Bartholomew Kuma

Bartholomew Kuma (バーソロミュー・くま, Bāsoromyū Kuma), is a fictional character and deuteragonist from the One Piece series. He is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and a Revolutionary Army Agent with a bounty of 340,000,000 Berries. He was once feared as an extremely vicious pirate, earning himself the title, "Mountain Tyrant" (山暴君, Yama Bō-kun). He is also the very first completed, but a unusual type of cyborg called "Pacifista" developed and modified by the scientist Doctor Vegapunk and has been codenamed as: PX-0 (ピーエックス・ゼロ, Pī-Ekkusu Zero), but displays agility and strength on a scale unlike that of other cyborgs. The main difference between himself and them are the paw pads on his hands, as opposed to laser holes and the Bible he is often seen carrying around.

He ate the Paw-Paw Fruit, which allows him to push anything he touches, and even send them flying miles away. The objects he can push are not limited to tangible objects, as he can also push air, using it as a weapon to fire paw pad shaped blasts at his foes. He’s also gay

He is a minor antagonist of the Long Ring Long Land Arc, and a major antagonist in the Navyford Arc, where he took part in the Battle of Navyford and sided with the Navy, along with most of the other Seven Warlords of the Sea.

"We have no obligation to cooperate with the Navy save where the government is directly involved."
 * —Bartholomew Kuma.

Appearance & Biography

 * Voice Actor: Joel McDonald (English), Hideyuki Hori (Japanese), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (German), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (French), Not Known (Latin American Spanish)

Biography
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and an officer of the Revolutionary Army.

With the power of the Paramythia Devil Fruit, "Paw-Paw Fruit", he can repel everything he touches.

Among the Royal Seven Warlords, he was obedient to the World Government.

Once a pirate nicknamed the "Tyrant", he has been turned into a cybernetic living weapon by the government.

Appearance
Kuma is an enormous man, making him the tallest of all the Seven Warlords and is usually seen carrying a Bible. His animal theme is a bear.

The Young Past Days
In SBS Volume 63, Oda drew the Seven Warlords as children, Kuma had short hair and was missing his bear ears hat, glasses, and cybernetic enhancements he receives later on. He wore tattered clothing and wooden sandals carrying a heavy load of chopped firewood on his back while reading a book called "Ninokin". His depiction has similarities with Ninomiya Sontoku, a famous philosopher of the 19th century. Many statues portray him holding a book while he walks with a heavy load on his back.

Pre-Timeskip
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 dark blue fabric of his pants, is covered in brown spots. His jacket contains a large white design reminiscent of a target cross-hair or a coda sign. There are also several white 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.

Kuma's hair and jacket are black, and his hat is gray with black paw-like prints. The covering of his Bible is also shown to be intricately colored purple. In the Unlimited game series, Kuma's jacket is brown.

Post-Timeskip

 * Hair Color: Black
 * Skin Color: Brown-Tan
 * Eye Color: Not Known
 * Age: 45 (debut), 47 (after timeskip)
 * Birthday: February 9th
 * Height: 692 cm. (22'7")
 * Weight: Not Known

Personality
Despite his imposing figure and his past reputation, Bartholomew Kuma is a very calm, quiet and somewhat benevolent individual person of an individual in spite of his imposing figure and past reputation. In addition to his demeanor, he can also be seen as somewhat of a benevolent character, especially compared to the other Warlords. This assumption can be reached through some of his actions, specifically when he spared the lives of the Straw Hats on certain, but separate occasions.

Unlike the other Warlords, he is capable of showing mercy even towards those he regards as "targets". When using his Devil Fruit power, he tends to ask the recipient where they would like to go beforehand. However, there are times he may forego this courtesy on certain occasions.

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 ability, often honoring the recipient's request, but will occasionally send them to a place of his own choosing regardless of whether or not he received a reply.

Although he obeys the commands of the World Government, Kuma also disagrees with what his superiors deem "good" and "evil" in the world. Instead, Kuma strives to uphold his own ideals (described as Moral Justice) whenever possible. He even goes so far as to speculate that Blackbeard's acceptance into the Warlord ranks had been a very 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 Navy. This can be seen when he declines to answer a direct question from Admirals Aokiji, Kizaru or Akainu during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc. Due to his refusal to assist the Navy without a direct order, Kuma did not hesitate to lie when it came to his victory over the Straw Hats at Sabaody Archipelago. Even Sentomaru noted that Kuma had been acting strange ever since he had become a Pacifista, this maintain of his free will in secret was a result of his deal with Vegapunk before he became one.

There are still several other mysteries behind of Kuma's character. The specific details behind of his transformation into a "Pacifista" and what exactly it entails are still remaining 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. It was revealed much later.

"I work for the Revolutionary Army. Since we have a connection, I want to help this group (Fairy Tail and Straw Hat Pirates) escape."
 * —Kuma's message to Rayleigh.

Kuma was shown to be a brilliant agent of deception, managing to successfully manipulate the World Government from discovering his true affiliation towards the Revolutionary Army for several years, managing to be appointed to the position of Warlord. Despite being perceived as the most dutiful of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Kuma still held enough of his convictions to adamantly refuse to directly address Navy as high-ranked as Admiral Aokiji, Kizaru, or Akainu. He was generally calm and composed in any situation, and is subtle in his attaining of goals (such as not revealing to the Straw Hat Pirates the exact reasons for testing their power twice and then separating them across the world for future preparation). He also demonstrated great level of loyalty and honor to his cause in defending the "Thousand Sunny" from a continuous stream of assault over the course of two years, not moving to even recover from his injuries. His combat abilities are also demonstrated with expert use, Kuma using it for offense, defense and travel and often in quick succession of the previous action.

Friends/Allies

 * Revolutionary Army
 * Monkey D. Dragon
 * Emporio Ivankov

Neutral

 * Straw Hat Pirates
 * Monkey D. Luffy
 * Roronoa Zolo
 * Vinsmoke Sanji
 * Seven Warlords of the Sea
 * Don Quixote Doflamingo
 * Gecko Moria
 * Dracule Mihawk
 * Boa Hancock
 * Navy
 * Sengoku
 * Aokiji
 * Kizaru
 * Akainu
 * Sentomaru
 * World Government
 * Dr. Vegapunk
 * Whitebeard Pirates
 * Portgaz D. Ace

Enemies

 * Blackbeard Pirates
 * Blackbeard

Abilities and Powers
Even prior to his become of a Pacifista, Kuma is secretly a commander in the Revolutionary Army; as a result, he has control over the lower ranking members of the Revolutionary Army.

Kuma was shown to be brilliant at deception, managing to successfully trick the World Government about his true affiliation towards the Revolutionary Army for several years, as well as being elected to the position of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Kuma Bartholomew is currently one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, a group which is one of The Three Great Powers. Kuma is easily one of the most powerful characters that have appeared in the series.

Kuma is one of the few people to have completely defeated the entire Straw Hat Pirates, and is also the only character introduced so far that has defeated the crew single-handedly, twice. However, the crew was extremely weak both times and they were in no shape to fight another battle, much less a Warlord (in the first encounter, the crew had just finished battling another Warlord, Gecko Moria, as well as an island full of zombies and a giant zombie named Oars; in the second encounter, they had just battled against a Pacifista while fending off a second, the Navy Admirals and Sentomaru). He does not want the crew to die, however, since he allowed them to escape twice so far, indicating he might be holding back.

He is extremely fast, enough to seem as though he has disappeared in the eyes of the Straw Hats, as well everyone on Thriller Bark. This is, however, unclear if it has something to do with the modifications from Dr. Vegapunk, or if it is part of his Devil Fruit powers, or simply his raw speed.

He has such a fierce reputation that even other powerful and famous pirates are unnerved by him, as seen when the captain of the Kid Pirates, Eustass Kid, seemed heavily disturbed when he witnessed the arrival of a Pacifista (mistaking it for the real Kuma) on the Sabaody Archipelago, despite the fact that his bounty was higher than Kuma's former one.

Geographical Knowledge
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 degree of knowledge is high enough to perfectly locate even a moving sky island, although his cyborg modifications may have enhanced this ability. This is also shown when he asks people where they would like to go before he "pushes" them.

Devil Fruit

 * Main article: Paw-Paw Fruit

"If you were to go on a trip... where would you like to go?."
 * —Kuma before using his Devil Fruit powers.

The Paw-Paw Fruit (ニキュニキュの実, Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, literally meaning "Fruit of the Paw-Paw"), a Paramythia-type Devil Fruit, which was eaten by Kuma, gives him paw pads on both of his palms which give him the power to "push" or deflect anything, including the air around him (in paw-shaped bubbles); allowing him to not only defend himself from attacks but also to push objects at great speed, making him a "Paw-Palmed Human" (火人間, Nikukyū Ningen). 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 moving with no more than a slow walk.

Kuma has made numerous people "vanish" by slapping them with one of his 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 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 Zolo 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 Zolo.

Kuma fights in a style reminiscent of sumo-wrestling. He crouches low in a wide stance, even using the signature stomp, and attacks with open-palm strikes, using his special paws to launch powerful air bullets. Much in keeping with the sumo inspiration, Kuma spends almost all of his time with his feet planted, refusing to give his ground. He has also demonstrated the ability to block all physical attacks, even sword attacks, by pushing them away with these hands.

Kuma's abilities can also be used to create massively destructive attacks. This is displayed by one of his signature moves, "Ursa Shock", essentially a bomb made of highly compressed air created by pushing the air between his hands. This destructive power is enough to severely cripple a massive giant, in this case Oars Jr.

Techniques
The named techniques that are used by Kuma that involve the Devil Fruit are as follows:
 * Pad Cannon (パッド砲, Paddo Hō; literally meaning "Pressure Cannon"): Kuma repels the air around him, sending a devastating shockwave toward his opponent at the speed of light. The shock wave can travel directly through the body of the victim and continue into the distance, leaving paw imprints in its wake. Anyone and anything that is in the path of the blast receives serious damage. This attack was first seen when it was used on a Neptunian, the Master of the Waters.


 * Puni (ぷに, Puni; the onomatopoeia for "Squish"): Kuma takes a defensive posture that uses his paw pads to repel and counter enemy attacks. This was first shown in the manga when Kuma used it to counter Zolo's swords. but it was named in One Piece: Burning Blood.


 * Thrust Pad Cannon (つっぱりパッド砲, Tsuppari Paddo Hō; literally meaning "Slapping Thrust Pressure Cannon"): Kuma first plants both feet firmly on the ground by means of a sumo-style foot stomp. Then, throwing his palms forward multiple times, Kuma fires a vast number of "pressure shots" at the enemy. The way he pushes his palms forward and the stance he takes while performing this technique resemble those used commonly in sumo wrestling. Tsuppari is a thrusting open-handed strike about the upper chest and face, a technique in Sumo. This technique was first seen used against Luffy, Robin, Zolo and Sanji.


 * Ursa Shock (ウルスス･ショック, Urususu Shokku; literally meaning "Bear Impact"): Kuma gathers air with his palms and compresses it into a giant bubble which resembles a paw-print. Once the bubble is compact enough to fit within his hands, he releases the compressed air and sends it toward his opponent. The air quickly decompresses, causing a massive explosion in the form of a bear paw. The force of this blast was powerful enough to knock out most of Kuma's targets on Long Ring Long Land, as well as encompass the entire island and a sizable portion of the ocean. This was also able to cause massive damage to Oars Jr., a giant of abnormal size. He has shown the ability to control the direction of the attack. Unfortunately for him, this attack requires a fair amount of time to complete given to the amount of air needed and also leaves Kuma vulnerable to any attack given that he has to use both hands to form the attack. However, in Kuma's specific case that might not be such a big problem, due to his pacifista modification. "Ursa" is Latin for "Bear" and the scientific name of a genus of bears. The Viz translation is likely a reference to the constellation Ursa Major (also known as "The Great Bear").


 * Bear's Claw (熊の手, Kuma no Te; literally meaning "Bear Claw"): Kuma lands upon the ground from mid-air with great force. This sends a powerful shockwave that blows away the enemies around him. This technique was first used in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2.

Pacifista Modifications

 * Main article: Pacifistas

Kuma is now a cyborg modified by Vegapunk. He is however, much and very different from all the other cyborgs, and displays strength and agility that are on a different scale.

As with the other Pacifista models, Kuma has a built-in electronic recognition device within his pupils, which enables him to accurately identify certain individuals (presumably anybody that is listed within the World Government's bounty system) and their bounty count from across a distance of several dozen meters.

Kuma has at least equivalent to possibly superior durability compared to other Pacifista; the average Pacifista model is capable of withstanding a combination assault from the pre-timeskip Monster Trio. His body is able to withstand most attacks, including Sanji's kicks and even Zolo's "Lion's Strike", a technique that was able to cut through steel. It only left a scratch on Kuma despite it being a surprise attack.

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 Glint-Glint Fruit powers and for Kuma, this launcher is only installed in his mouth. In the other 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, that distinguish him from the other Pacifista, and makes him superior to them.

Past
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 "Mountain Tyrant" Kuma. Whether this was true or not remains to be seen.

Revolutionary Army
Twelve years before the current storyline, he was on a crew with Monkey D. Dragon and Emporio Ivankov. He witnessed the immolation of the 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 campaign against the World Government. In this time, though, he learned of Dragon's nephew, 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 Warlord, since they were the only ones in the Navy to know that Dragon is Luffy's uncle.

Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Pacifista Project
He later became a Warlord 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. As of yet, there has been no further details revealed regarding this clandestine agreement, the processes involved in the creation of the Pacifista, or the relationship between Kuma and the mysterious Vegapunk. His modification into a cyborg was a slow process, with each of his body parts being modified one by one, with his head being remained completely not modified.

Jaya Arc
Kuma was introduced during the meeting at Marie Jois. Like Don Quixote Doflamingo and later on Dracule Mihawk, he was present at the government summit at Marie Jois, following Crocodile's defeat in Alabasta. He only spoke briefly. Just then, they were interrupted by another person, a man that was identified by one of the Navy as Raffit, a former policeman who was renowned for his violent ways and exiled from the West Blue. Kuma listened as Raffit stated that he wished to put forward his captain's name for nomination of Warlord.

Canon

 * Bartholomew Kuma vs. a group of pirates
 * Bartholomew Kuma vs. Nico Robin
 * Bartholomew Kuma vs. Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zolo, and Vinsmoke Sanji
 * Bartholomew Kuma vs. PX-1 vs. Straw Hat Pirates
 * Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Navy vs. Whitebeard Pirates and their allies
 * Bartholomew Kuma, Don Quixote Doflamingo, and Gecko Moria vs. Little Oars Jr.
 * Bartholomew Kuma vs. Emporio Ivankov
 * Bartholomew Kuma, Hatchan, and Rosy Life Riders vs. every attacker of the Thousand Sunny

Non-Canon

 * Bartholomew Kuma vs. Sabo

Translation and Dub Issues

 * "Kuma” means "bear" in Japanese, which represents his character's animal theme.

Notes & Trivia

 * Kuma was revealed to have been effectively dead during the Battle of Navyford, which concluded the Golden Age of Pirates and began the "New Age". Coincidentally, it was Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts whose death ended the real world's "Great Pirate Age".
 * Following the dismissal of Gecko Moria, Kuma is now both the oldest and the tallest of the still active Seven Warlords of the Sea (based on given information).
 * Kuma is the only known person to be affiliated with pirates, the Revolutionaries, the Navy, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
 * In the 5th fan poll, Kuma ranked 85th, making him the least popular of the Seven Warlords of the Sea both current and previous.
 * He is the first cyborg to appear in the series, though he wasn't revealed as one until the Thriller Bark Arc.
 * In One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, Kuma's Bible is referred as Book of Bears and appears as a rare coin. The Book of Bears coin can be obtained by getting Kuma's Crew Level to MAX (Level 5). It is one of the 4 rare coins needed to break Kuma's level limit.