The gutting backstory of Bartholomew Kuma in Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been a highlight of the ongoing Egghead Arc. Formerly a Warlord of the Sea, the Buccaneer was subjected to a cruel experiment by Dr. Vegapunk that stripped him of his humanity and turned him into a cyborg. His story will grow more sinister as the manga progresses.
Almost every character in One Piece has a tragic background. For instance, Franky’s family was killed by the Marines, Robin’s whole island was destroyed and she was labeled a criminal at the age of nine, and Chopper had to witness Dr. Hiriluk die at the hands of Wapol. In all these cases, the World Government was directly or indirectly responsible for allowing the carnage.
The World Government is depicted as a corrupted system that is responsible for many atrocities. Chapter 1099 confirmed that one of the Elders played a part in the horrible transformation of Kuma and why the kind-hearted man got the fearsome ‘Tyrant’ label.
Spoilers ahead for One Piece Chapter 1099!
The Reason For Kuma’s Status As A ‘Tyrant’ Explained In One Piece Chapter 1099
Previously in One Piece, it is revealed that Bartholomew Kuma escaped the mass genocide in God Valley with the help of Ivankov and Ginny. The two Buccaneers took shelter in the Sorbet Kingdom. Kuma and Ginny joined the Revolutionary Army, previously known as the Freedom Fighters, as the group led by Monkey D. Dragon helped them escape captivity.
The proceedings took a tragic turn when Ginny was captured by a celestial dragon and forced into marriage eight years after they joined the Revolutionary Army. She contracted the Saphire Scales disease and transmitted it to her child named Jewelry Bonney before her death. To add to the darker twist, Eiichiro Oda depicted that ‘natural light’ was the symptom of the disease.
Also Read: Kuma’s Past and Ginny’s Death Make One Piece Take a Much Darker Turn than Fans had Expected
One Piece Chapter 1099 begins with the reason for Bartholomew Kuma’s labeling as a ‘Tyrant.’ The chapter begins with a flashback to when King Bekori returned to recapture the Sorbet Kingdom after the island was liberated by the Revolutionary Army. He destroyed several villages to flush out Kuma and subsequently killed him to regain the throne.
Kuma got the ‘Tyrant’ moniker after he destroyed Bekori’s Marine forces single-handedly and humiliated the evil monarch. Characteristic of the World Government, they termed him to be a tyrant to spread fear in the hearts of other people and falsely accused him of being a criminal. Citizens were brainwashed to such an extent that even Jinbe pictured Bartholomew as a cruel ruler although Bonney stated he was a kind-hearted man.
Chapter 1099 also offers a glimpse into how Bartholomew Kuma was imprisoned by the World Government. They weren’t able to defeat him but rather used Jewelry Bonney’s disease as a means to control the king of Sorbet.
Also Read: Kuma’s Book in One Piece May Hold a Bigger Importance than Fans Realise
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn Played A Big Role In Capturing Bartholomew Kuma
According to leaks for One Piece Chapter 1099, Bartholomew Kuma will approach Dr. Vegapunk as a last resort to cure his adopted daughter’s illness. It is known that Vegapunk convinced Kuma to take part in his Pacifista project, making him a cybernetically enhanced trooper, but a World Elder might be responsible for the decision of the doctor.
While Kuma conversed with Vegapunk, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn was depicted to be eavesdropping on the conversation. Jewelry Bonney did reveal that Saturn was responsible for “killing her father”, or rather turning him into a mindless machine. It could be possible that the Minister of Defence planned with the other Elders to utilize Kuma’s vulnerability when it came to her daughter’s illness.
Saturn is being developed as the primary antagonist for the Egghead Arc. Thus, he is likely to have been directly responsible for the heart-wrenching end to Bartholomew Kuma’s life. The Elder of the World Government uses an advanced form of Haki which could prove to be trouble although there are several characters who could take him down, including Dragon.
