifista Modifications
As a Pacifista, Kuma has the ability to shoot laser beams, which not only causes massive explosions upon detonation, but can also melt steel. This laser is apparently a replication of Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi powers. For Kuma, this launcher is only installed in his mouth. In the other incomplete Pacifista, the launcher is installed on their palms as well. Kuma has his paw pads instead of the laser holes on his hands; it is this aspect, along with the bible that only he holds, even after losing his free will, that distinguish him from the other Pacifista, and make him superior to them.
Geography
Through his actions he appears to have a great knowledge in geography, as with his powers he knows exactly where he is sending someone seemingly no matter where in the world he is. His knowledge degree is wide enough to perfectly locate even a moving sky island, although his cyborg modifications may have enhanced this ability. This also shown when he asks people where they would like to go before he 'pushes' them.History
Past History
According to Perona, Kuma was once a violent, tyrannical pirate, who was said to be "brutal beyond measure". Because of this, he was known as Kuma "the Tyrant".
12 years before the main storyline, he was on a crew with Monkey D. Dragon and Emporio Ivankov. He witnessed the desecration of Gray Terminal, assisting the survivors on board the revolutionaries' ship.While this crew was a precursor to the Revolutionaries, it is unknown if Kuma remained with Dragon after he began his assault against the World Government. In this time, though, he learned of Dragon's son, Monkey D. Luffy; considering that not even Ivankov knew of Luffy and Dragon's relationship, this means that Kuma was either incredibly close to Dragon, or that he had been informed of their relationship by Sengoku, Garp or Akainu after he became a Shichibukai, since they were the only ones in the Marines to know that Dragon is Luffy's father.
He later became a Shichibukai and allowed Dr. Vegapunk to modify him into the cyborg weapon "Pacifista". He apparently struck some sort of deal with the World Government to become a guinea pig for this human weapon project, despite his hatred towards them.
Skypiea Saga
Meeting at Mariejois
Like Dracule Mihawk and Donquixote Doflamingo, he was present at the government summit at Mariejois, following Crocodile's defeat in Arabasta. He only spoke briefly.Dealing with Moriah's Defeat at Thriller Bark
With orders from the World Government to inform Gekko Moriah of Crocodile's replacement, Kuma came to Thriller Bark. Arriving there, he asked some of Perona's zombie minions, who were loading treasure onto the Thousand Sunny, where their master would be. However, he was met with some resistance and was forced to deal with them. His actions weren't unnoticed as the zombies reported his doings to the person they were to ordered to follow, Perona.
Perona recognized Kuma and shook in fear at his sight.
Despite Kuma's reputation, however, Perona got annoyed with him and attempted to fight the Shichibukai for his shadow. However, asking her where she would like to go and removing a glove, he made her vanish by sending her flying to Kuraigana Island.
The zombies seeing this tried to attack him but were frightened off by his mere presence. Kuma then spotted Nami and asked her if Luffy has an older brother. After receiving her answer, he then somehow teleported away and continued his search for Moriah.
Kuma then found Moriah in the dance hall in the Mast Mansion of Thriller Bark. After some formalities, he told Moriah of Crocodile's replacement, Marshall D. Teach. Though the gap in the Shichibukai ranks had been filled up, he told Moriah that he felt somewhat uneasy of the situation.
Kuma then told Moriah that since the Straw Hats were most likely to head toward Moriah's vicinity, he should do something about them. He explained this to Moriah since the World Government had grown greatly alert of the pirates since the events at Enies Lobby. Though he wasn't given a specific order, he offered to help Moriah in dealing with the Straw Hats. Moriah however angrily declined Kuma's help and told him to instead sit back and watch as he himself defeated the Straw Hats. However, despite Moriah's boasting, Kuma witnessed Moriah get beaten by Luffy. After the battle, Kuma then reported this to the World Government.
Fearful that the rumors of Moriah's defeat will cause another global uproar like with Crocodile, they ordered Kuma to kill all witnesses on Thriller Bark including the Straw Hat Pirates. Accepting the order, he launched an attack on some of the members of the Thriller Bark Victim's Association before shifting his attention to Zoro. Kuma weakened Zoro and used his Devil Fruit ability to take down Franky and Sanji. He gives them an ultimatum: let him kill Luffy, and he will let them live. When they refuse his offer, Kuma calmly uses his powers to create the effects of a bomb, engulfing a portion of the island (in the anime, the entire island was affected).
Zoro desperately slashing Kuma.
Later, he is seen in the company of Garp and Sengoku, being scolded by the latter for his inability to capture the Straw Hats.
Separating the Straw Hats at Sabaody Archipelago
Having exhausted themselves by defeating a Pacifista on the Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hats were immediately confronted by Kizaru and Sentoumaru, as well as another Pacifista, PX-1. However, the battle was interrupted by the real Bartholomew Kuma, who Zoro recognized as the genuine article. He was surprised to find Zoro still alive. Zoro replied that it was due to Kuma's mercy. Seemingly impressed, Kuma made Zoro vanish to the same place that he sent Perona using the same move that he used on her at Thriller Bark.
He then performed the same move on the rest of the Straw Hats, sending them to separate islands all across the Grand Line. Kuma also sent away the Pacifista that was charging in for an attack against Usopp, making it vanish as well. While he sent the Straw Hats flying away from the archipelago, he whispers something into Rayleigh's ear. This is later revealed to be the fact that, as a member of the Revolutionary Army, he wished to save Luffy and his crew. The Dark King questions Kuma's motives, who responds by saying that he can choose whether to believe him or not. After sending all of the crew flying, he leaves a broken Luffy for last, sending him to Amazon Lily. And, before returning to Marineford, he visits Rayleigh to tell him something and adding that he didn't have much time left.
This was the last-known action, made freely by Kuma, before Dr. Vegapunk completed the Pacifista modifications.
Battle at Marineford
Kuma readies an Ursus Shock against Little Oars Jr.
During the battle, he fired a laser at Ivankov for which the okama questioned why. When Sengoku reveals that Dragon is Luffy's father, he is the only one of the Shichibukai not to voice his thoughts.
Ivankov is then seen fighting him personally, though Doflamingo says it is no use talking to Kuma, cryptically saying that the Kuma Ivankov knew is already dead. Doflamingo then reveals information about Kuma's modifications and what made Kuma into what he is now, making it clear why Kuma went to Sabaody in the first place. Ivankov, outraged at such a revelation, decides he won't hold back any longer, having launched several attacks at Kuma right before saying this. Kuma later went to the plaza with the other Shichibukai when Sengoku begins the final stages of his plan. After the arrival of Shanks, Kuma is seen standing down along with everyone else.
Post-War Arc
Kuma appears again at the Sabaody Archipelago in front of the Rosy Life Riders, holding his trademark bible. Shakky isn't afraid of him, believing him to be an ally, unaware that he lost his free will and became a weapon for the World Government. However, Kuma did not attack but joined them into protecting the Thousand Sunny instead.One year after the separation of the Straw Hat crew, the Marines tried to destroy the ship but Kuma fought against them. Even when Duval and Hatchan retreated from the battle after receiving too many injuries, Kuma continued protecting the Thousand Sunny.
His reason to do so remains unclear; nevertheless, Franky stated that Kuma had Vegapunk input a special mission into his body before losing his personality, to protect the ship even if it means the cost of his life until a Straw Hat returns.
Two Years Later
Franky meets Kuma after the latter protected Thousand Sunny for 2 years.
After the Straw Hats meet again and escaped the Sabaody Archipelago, Franky told the group that they owe a debt to Kuma for protecting the Thousand Sunny, for saving them from Admiral Kizaru, and sending them to different islands two years ago and because he protected, as so did Hachi and Duval, the Thousand Sunny from the marines. Franky adds that if they ever encounter him again someday, he will already have become a heartless "human weapon".
Major Battles
Early One Piece
In an interview about Strong World, Oda revealed that he originally intended the steering wheel in the head concept of Shiki to be used on Kuma. He turned down the idea and decided later to use it for Shiki.Anime and Manga Differences
During the meeting in Mariejois in the manga, Kuma had a few lines, but in the anime, he had none.In the manga also, Kuma was intended to have a different color scheme than the one he is presented with in the anime. This unfortunately was because no full colored version of Kuma was present when the first episode of him appearing was made. The anime had Kuma with a black jacket while Oda's intentions were an orange one. The manga however later changed this color scheme to resemble that of the anime's.
In the manga and One Piece Unlimited Cruise, Kuma's paw pads are black, like a bear's. However, in the anime, the paw pads are pink, like a cat's (which may play off a concept in Robin's head of Kuma's Devil Fruit reminding her of a cat's pads).
Translation and Dub Issues
Merchandise
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One Piece DX Bartholomew Kuma figure. |
Trivia
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