Kuma

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Bartholomew Kuma (Kuma; 大熊)
Alias(es)	Tyrant Kuma
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Rune's crew; formerly the Whitebeard Pirates and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea 15 47
Occupation/Role	Vice-captain of Rune's crew; former Seven Warlord 47
Status	Alive; his consciousness and body were restored by Bonney, while the World Government believes him dead 14 15
First Appearance	Chapter 8

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Paw-Paw Fruit Awakening	41	Kuma's power becomes “dozens of times” stronger: he can cover all of Fish-Man Island, activate his abilities from any part of his body, and turn touched objects into paw pads that can trigger his powers. 41

Background / History

Kuma first appears at the Sabaody Archipelago while guarding the Thousand Sunny. Rune blocks one of Kuma's paw-shaped shockwaves, but recognizes that Kuma is holding back and remains substantially stronger than him. Kuma subsequently allows Rune, Ace, and Luffy to retreat after their staged clash. 8

Rune later returns to Sabaody with Ace and Bonney to capture Kuma. Rune disables the Paw-Paw Fruit with Dark Erosion, allowing Ace's Flame Emperor attack and Rune's Haki strikes to overwhelm him. Kuma is taken alive aboard the Thousand Sunny, where Bonney recognizes him as her father. 13

Rune discovers that Kuma has already lost his consciousness through World Government modifications. Guided by Rune, Bonney uses her Age-Age Fruit to imagine the power of the Time-Time Fruit, restoring Kuma's body and sense of self at the cost of exhausting herself. Kuma agrees to live as a dead man, protecting both himself and Bonney from further World Government attention. 14

Bonney later makes Kuma younger and changes his clothing to make him harder to recognize. Kuma joins the Whitebeard Pirates alongside Rune and Bonney, then uses his Paw-Paw Fruit to remove Whitebeard's accumulated injuries and illnesses. Since the fruit transfers rather than cures suffering, Rune absorbs the expelled ailments with his darkness instead. 15

Kuma becomes a crucial mobility and support fighter for Rune's group. He evacuates the crew and the Thousand Sunny during Kizaru's attack, assists Rune's infiltration of Wano, and ambushes Jack by striking from within Rune's darkness. 21 23 24

While on Fish-Man Island, Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit awakens. He and Rune use its expanded range to remove Hody Jones and the New Fish-Man Pirates from the island, preventing their coup from escalating. 41

After Rune formally leaves the Whitebeard Pirates to establish his own crew, Kuma is appointed vice-captain because of his maturity, steadiness, and combat ability. 47

Appearance

Kuma is introduced as a towering figure stationed beside the Thousand Sunny. After his restoration, Bonney makes him younger and changes his clothes to help conceal his identity from the World Government. 8 15

• Initially has vacant, emotionless eyes due to his lost consciousness. 14
• Regains visible expressions after Bonney restores him and returns him to a younger state. 17
• Was formerly modified into a Pacifista; Bonney's Age-Age Fruit reverses the visible mechanical alterations. 13 14

Personality

Kuma is calm, reliable, and notably protective of Bonney. His awakening is tied to the peace he finds in seeing her happy aboard Rune's ship. 41

He is also cautious and self-sacrificing. Although he initially offers to bear Whitebeard's transferred illnesses himself, Rune refuses, and Kuma supports the plan once Rune demonstrates that his darkness can contain the damage. 15

Kuma places trust in Rune after his restoration, assisting with dangerous operations despite remaining officially dead. His steady disposition ultimately leads Rune to choose him as vice-captain over the more combat-focused Yamato. 14 24 47

Abilities & Skills

Paw-Paw Fruit

Kuma's Devil Fruit produces paw-shaped effects capable of repelling, transferring, and transporting targets.

• Fires paw-shaped shockwaves strong enough to challenge Rune's Haki-coated strikes. 8
• Teleports people and even the Thousand Sunny across enormous distances. 21 23
• Can remove injuries and illnesses from a body as a large paw-shaped bubble. 15
• The extracted suffering is transferred rather than cured; another person must bear it. 15
• Works in coordinated ambushes with Rune by striking from within Rune's darkness. 24

Paw-Paw Fruit Awakening

Kuma's awakening greatly expands the scale and flexibility of his abilities.

• Can cover the entirety of Fish-Man Island with his power, exceeding his previous limit of transporting a ship the size of the Thousand Sunny. 41
• Can activate Paw-Paw Fruit effects from any part of his body rather than only his palms. 41
• Can convert objects he has touched into paw pads that independently activate his abilities. 41
• Uses the awakened range to help remove Hody Jones and the New Fish-Man Pirates from Fish-Man Island. 41

Combat Ability

Kuma is regarded as having the combat strength of a standard Seven Warlord even after his restoration. Before being cured, Rune notes that Kuma's physical ability, Haki, and Pacifista-enhanced body all exceed Rune's in a one-on-one fight. 13 15

• His Paw-Paw Fruit makes him exceptionally difficult to defeat for opponents whose Haki is weaker than his. 27
• He can defeat or displace powerful opponents through well-timed surprise attacks, as shown against Jack. 24
• He serves as one of Rune's two strongest crew members alongside Yamato. 47

Relationships

• Jewelry Bonney — Kuma's daughter. Bonney restores his consciousness and body through her Age-Age Fruit, and Kuma's freedom becomes central to her decision to trust Rune. 13 14
• Rune — Rescuer, captain, and trusted ally. Rune captures Kuma to free him from the World Government, recruits him into the Whitebeard Pirates, and later appoints him vice-captain of his own crew. 14 15 47
• Whitebeard — Former captain. Kuma removes Whitebeard's illnesses and injuries after joining the Whitebeard Pirates. 15
• Kizaru — Old friend. Kuma believes Kizaru held back during Rune's escape, while Kizaru is later described as happy to see Kuma free from restraint. 22 30
• Luffy — Kuma helps protect and transport Luffy during Kizaru's pursuit and other missions involving the Thousand Sunny. 21 22
• Yamato — Fellow crewmate. Kuma explains to Yamato and the others why Rune's fight with Ace is necessary for Ace's growth. 25