The Life of Kuma

The Bonney Pirates have arrived, with Bonney pushing forward at the bow and her crew insisting that she is the captain. She tells them to quit calling her by name and says, "I'm the captain, ain't I?!" Her men call her captain and report that Marines are nearby. Elsewhere, authorities say Bonney and Kumachi are here and that the Bonney Pirates have attacked the last city, packing it with injured seniors and even little children. One Marine or official says they have orders to bring them in immediately and calls them the worst type of scum. The page shows Bonney knocking down people with her age powers while her crew looks chaotic, establishing her as a feared but misunderstood pirate who keeps pushing forward to find Kuma.

Kuma hears rumors of Bonney's pirate career from the shadows. A townsman says there was a big guy on the outskirts, and Kuma thinks, "I can't see you, Bonney... Please understand." He finds it hard to believe Bonney became a pirate, but warns in his thoughts that she must not chase after him. Bonney, meanwhile, stands with her crew and says that if they are going to take it slow, she wants to look for Nika too. She imagines Daddy's face if she told him, "I found Nika at so-and-so island!!" The narration shifts to the East Blue, where Straw Hat Luffy has stepped into the spotlight after crushing the vicious fishmen of the Arlong Pirates. Luffy cheers over his first bounty poster: "Alright!! I got a bounty!!!" His wanted poster reads Straw Hat Luffy, 30,000,000.

Ace proudly shows Jinbe Luffy's wanted poster, saying, "Jinbe! Jinbe! Guess whose kid brother is on this bounty poster!!" When Jinbe says a brat like this took down Arlong, Ace beams that Luffy is his kid brother. Smoker is told to go to Loguetown and asks why; Dragon, holding the poster, calls it a curious twist of fate and says, "To think your boy would become a pirate..." Bonney, meanwhile, explains her "ironclad rules of piracy": rob the bad guys blind, plunder whatever you want, and do not help a soul unless they really need it. She is putting on lipstick the way Kuma taught her, saying that is exactly how he put it on. She adds that she also marks her cheek so Daddy might not even recognize her, then says she needs to make a name for herself to get his attention.

At Egghead in the New World, Vegapunk and Kuma discuss the ongoing modifications. Vegapunk says their progress is going as smoothly as Kuma's own modifications, but the news is unsettling: some rookies have declared war on the World Government. Kuma reacts with shock when Vegapunk reveals that Dragon has a son. Vegapunk says if Kuma is going to let him study all his memories, there is no point trying to hide it. He describes the coincidence of a man with rubber powers standing up to the Government, and Kuma says Luffy sounds just like his idol, Nika. The scene cuts to Thriller Bark in the Grand Line. Kuma tells the Straw Hats the Government has given him special orders to wipe them all out and says he is sure they will be satisfied if he brings back only Straw Hat Luffy's head. The Straw Hats defiantly shout, "Go to hell!!!"

Kuma unleashes "Ursus Shock" on Thriller Bark, blasting the island with a huge paw-shaped explosion. When he sees Luffy's crew endure, he says, "What a shame." Zoro offers to take Luffy's place, and Kuma tells him that if he truly means it, he must be willing to bear all of Luffy's pain and suffering himself. Kuma extracts the suffering and warns that even this much damage might be enough to knock Zoro out. Before leaving, Kuma thinks that Luffy is the man who will become King of the Pirates and notes that Luffy has exceptional friends, just as he would expect of Dragon's son. The page preserves the famous sacrifice scene through Kuma's memory, showing that even while following orders he recognized Luffy's future and tested the resolve of the crew protecting him.

Near the Sabaody Archipelago, Kuma receives another major summons. A Government voice says all Seven Warlords of the Sea are being called in and warns that if he refuses to come, he will forfeit his title. The reason is the flag-bearer of the new era, Portgas D. Ace: his public execution date has been set. Kuma understands that this will mean war with the Whitebeard Pirates and thinks he must get to Bonney before the execution date. On Sabaody, Bonney eats pizza messily and demands, "Bring me!! More!! Nooow!!!" while complaining that she is wasting away and asking where her food is. The contrast is sharp: Kuma knows a global war is approaching, while Bonney is nearby in the archipelago without knowing how close her father is.

On Sabaody, Bonney eats in a restaurant while a voice says the Navy will take notice if she keeps causing a scene. From outside the window, Kuma watches her and thinks, "This is the last time I'll see your face... Become a truly indomitable pirate... Bonney!!" Then panic spreads through the archipelago: "That pirate just hit a Celestial Dragon!!" People shout that it happened at the Human Shop and that a warship will be sent from Navy HQ. Kuma understands the taboo and thinks they are so close to Navy Headquarters that it is practically suicide. The attack has drawn the whole world's attention, and Kuma's chance to approach Bonney vanishes as the Straw Hats' incident at the auction house overtakes everything.

At the Sabaody Human Auctioning House, chaos erupts around the Straw Hat Pirates. Someone shouts, "Them again!! The Straw Hat Pirates!!" and the onlookers realize Luffy attacked a Celestial Dragon to protect a fishman. The crew members react in sequence: Luffy stands firm, Sanji and Zoro understand the danger, Chopper, Franky, Nami, Robin, Brook, and the others are stunned as people call it treason. A voice says no one has done anything this bold for hundreds and hundreds of years. Through Kuma's memories, the page reframes the Sabaody incident as the moment Luffy and his friends openly struck at the untouchable order that enslaved and destroyed people like Kuma and Ginny.

Kuma intervenes on Sabaody, ordering "Stop, PX-1" as a Pacifista attacks. The Straw Hats shout in confusion as Zoro appears and another Kuma-like unit shows up. Kuma thinks to Dragon and Ivankov, hoping they can forgive him because he did not mean to desert them without a word. After the crew is scattered by popping paw-bubble SFX, Kuma says he could not save any of them in the ordinary sense, but at least he can leave his mark on the world through Bonney and through this young boy. He tells Luffy, "You've got it wrong... I'm just showing you the level you have to be in the New World! You and your friends just aren't ready!!" Luffy, weeping, still tells his crew not to go there yet. Kuma believes Luffy and the others will someday save the world.

Kuma's thought completes over the emptying Sabaody Archipelago: "You will someday... save the world." He then returns to Egghead, where Vegapunk asks whether he is really that terrified of Kuma and whether the Government truly needs a self-destruct mechanism installed. Saturn argues that the Five Elders already have the highest priority in the command hierarchy, and if Kuma were to go rogue when none of them were present, no one else could stop him. Saturn tells Vegapunk not to complain and asks whether the scientist is terrified of the human weapon he is making. Vegapunk refuses to answer, saying he is not interested in Saturn's opinions of a scientist for hire. In exchange for installing the mechanism, he asks to keep a touch of Kuma's ego intact and reveals he invented a circuit that can switch the brain between two states of consciousness, like a split personality.

Kuma arrives at Egghead and tells Vegapunk, "I've given the order..." Saturn's command comes through clearly: erase Kuma's individuality completely and make sure no trace of him remains. Saturn says Vegapunk will not be forgiven if he fails, and reminds Vegapunk that he is also a man of science, so any attempt to deceive Saturn will fail. Vegapunk realizes that if they erase Kuma, he will not get to reunite with Bonney at all, but Kuma accepts it. Vegapunk says, "Alright then!! Today is the day... we erase your sense of individuality." Kuma, strapped to the chair, tells him it was fun and that it has only been two years. Vegapunk cries and replies that it is good to know how Kuma feels, then admits he did not think Kuma would be able to overhear because Kuma was the one who gave him superhuman hearing.

Vegapunk tells Kuma that his first assignment will likely be battle with the Whitebeard Pirates, and that he has also been asked to prepare a battalion of Kuma clones for that war. Kuma says there is one last thing he would like Vegapunk to program him to do after everything else: protect the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates. Since Kuma will not be able to witness their continued growth, he wants to be a stubborn guardian for their home just until one of them returns. Vegapunk asks what kind of future Kuma is dreaming up for that boy. Kuma says Luffy's actions have really moved him. He knows Nika is meant to be a legend, but if there really is a warrior out there who can put smiles on faces using the rhythm of liberation, then Luffy may be the hero who will one day change the seas.

Kuma says of Luffy, "I believe... it'll be him." Vegapunk jokes that a Revolutionary putting his hopes on a pirate means Kuma is backing quite the dark horse, and Kuma accepts it with quiet conviction. Before beginning, Vegapunk says that unorthodox thinking is proof of Kuma's humanity and tells him to push out his memories for research, reminding him that a promise is a promise. Kuma creates a paw bubble of his memories, and Vegapunk asks whether that effectively erases Kuma's memories. Kuma explains that it is a copy and will disappear when touched. Vegapunk places it into his system and assures Kuma he designed the setup to let him peek without touching it. Kuma reflects, "So this is my life..." and wonders how many people have been harmed or troubled by his actions. Vegapunk answers that living without troubling anyone would be impossible.

The memory bubble fills with voices from Kuma's life. Ginny, Ivankov, Dragon, Bonney, Luffy, Zoro, the Revolutionary Army, and the people of Sorbet call out to him in overlapping flashes: "Kuma!!" "Kumachi!!" "Daddy!!" "Thank goodness!!" and "I'm so grateful!!" Kuma runs through the memories, panting and stumbling, reliving the people he loved and saved. Vegapunk watches in tears as the montage shows Kuma's entire emotional history compressed into the moments before erasure. The page has little conventional dialogue, but the repeated calls and SFX convey the heart of the chapter: Kuma's life is defined by the voices of everyone who reached for him, depended on him, or loved him.

Vegapunk breaks down as Kuma's life reaches its end as a person. He tells Kuma to listen well: Kuma is a hero too. Kuma's life has not caused anyone harm or trouble, but his death will pain everyone who loves him, not only Bonney but everyone he has ever met. Vegapunk weeps openly while Kuma, smiling in the chair, says, "Yeah... I know!!" Kuma thanks Vegapunk and says there is just one last thing. He cannot say how grateful he is to everyone, but if Vegapunk sees Bonney again, he asks whether Vegapunk could tell her something for him. The page moves between Vegapunk sobbing on the lab floor, other scientists and workers standing in grief, and Kuma's quiet smile as he prepares to lose himself completely.

The chapter closes with Kuma's final request and Bonney's present-day reaction to his memories. Kuma asks Vegapunk, "If you see her again... could you... tell her something for me?" From Egghead's skies, Vegapunk's lab hangs over the island while he says, "Thank you for saving Bonney's life!" Kuma kneels in the lab, the memory bubble and the erasure procedure surrounding him. He asks Vegapunk to please wish Bonney a happy 10th birthday. In the present, Bonney covers her face and sobs after touching Kuma's memories, overwhelmed by the truth that his daughter was the only thing in his heart. The final caption says exactly that: "His daughter is the only thing in his heart." Chapter 1102 ends on Kuma's love for Bonney and a break notice.

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