One Piece: Kuma & Where the Pain Goes
This chapter covers all the way through One Piece Episode 1155. So, potential spoilers, depending on where you are on your One Piece journey. I’ll also be including an episode list if you just want to watch the episodes essential to this chapter and the bulk of Kuma’s story 368, 375
When we are first properly introduced to Kuma, the tyrant, one of the seven warlords of the sea at the tail end of the “Thriller Bark” saga, he is instantly regarded as one of the most intriguing villains in the world of One Piece. This giant of a man appears, coming in at 22 feet tall, and carrying a Bible. We see him deal with Perona with no issue, but once the larger battle is done, he steals the joy of the Straw Hat victory as he arrives on a mission from the world government to kill the Straw Hat crew and everyone left alive on Thriller Bark. Luffy is lying absolutely defeated on the ground after taking out Gecko Moria, and right at their moment of victory, Kuma arrives.
Zorro does his best to battle Kuma, and in the middle of the fight Kuma makes this statement; “I don’t believe in mercy.” This wouldn’t necessarily seem inaccurate from the little we had seen of Kuma up unto that point, but the more we learned about his story, the more we realize how huge of a lie that is. Mercy would be at the very core of everything Kuma did throughout his entire life, even the most brutal portions.
The Straw Hats continued to try to defend their unconscious captain, and Kuma, whether he showed it or not, was moved by their self-sacrifice. They didn’t know that Kuma knew more about sacrificial love than almost anyone else. They also didn’t know that the safety of what he loved most was being held in balance, and that he was forced to live in a state of compromise. The “mercy” that Kuma didn’t believe in began shining through.
“I thought it over, and I've made a decision. I will spare your lives. But on one condition. In exchange for this act of magnanimity, you give me the head of Straw Hat Luffy.” - Kuma
The inhabitants of Thriller Bark were elated, but they didn’t know Luffy’s crew that well. Which left them all being hit full on with the “Ursa Shock,” which, while massive and impressive, was still much less fatal than you’d imagine.
Zorro manages to stay conscious in the wake of the Ursa Shock, attacking Kuma as he grabs Luffy.
Zorro: The only way you’ll back down is if we give you Luffy’s head?
Kuma: That is the only compromise I’m willing to offer.
Zorro: You want a head? I’ll give you a head. However, I can’t give you my captain’s. You’ll have to take mine instead. Please settle for that. I may not have the same bounty on my head right now as Luffy’s at the moment, but I swear to you, I'm destined to become the greatest swordsman the world has ever known. Surely that must be worth something.
Kuma: You possess that much ambition, yet you're willing to give it all up and exchange your life for his?
Sanji, who can barely stand, also makes bold declarations to sacrifice himself.
Sanji : Go on and get it over with. The only head you’re taking is mine. Forget about these fools. Kill me and get out of here.
Kuma was finding it increasingly difficult to fulfill his mission as one of the 7 warlords of the sea. He was taken back by the loyalty, love, and willing sacrifice of the Straw Hat crew. None of these things were what he desired to do, but Kuma was in a hard place within a manipulative relationship he was facing with the world government. Kuma was trapped in this moment because he himself was sacrificing his life out of love for someone else. This hit Kuma in ways no one else understood.
Self sacrifice shows the power of love that goes beyond simple words.
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” - Romans 5:7-10
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. “ - John 15:13
Kuma struggled to obey the orders he’d been given because he recognized the love that this crew was demonstrating
Sanji continued pontificating, and Zorro promptly knocked him out. Zorro throws down his swords as he tells Kuma, “No show me you’ve got some honor.”
Kuma: You’ve made sure I can’t even touch Straw Hat, not unless I want to shame myself. If that’s what you want, I give you my word, I won’t take Straw Hat’s head, but if you’re intent on taking his place, you will experience a living hell. I've just repelled all physical injury from Straw Hat’s body. His exhaustion, his pain, what rests before you is the sum total of anguish he endured...If you if you truly wish to take his place, then you must accept and inflict his agony upon yourself. As close to death as you are already not only will undoubtedly kill you, it will do so painfully.
Zorro took on this pain with no hesitation in a way that Kuma had never seen. Before Kuma abandoned his mission he reflected;
“To inspire such loyalty in his friends, he couldn’t be anyone's son but yours, could he, Dragon”?
Kuma recognized that Luffy inspired the same loyalty and friendship that Luffy’s father Dragon inspired. Kuma had seen this firsthand across multiple generations, just like he would see in his own life through Bonney.
“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” - Proverbs 18:24
One of their next most significant encounters would ultimately be some of the most heartbreaking episodes of One Piece. I hadn’t caught up to the point of watching One Piece week to week till almost the end of the Egghead arc. If I had to wait episodes between their second major Kuma encounter, I don’t know how well I would have functioned.
(Episodes 403-405)
After Luffy made the brilliant life choice to lay hands on a Celestial Dragon, a whole new class of bad guys were after the Straw Hats. Kizaru and a battalion of PX-1's were absolutely about to end the lives of Luffy and His crew. That’s when Kuma resurfaced. Kuma showed up and began combatting his cybernetic counterparts while Rayleigh helped hold Kizaru at bay. What plays out after that, to me, is one of the most traumatic scenes in One Piece history (at that point in the story. Kuma single handedly makes each of the Straw Hats disappear. Luffy was weeping and screaming in desperation for Kuma to stop, but to no avail. There was not a single Straw Hat that could stand up to Kuma, let alone the other folks who were there to destroy the Straw Hats. Luffy collapses to the ground in tears lamenting his uselessness in saving his crew. The show even goes as far as giving us a huge montage of how each of the crew members came to the ship and their iconic moments of growth. To those watching this new as it premiered, it felt 100% like the crew was dead. Even watching this in streaming format and knowing there was still 700+ episodes to go, I was still weeping like the crew was dead. Kuma looks over the devastated Luffy and states “You and I, we’ll never meet again.” The screen cuts and we hear the announcer make this grave declaration; “Grove 12. The Sabaody Archipelago. Deep in the Grand Line. On this day, the Straw Hat pirates, Led by Captain Monkey D. Luffy, came face to face with true despair, and one by one, they were eliminated.” Then they drop the classic “To be continued” screen on us.
I was up late watching this when I saw it for the first time. I remember I was cleaning, and just stood there, holding a broom in disbelief, tears running down my face.
Just because it feels like the end doesn’t mean it’s the end.
What none of us knew at this point is that not only was Kuma saving each of the Straw Hat’s lives, but he was also sending them places to be better prepare them for the battles ahead. While Kuma was in the midst of facing Rayleigh and Kizaru, Kuma whispered to Rayleigh, “I am a member of the revolutionary army. If it’s within my power, I want to help the Straw Hats escape from here.”
When he was launching the Straw Hats, he wasn’t just randomly scattering them to the ends of the earth. He was sending them to areas that would allow each of them to grow and progress in their skills. Luffy would later call for them to meet up 2 years later. What One Piece fans refer to as the time skip. The time to grow and improve was essential, but where Kuma sent them individually was just as important. Their victories ahead wouldn’t have been possible without it. The crew would go through 2 years of struggles and trials to prepare them for the challenges that awaited them. While it happens in much less dramatic fashion (sometimes), this is the same service God provides in our lives. He brings us to the places and circumstances we need to be in as we move forward in our life and faith. These places are often more difficult than we would desire, but still essential.
Suffering has the ability to magnify and purify what is in us. Kuma endured, and would continue to endure unfathomable suffering, but because of who Kuma was and the heart within him, it made him stronger. For some of us, the potential to let bitterness take root and grow could be a real possibility.
Our response to suffering shapes our future.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” - James 1:2-5
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” - 1 Peter 1:6-9
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”- 1 Peter 5:10
Kuma could have easily just given fully into the rage, bitterness, and despair, but he never let those things outshine the hope within him. That should be an equal goal for our lives.
After the time skip, the glow ups, and the happy reunions, we find that Kuma’s last act of independence was to guard the Sunny. As the crew was discussing everything, Kuma’s intentions and sacrifice became clear.
“Turns out Bartholomew Kuma was on our side the whole time.... The bottom line is, our survival and all the things we’ve accomplished in the last two years, we owe to him. Whatever his reason was, we should be grateful ”- Franky
No one watching then could have known his reasons, because none of us knew his backstory. That backstory remained untold for more than 1,000 episodes of One Piece. Personally, I’m not a big fan of when they interrupt a story that’s progressing quickly to go back and give us a character’s backstory. I didn’t wanna know about Big Mom. I didn’t necessarily care about young Kaido or Sabbo. But Kuma’s backstory took me by surprise.
Let’s dive into it together.
Episodes 1128-1138
This stories we’ve lived help define the stories we tell.
Kuma’s father was of Buccaneer blood. This meant they were descendants of a nearly extinct race of people of incredible size, strength, and durability. This made them ideal candidates for slavery and the military. Kuma’s entire family was taken into slavery, and because his mother didn’t share the buccaneer’s blood, she didn’t last as long as Kuma and his father. Their lives were filled with incredible pain and unimaginable trauma. A short time later, Kuma would witness his father murdered before his eyes while his father attempted to raise his spirits. Kuma’s spirit was more formidable than his body.
In a short time, an adolescent Kuma found himself a slave at god valley, where the celestial dragons/world government were going to wipe out the entire island’s population and history (similar to Robin’s backstory) in their own little Hunger Games hunting competition. Kuma volunteered to be a distraction, stating; "I don’t want to see anyone else die.” When faced with the devastating presence of saint Saturn, Kuma boldly proclaims; “I want to protect people from suffering. I want to free as many slaves as I can.”
Kuma felt the ancient call that Isaiah would state, and Jesus would later quote; to free those in captivity and bring them life.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:1-3 (Also quoted in Luke 4:18)
In the midst of the god valley chaos, they were able to survive and in some ways overcome some of the world’s most fearsome pirates, and government agents as well. They survived and many others survived because of them. Kuma, Ivankov, and Ginny are gathered together at Kuma’s childhood church as they remind Kuma that even so severely outnumbered, they managed to save 500 people. When Kuma was praying for all those he couldn’t save, Ivanko gave him a bold but truthful declaration.
Our faith should lead to action.
“Never forget, those hands can do more than pray. They’re the hands of liberation.”
Kuma had an overwhelming compassion. He had seen near limitless suffering, yet his heart grew more loving. He wanted freedom and equality for others because He had seen how ugly hatred and injustice are. That’s the attitude James urges believers in as well. “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.”
“Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right...... Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
- James 2:1-8, 15-17
Do what you can, where you can, while you can.
With his newfound life back at his father's church, Kuma, who was just 17, was pastoring a congregation of mostly elderly folks. Beyond his sermon time, he would spend time each Sunday healing his congregation's ailments.
He instructed them “For aches and pains you can come to me.” Kuma would stand and “heal” his elderly congregants, but Kuma’s power pushes things out, they still have to go somewhere. So, on Sunday’s Kuma would push out all his congregations' pains and suffering, and then once they had left, he would take all their suffering on himself.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” - Galatians 6:2
This process wrecked Kuma and left him weak and in agony for days on end. Ginny protested this of course because she loved Kuma and hated seeing him suffer. “They have no idea how much agony they are causing you. How can you keep doing this to yourself every week?’” - Ginny
“That’s how my power works. That mass of pain and suffering wont just go away. In the end, someone has to accept it.” - Kuma. As a pastor, and as someone who has been involved in ministry for the last 27 years, I know it hurts to both be the person taking other’s suffering, and hurts being the person who loves someone taking other’s suffering. It can be traumatic to your heart and well being over time. Most of my ministerial wounds come from the shrapnel of simply loving my congregations, and that’s without using devil fruit.
It’s a sacrificial calling, as Peter puts it;
“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.” - 1 Peter 5:2-3.
Kuma was a great pastor. As Ginny watched him grow as a man and leader, she wanted to marry him, but he couldn’t. His buccaneer blood would put her, and their potential children at risk for the rest of their lives. The same bloodline that ruined his parents lives, he couldn’t do that to Ginny. In retrospect, I’m fairly certain Ginny would have chosen marriage with Kuma at its worst over what did befall her, but that’s not how the story went.
Kuma continued to protect his town. He freed his people from slavery. He became a revolutionary army freedom fighter. He used his hands for prayer, and for liberation.
Kuma’s story took a darker turn when one day Ginny went missing. Kuma searched and fought to find her, but to no avail. Eventually Ginny makes a brief return, moments from death she returns to the one safe place she knew in life, Kuma’s church. She brought with her a newborn baby. Ginny had been kidnapped and forced to serve as a celestial dragon’s wife. Ginny had contracted the disease “Saphire Scales” and it was about to take her life. Even more saddening is that her daughter Bonny also had the affliction.
This was not going to stop Kuma from being the absolute best dad in the world, but it did mean his heart was going to be perpetually breaking for years to come. Once she got to about preschool age, the Saphire Scales started to manifest, and after testing, found that Bonney had at most 5 years to live, and they said it would be a miracle if she lived until her 10th birthday.
Love is Sacrifice
There’s something especially soul crushing to watch your child be sick and knowing there’s not much you can do about it. My middle daughter, Bella, who is at the time of this writing is 16 years old, had more brushes with death as a baby that I care to remember. At a 6-month checkup, we were told that Bella had died. The doctors told us that with 100% certainty. They scheduled an appointment for us a couple weeks later to come in and have her “remains” removed. As a precaution before the procedure, they did an ultrasound. Lo and behold, Bella was perfectly fine. We spent 2 whole weeks mourning the death of our child. Once Bella was born, she was home for less than 1 day. Her body was rejecting all forms of food/milk/nutrition, and she was starving to death. She spent 3 weeks in N.I.C.U. I never left her side. I didn’t know how to breathe knowing she could be gone at any minute.
This was the motivation that kept Kuma going. He continued being the hero he was, but life kept getting increasingly complicated. Eventually he went on the run for the good of everyone at their home. He told Bonney, “I’m doing this to protect you, and all of our friends.”
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” - 1 John 3:16
He adventured; he fought the marines, lived on the run, and searched for a cure for Bonney. Eventually, Dragon introduces Kuma to VegaPunk who can potentially cure Bonney, but the procedure is incredibly expensive. He exchanges allowing himself to be cloned for her treatment. There wasn’t a price he wasn’t willing to pay. He told VegaPunk,"Even if you were the devil, I wouldn’t care as long as you could save Bonney. Please help my daughter”
Kuma’s story was never easy one, which was made even more clear when it was revealed that the World government had been spying on Kuma and VegaPunk, and had a new list of demands in order to save Bonney.
Saint JayGarcia Saturn, one of the 5 elders (the same one who would literally try to murder Bonney in Egghead) demanded that;
Kuma must become one of the 7 warlords of the sea
Kuma must become a cyborg
Kuma must have all of his mind and free will erased
The government would take possession of Bonney once she’s well until Kuma’s free will is gone.
VegaPunk tries to argue and debate, but Kuma stops him.
“VegaPunk, I want you to do it. I thought he was going to make impossible demands. I thought I wouldn’t be able to save my daughter. But I have nothing more to fear.”
Losing himself completely in order to save his child was 100% worth it to him.
When we see him in the earlier seasons of One Piece, he is already in the process of having his humanity removed. By the time we hit “Marineford,” Kuma as a person is gone. But Bonney, she’s alive, she's cured, and she’s causing chaos. When she shows up on Egghead with the Straw Hats, her story had come full circle.
Her dad laid down his life for her. He laid down his humanity. She got to live. In some ways, this is the heart of parenting at its core.
But that’s not where his story ends just yet. All the way in the Egghead arc, as Bonney and the Crew have spent time with VegaPunk. Bonney has found all the memories that her father had removed. She was able to see and feel how fully he loved her. That is truly a gift. As a parent, you’re never quite sure your kids see the depth of your love until it’s too late. Bonney got to see her father’s love better than any other child fully will.
As things began to fall apart on Egghead, VegaPunk put out a message telling the entire world a huge secret. The world government was dispatched, down to a buster call like we saw at Ennies Lobby, and Robin’s home. If that weren’t enough, St. Saturn, the same elder who was not only responsible for Kumas downfall, but was also responsible for infecting Ginny, now held Bonney captive, about to end her life.
Prior to this assault, Saturn had VegaPunk shut down/self destruct Kuma. Making sure there was no chance of him getting in the way. Bonney was in danger. Nothing else mattered. Logic was irrelevant. A complete shutdown switch had already been triggered on Kuma, but still, Kuma was on his way. Kuma used his powers to launch himself from the Kamabakka Kingdom directly to Egghead Island. It made no sense logically but love rarely does.
As Saint Saturn was preparing to inflict the death blow on Bonney, he stated; “Listen to me Pirate Jewelry Bonney, your father, Bartholomew Kuma is dead. But not to worry. It’s time to join your father in the afterlife.”
To everyone’s shock and awe, Kuma showed up at the last second to save and protect his daughter.
VegaPunk, who literally knew more about Kuma’s physical body than anyone just couldn’t understand it. “A total shutdown switch. Now that it has been pressed, you should be in a vegetative state. You shouldn’t be able to respond to commands, let alone act on your own. If you don’t possess reason, what can you act on? Science cannot explain it. It’s illogical.”
Saint Saturn assuming he had been betrayed questioned VegaPunk;
“Speak VegaPunk, what is your explanation for this? Was it your doing?”
“Well, I suppose it must look that way. You could say it was the power of love.” - VegaPunk
“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” - 1 Corinthians 13:7
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” - 1 Peter 4:8
Kuma’s love for his daughter outweighed every other concept of logic. Kuma and the Straw Hats would briefly hold Saint Saturn back, and Bonney and Kuma would get a beautiful reunion.
Technically, their story isn’t over. Bonney and Lilith are in the process of building a lab on Elbaph, and Lilith is confident she can revive and restore Kuma. Even if they don’t manage to do so, Kuma is one of the best parts, of one of the best stories ever told. His tale reminded me of what I want my heart to look like, how I want to serve as a pastor, and the type of love I want to show to my children. I’m grateful for that journey, and I hope to live in such a way as to be grateful for my own.
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