Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth
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Yeah @Deicide, I recall that Oda has cried various times while writing certain scenes in the past to the point that he has to get up out of his chair for a break since they’re so difficult to draw, but also does that, at least with characters like the straw hats, to highlight any of the good days ahead.
That makes me wonder how Bonney’s story will go forward after this arc is over. One may gravitate towards thinking Bonney will just leave with Kuma, but knowing Oda, as well as Nika, I get the feeling Bonney will leave with Luffy after something bad happens with Kuma, so as to further Bonney’s story.
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I wonder if now that Bonney is confirmed to be 12 Oda will insist on drawing her in a 24 year old version of herself... It would be nice if he didn't.
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@danie I think she will use her real age more often, thought she will probably still use her adult form at some point.
Unrelated thoughts:
Kuma's flashback has reached "6 years ago". It's interesting how close we are to pre-timeskip.
- 5ya, Ace becomes a Pirate
- 4ya, Ace's offered the Warlord title (would this be Kuma's?). He also goes to Wano this year.
- 4ya, Caesar destroys Punk Hazard
It's interesting that Bonney says Egghead looked like a normal lab when she was younger. Also, Vegapunk still had his big head when she last met him.
This means Egghead evolved pretty quickly after Vegapunk left Punk Hazard.
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@danie I have a personal theory that makes me think that the reason she keeps using the adult form is because the toshi-toshi no mi essentially healed her if that makes sense.
Just like how law healed himself with the ope-ope no mi via operating on himself, bonney could have used it to age herself up to a future where she never contracted that disease -
I'm not sure how to feel about this... On one hand, it would be nice if the reason Bonney is aged up is not just for the sake of "fan service"... On the other hand, i'd rather Oda not have an excuse to continue the fan service with her.
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@danie he'd face a LOT of backlash if he kept it going
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Also, i didn't think Luffy would lose his position as the youngest member of the worst generation... If Bonney's age didn't match her appearance, i thought she would be much older... A "witch"! That would have been much more interesting...
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Vegapunk said he had something to give Bonney so it could be a cure, if she's not cured yet.
However, I don't think the Toshi Toshi can send her to age her up or down that ignores her present condition. Like, when she aged down Vegapunk, he didn't regrow his head, but instead became a child version of his current self. When she aged Jinbe down, Jinbe kept his scar, unlike his SBS child version that didn't have it. Presumably, aging down Franky would still keep him as a cyborg.
Also, in the times we saw her as a child, she never had the scales.
So, I think it's more likely that she's already cured and Vegapunk has something related to Kuma to give her.
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@StrawHatJedi said in Spoilers 1,098:
It was heavily alluded to as far back as Amzon Lily with Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold. We also saw the Celestial Dragons on Sabaody forcibly abducting and 'purchasing' women to take as wives. I'm not downplaying anyone's surpise at such an egregious crime being made more explicit within the narraive itself of course. I do think it's an aspect of the World Nobles we've known about by implication from the moment they first slithered onto the panel.
I think Hancock is a good example of different viewpoint. Im sure for some some the sexual aspects of Hancock tourments was a logical inference from the beginning but my impression was since she was a promenant character we were supposed to understand her and her sisters suffering as being used as circus freak and labor.
Whereas I feel this very bleak ending with a featured characters makes it a very real possibility that Hancock might have been raped as a young child. Which is a much darker story than I was under the impression one piece was. And I feel similarily about the idea about the idea that Nami didnt just get buy by tricking pirate but had to exchange for physical favors.
while for some one piece always was that dark for me that didnt perceived it that way this highlight make the world possibly a lot more depressing and bleak.
Not that I minded it in the flashback. I like adapted parent story so how he got Bonney worked well for me in making me care for their relation. And the tragedy of Kuma not hearing her last words or seeing her I found very good.
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@kakuyamii said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
Just like how law healed himself with the ope-ope no mi via operating on himself, bonney could have used it to age herself up to a future where she never contracted that disease
This is a nice theory. I kept thinking about Distorted Future too, can that mean a future where she was Kuma's child too?
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@kakuyamii said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
@danie I have a personal theory that makes me think that the reason she keeps using the adult form is because the toshi-toshi no mi essentially healed her if that makes sense.
Just like how law healed himself with the ope-ope no mi via operating on himself, bonney could have used it to age herself up to a future where she never contracted that diseaseI imagine Oda would do all sorts of gags with the aging fruit once she escapes with Luffy. Like how she runs around being all cute and Sanji is left awkwardly speechless and trying to ignore her since she’s a kid and he’s an adult.
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The only thing I had spoiled going into this chapter was that the art was going to be rough compared to previous chapters, since it was unfinished. Was bracing for illegible art or even worse, but all in all while indeed not complete, it was still a chapter that could be enjoyed despite that, and any important moments still worked well with the art.
I know with previous world building with slavery and a depravity of the celestial dragons, one would assume the most vile acts of humanity occurred in this world. As for this flashback and now this chapter, we've seen and confirmed a lot of that. Personally, I can't say if Ginny's fate and trauma at the hands of the CD's is something that should've happened and been spelled out. However, much like a video game series that went to that dark route, I feel that here it was at least done well and makes you feel sick to your stomach.
Kuma once again showing up strong as a character, and love him as a dad despite how short the time we have with him and Bonney. Less enthused with the whole aspect of Bonney being an actual child. Already not a huge fan of Oda's more fanservicy aspect of a lot of his women, now with Bonney having a lot of those moments, with the mind of a 12 year old makes those previous moments and future moments come across pretty icky.
End of the day though, this flashback has been great, which makes me happy since a lot of the flashbacks in the past few years haven't really hit home for me.
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While this flashback isn't done yet, I want to jump on this point early--Bonney has accomplished all that she has at the age of 10, then 12 in the timeskip? That's retroactively impressive. We made a huge point in Wano about how Momo was too weak to fight for himself as an 8-year-old, and meanwhile Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all needed roughly a decade of training to reach the level of strength they're at now. If Bonney has been doing all this without training then she's become the most successful child warriors in One Piece. Even if her devil fruit is powerful, it's amazing that she's endured all this alone thus far (more or less). I'll even more curious how her pirate crew was formed.
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I gotta say, this has been the most emotional backstory in post time skip. But I know this tragic story has a little left in the tank... Kudos to Kuma for being such a great character.
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Seen this sentiment a couple times already and I felt that as well, the unfinished art added to the experience especially during the two pages with Ginny's death. I wouldn't even mind if he left some panels like that. Last chapter I was a little lost, I couldn't quite see where the flashback was going and that left me a little uneasy, but I'm now a believer that Flashback Piece is alive and well, fantastic chapter.
I don't like to rank whose flashback was the most tragic, but what certainly makes Kuma unique is the amount of tragedies he has suffered. It just doesn't end for him, who would've thought that 20 years ago when they first saw Birosomi Bear? But it still feels organic to me, and not like Oda is just piling on horrible stuff and hopes that something gets a reaction out of the reader.
Kuma's bible mentioning Sky Island is very interesting, are we actually gonna get insight into religion? I would absolutely love that for the world building. Lastly, we will never know how much is planned in advance, but even if nothing is, Oda's ability to weave things into the story is just amazing like he did here with "Jewelry" Bonney. Can't wait for the next chapter.
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@cavendishsama said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
Seen this sentiment a couple times already and I felt that as well, the unfinished art added to the experience especially during the two pages with Ginny's death. I wouldn't even mind if he left some panels like that. Last chapter I was a little lost, I couldn't quite see where the flashback was going and that left me a little uneasy, but I'm now a believer that Flashback Piece is alive and well, fantastic chapter.
I don't like to rank whose flashback was the most tragic, but what certainly makes Kuma unique is the amount of tragedies he has suffered. It just doesn't end for him, who would've thought that 20 years ago when they first saw Birosomi Bear? But it still feels organic to me, and not like Oda is just piling on horrible stuff and hopes that something gets a reaction out of the reader.
Kuma's bible mentioning Sky Island is very interesting, are we actually gonna get insight into religion? I would absolutely love that for the world building. Lastly, we will never know how much is planned in advance, but even if nothing is, Oda's ability to weave things into the story is just amazing like he did here with "Jewelry" Bonney. Can't wait for the next chapter.
I tend to feel the flashback are in a contest to one up each other in the tragedy department. I especially felt that with Law. And with Kuma flashback starting instantly with slavery to ritual island murder. I cant say its absent there either.
But I liked that Oda dialed back on the usual "and then everyone that person knew died/hated them" and told a more personal tragedy with Ginny in the last 2 chapter. Kuma still has Ivankov and people on his island. He just suffered a big personal which is easier for me to relate and feel bad for.
I hope we continue on this more personal approach and how he suffered for his daughter sake rather than trying to do something grander scale as usual.
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This is a big one. Lots to talk about, lots to think about. A lot of... interesting reactions from fans on all corners of the internet that I want to reflect on. The first thing that stands out is the art. While mistakes have happened and corrections have been needed, the is the first time in 26 years we've seen Oda submit an unfinished manuscript. Other authors have done this in far rougher states far more regularly, but it's still a shame to see Oda break his streak. I wonder if something happened. A health issue? Scheduling with the live action? Perhaps a staffing one. The primary inking seems to be done across most of if not the whole chapter. What's missing is the erasing of pencil shading and sketch lines and the application of screen tones, which I understand to generally be the staff's job. Whether Oda finished the inks so late that these final touches couldn't be added, or if something happened to the normal screen tones guy, it's hopefully a one off.
If it's not a one-off (and a handful of panels with leftover pencil shading from the last chapter do suggest a slightly more ongoing deadline crunch) we might be back to two weeks on one off from next year to keep this from happening again. But that's a concern for after the November/December break season.
Oda delves into some heavy topics this week, and the collective gut reaction of the fanbase has been explosive. It's interesting to look at how much of an impression this particular chapter has made, given that we've been able to infer that these sorts of things happen for a long time now, after seeing the Celestial Dragons taking slave wives at Sabaody, the Boa sisters' slavery-related trauma that left them distrustful of men, and the story of the girl who took her own life after being freed that one commoner sought revenge on the Donquixotes for. Perhaps it was the degree of ambiguity the previous hints afforded. Sure, you have to stretch for it, but you could say those older examples don't have to lead to sexual assault. Ginny returning with an infant who very obviously takes after her is a tougher hurdle to throw 'he wouldn't really put that in a kids' series' at. Even so, Oda is careful about nowhere coming close to even using the word 'rape,' let alone actually depicting it. The reader is still expected to connect the dots. It's a nonconfrontational method for putting this dark subject on the page in a way that will hopefully not disrupt its young adult rating or alienate the portion of its audience that's sensitive to the topic.
Looking over the weekend's spoiler discussions, some of the fanbase is kinda treating this like Oda put a Berserk-level scene in the series out of nowhere, when the truth is that he's done everything he can to hold the subject at arms' length. Never shown or stated, but told through heavy implication. Ginny comes back ravaged by a disease (despite what some people are saying, there's no real reason to believe it's an STD) that conveniently disfigures her beyond the point that any distressing physical wounds from her abuse as a slave would be recognisable and kills her outright before there's any chance to dig into the trauma, the feelings and the ordeal of recovery and living on. One Piece is not talking about rape this week. It doesn't want to. There's an almost mystical, stork-like quality to the way Ginny vanishes for two years and returns with a baby and no chance to say more about where it came from beyond what we think filled in that gap in her timeline. The inferred conclusion is easy to see for grown adults like I assume most of us here to be, who've seen this subject matter covered before and have no allusions about the small, personal evils humans are capable of inflicting on one another. But I do wonder how much of the series' younger audience, that makes up so much of the Japanese readership, is going to be able to read between the lines, or what their prevailing interpretation will be. If you're fanciful enough, (like the people who think Mother Caramel and the other orphans simply ran away and hid instead of getting eaten by Big Mom) you can headcanon up a version of events where Ginny smuggled out the child of another slave, or found an orphan she couldn't abandon on the way back to Sorbet, and while evidence in canon will strongly resist those ideas, it doesn't outright contradict them.
And I'm sure debates will rage about whether or not this was an appropriate way to handle a topic so sensitive to so many. I don't think there's any such thing as a qualification to objectively judge such a thing. What shocks, what feels blunted and what does and doesn't scan as sincere is going to vary for each and every one of us. For me, while I definitely wouldn't point to this chapter as a go-to example of handling rape in fiction, the implications-only, arms-length approach keeps it from feeling like an edgy shock value move. For a series that doesn't have the tone or the time to go all the way into the tempestuous introspection of real sexual violence-related trauma but still wants to be true to the darker corners of its established world and the history it draws on, this was probably the safest option, and smartly chosen.
It's a shame to see Ginny go so abruptly and so badly though, right after two chapters of getting to know her. For all my overanalysis and cautioning above, my gut reaction sits as the first reply to the spoiler thread, and holds true to the full chapter release. "Fuck me, that's dark." My mouth fell open as I realised the story being told. No one should be surprised that Ginny died, but I expected it at the climax of the flashback, with at least a chapter's warning that it was all coming to a head. I am well and truly caught off guard by this one, a swift jab in the gut out of nowhere, and the flashback isn't even done yet.
On Ginny's death, we have the also somewhat sensitive topic of female characters being 'fridged.' That is, being assaulted and killed for the sake of giving a male character something to angst over, a trope that gives some readers a feeling women are being treated as disposable. I may be swinging at ghosts here, but I feel like I've seen just enough people mention this (and the following point) on different corners of the internet that it's on my mind. I'm not going to say that Ginny doesn't tick the boxes for this trope, but I also have to wonder what the small number of people saying this were expecting. One Piece is an action adventure story that puts death and maiming on the line as the ultimate stake and consequence for its characters regularly. It has a 26-year theme of inheriting the will and goals of loved ones who were unfairly snuffed out before their time. If you're doing these things in a story, putting death on the line and defining your cast by the vows they made to the fallen, unless you make every character a man, you're going to end up killing off a woman for the sake of another character's growth at some point. Ginny joins the likes of Bellemere, Hiruluk, Tom, Olvia, Scarlet and Cora in dying tragically so a more main character can grow. Complaining about this in One Piece is the equivalent of asking for horror movies with more queer characters and calling it 'bury your gays' when typical horror movie things start happening to those characters. Context is important for judging the use of tropes like this.
And finally, there's been some chatter about Bonney's depiction in the story now that we know her true age. Egghead's costume design has been very biased towards female fanservice and low camera angles, and it does scan a little offputtingly to have included her so heavily in that. Especially with some people noticing Sanji acting significantly less heart-eyed toward her than most women, implying she's exempt from some of the stuff normally aimed at adult female characters. But my gut reaction isn't as visceral as others' have been. Like, usually the skeevy anime trope is the opposite, the young-looking character who's really a hundred years old, reading like a truly desperate attempt to justify gawking at kids if they're just 'wise beyond their years' or some shit. But the opposite scenario, someone being this much younger than they appear, is so outside the realm of reality that it's not really worth discoursing about.
And there is a weird vibe in some of the comments on that. Especially when they're saying 'how could Oda draw a 12 year old like this' but the example used is just her normal outfit, which is just short shorts and a tank top that could easily be worn out in pubic on a hot day. Feels like they're saying 'how dare a person I'm ultimately not compatible with initially seem attractive!' Like it's somehow confusing that Bonney would look good at a glance and then not be actually appropriate to be with when you learn more about her. Acting led on by it even. Strange and uncomfortable take from certain corners of the internet. How do these people deal with seeing in the real world who look pretty but have an incompatible personality, or interests, or politics, or lifestyle? Sure, the reason isn't normally going to be 'turns out she's mentally 12,' but you're going to struggle if you can't mentally pivot from 'looks interesting' to 'off limits' easier than that.
With all that heavy stuff out of the way, let's enjoy some worldbuilding and fun details. Did you notice in the montage toward the end of the chapter that Kuma actually got that iron cage crib built? Cute, but you have to wonder the impact of sleeping behind bars on a baby's development. How about the crucifix on the church wall? It's got split ends like the cross seen on Oars' loincloth and carved on the walls of the secret straw hat room, and where the arms meet is a symbol not unlike Alabasta's flag and the Kozuki Family crest. Could Kuma's religion be more than just a stock standard Christianity stand-in?
The contrast between the shots of Kuma's home life with Bonney and his battles as a revolutionary makes for a fantastic montage through the middle of the chapter. The wartime shot at the top of page 9 is super intense, it's going to absolutely be a highlight when it's funny cleaned up. Bonney makes for a cute and charismatic kid, with the emergence of her present-day brashness a comedic highlight. Where does a girl raised almost completely indoors pick that stuff up?
And we go from the extreme gestures right back to scenes of childishness as she grapples with her developing illness and naively misunderstands the timeline she's been put on. Poor girl. The Sapphire Scales illness is an interesting addition. Like I said above, it doesn't scan as an STD-analogy. Transmissibility is never brought up as an issue in all of Kuma's time in close quarters with Bonney, and comparisons are made to White Lead Sickness. That makes me think it's a genetic issue. And what better kind of malady to bring Vegapunk into this flashback to treat, given his work on genetics with MADS. I don't think it's her Devil Fruit keeping her alive in the present. If anything, rapidly aging to appear as an adult would force the disease to advance faster. Having the skill to age up herself while ageing down the disease isn't outside the realm of possibility for shonen writing, but I wouldn't expect it of a five-year-old. Plus, the disease didn't return to an unaged state the same way she did when the sea water (presumably) nullified her powers.
Bonney not being Kuma's biological child is an interesting development given her distorted future that took on his body shape. But then, it's not like we've seen enough Buccaneers to know for sure that the bulky frame is a trademark of the race. Sure, they're said to be tough, but this is One Piece. Scrawny characters have shown incredible strength and durability, and many obstinately normal humans have had proportions far more variable and exaggerated. I see no reason a (one Piece world) human couldn't achieve Kuma's body type with the right gym routine and a bit of dedication. But we'll see.
And we end on a stinger for the next chapter, with King Becori's return. Where did he go, I wonder? Up to Marie Geoise for who knows how many months or years of bootlicking? And who ruled while he was gone? But with this, we can perhaps see the rest of this flashback taking shape. Kuma, in no mood to see his daughter's limited time get cut any shorter, confronts the king directly, inadvertently ends up put on the throne, perhaps similar to how Dalton was able to be legitimised after ousting Wapol. With Government connections, he's able to reach Vegapunk and petition to have Bonney's life saved. But because of his history as a Revolutionary, the Government doesn't let him have what he wants for free. But who could refuse, in his position?
I remember writing during Oden's flashback a few years ago that I was enjoying the scenes playing out and seeing the long-hinted at backstory getting filled in, but that I was in no danger of weeping for Oden. There was an emotional investment that I never quite made in that story. Maybe it was because we knew about about Oden's death in advance that it was too foregone a conclusion, or maybe it just wasn't the right story to appeal to my tastes. The contrast here is that I'm genuinely feeling things at the twists and turns of Kuma's flashback. This is not just a good read to quietly enjoy, it's getting a genuine emotional rise out of me. Highs and lows of Wano be damned, Oda's still got it.
As a final thought, this installment brings us to the 10th chapter of volume 108, but probably not the last. This doesn't feel like an ending cliffhanger yet. But I can't see the flashback ending in one more chapter either. Are we going to get two 12-chapter volumes in a row, or will the volume gap simply cut through Kuma's story?
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@Captain-M That was a fantastic analysis!!! The best I've ever read about this chapter
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From the initial spoilers - something seemed fishy with Ginny, like the revs haven't heard hide or hair of her until she calls them....but we see her limp arm in a few panels so I don't think there's any curveball there. Would've liked to see more, simply because a girl that already knew how to wiretap transponder snails would've been let to cool spy/revolutionary work. Anyways
Also interesting that the "Jewelry" functions like the name would appear in English - you know, [title] [name], opposed to the One Piece tradition of having characters' family names be written first. I had guessed she got the name from Ginny, but to be a remain (albeit an endearing nickname by Kuma) of the same disease that killed her mom is...ouch.
From the news that the king is lying waste to the kingdom and Kuma looking pissed off, I'm guessing next chapter is where the "Tyrant" comes into play - Kuma forcefully removes the king but the WG use that as a pretext to invade, where he makes the deal to become a Warlord/cyborg to get Bonney help.
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I'm enjoying these no Luffy chapters. Keep going Oda.
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@Captain-M said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
This is a big one. Lots to talk about, lots to think about. A lot of... interesting reactions from fans on all corners of the internet that I want to reflect on. The first thing that stands out is the art. While mistakes have happened and corrections have been needed, the is the first time in 26 years we've seen Oda submit an unfinished manuscript. Other authors have done this in far rougher states far more regularly, but it's still a shame to see Oda break his streak. I wonder if something happened. A health issue? Scheduling with the live action? Perhaps a staffing one. The primary inking seems to be done across most of if not the whole chapter. What's missing is the erasing of pencil shading and sketch lines and the application of screen tones, which I understand to generally be the staff's job. Whether Oda finished the inks so late that these final touches couldn't be added, or if something happened to the normal screen tones guy, it's hopefully a one off.
If it's not a one-off (and a handful of panels with leftover pencil shading from the last chapter do suggest a slightly more ongoing deadline crunch) we might be back to two weeks on one off from next year to keep this from happening again. But that's a concern for after the November/December break season.
Oda delves into some heavy topics this week, and the collective gut reaction of the fanbase has been explosive. It's interesting to look at how much of an impression this particular chapter has made, given that we've been able to infer that these sorts of things happen for a long time now, after seeing the Celestial Dragons taking slave wives at Sabaody, the Boa sisters' slavery-related trauma that left them distrustful of men, and the story of the girl who took her own life after being freed that one commoner sought revenge on the Donquixotes for. Perhaps it was the degree of ambiguity the previous hints afforded. Sure, you have to stretch for it, but you could say those older examples don't have to lead to sexual assault. Ginny returning with an infant who very obviously takes after her is a tougher hurdle to throw 'he wouldn't really put that in a kids' series' at. Even so, Oda is careful about nowhere coming close to even using the word 'rape,' let alone actually depicting it. The reader is still expected to connect the dots. It's a nonconfrontational method for putting this dark subject on the page in a way that will hopefully not disrupt its young adult rating or alienate the portion of its audience that's sensitive to the topic.
Looking over the weekend's spoiler discussions, some of the fanbase is kinda treating this like Oda put a Berserk-level scene in the series out of nowhere, when the truth is that he's done everything he can to hold the subject at arms' length. Never shown or stated, but told through heavy implication. Ginny comes back ravaged by a disease (despite what some people are saying, there's no real reason to believe it's an STD) that conveniently disfigures her beyond the point that any distressing physical wounds from her abuse as a slave would be recognisable and kills her outright before there's any chance to dig into the trauma, the feelings and the ordeal of recovery and living on. One Piece is not talking about rape this week. It doesn't want to. There's an almost mystical, stork-like quality to the way Ginny vanishes for two years and returns with a baby and no chance to say more about where it came from beyond what we think filled in that gap in her timeline. The inferred conclusion is easy to see for grown adults like I assume most of us here to be, who've seen this subject matter covered before and have no allusions about the small, personal evils humans are capable of inflicting on one another. But I do wonder how much of the series' younger audience, that makes up so much of the Japanese readership, is going to be able to read between the lines, or what their prevailing interpretation will be. If you're fanciful enough, (like the people who think Mother Caramel and the other orphans simply ran away and hid instead of getting eaten by Big Mom) you can headcanon up a version of events where Ginny smuggled out the child of another slave, or found an orphan she couldn't abandon on the way back to Sorbet, and while evidence in canon will strongly resist those ideas, it doesn't outright contradict them.
And I'm sure debates will rage about whether or not this was an appropriate way to handle a topic so sensitive to so many. I don't think there's any such thing as a qualification to objectively judge such a thing. What shocks, what feels blunted and what does and doesn't scan as sincere is going to vary for each and every one of us. For me, while I definitely wouldn't point to this chapter as a go-to example of handling rape in fiction, the implications-only, arms-length approach keeps it from feeling like an edgy shock value move. For a series that doesn't have the tone or the time to go all the way into the tempestuous introspection of real sexual violence-related trauma but still wants to be true to the darker corners of its established world and the history it draws on, this was probably the safest option, and smartly chosen.
It's a shame to see Ginny go so abruptly and so badly though, right after two chapters of getting to know her. For all my overanalysis and cautioning above, my gut reaction sits as the first reply to the spoiler thread, and holds true to the full chapter release. "Fuck me, that's dark." My mouth fell open as I realised the story being told. No one should be surprised that Ginny died, but I expected it at the climax of the flashback, with at least a chapter's warning that it was all coming to a head. I am well and truly caught off guard by this one, a swift jab in the gut out of nowhere, and the flashback isn't even done yet.
On Ginny's death, we have the also somewhat sensitive topic of female characters being 'fridged.' That is, being assaulted and killed for the sake of giving a male character something to angst over, a trope that gives some readers a feeling women are being treated as disposable. I may be swinging at ghosts here, but I feel like I've seen just enough people mention this (and the following point) on different corners of the internet that it's on my mind. I'm not going to say that Ginny doesn't tick the boxes for this trope, but I also have to wonder what the small number of people saying this were expecting. One Piece is an action adventure story that puts death and maiming on the line as the ultimate stake and consequence for its characters regularly. It has a 26-year theme of inheriting the will and goals of loved ones who were unfairly snuffed out before their time. If you're doing these things in a story, putting death on the line and defining your cast by the vows they made to the fallen, unless you make every character a man, you're going to end up killing off a woman for the sake of another character's growth at some point. Ginny joins the likes of Bellemere, Hiruluk, Tom, Olvia, Scarlet and Cora in dying tragically so a more main character can grow. Complaining about this in One Piece is the equivalent of asking for horror movies with more queer characters and calling it 'bury your gays' when typical horror movie things start happening to those characters. Context is important for judging the use of tropes like this.
And finally, there's been some chatter about Bonney's depiction in the story now that we know her true age. Egghead's costume design has been very biased towards female fanservice and low camera angles, and it does scan a little offputtingly to have included her so heavily in that. Especially with some people noticing Sanji acting significantly less heart-eyed toward her than most women, implying she's exempt from some of the stuff normally aimed at adult female characters. But my gut reaction isn't as visceral as others' have been. Like, usually the skeevy anime trope is the opposite, the young-looking character who's really a hundred years old, reading like a truly desperate attempt to justify gawking at kids if they're just 'wise beyond their years' or some shit. But the opposite scenario, someone being this much younger than they appear, is so outside the realm of reality that it's not really worth discoursing about.
And there is a weird vibe in some of the comments on that. Especially when they're saying 'how could Oda draw a 12 year old like this' but the example used is just her normal outfit, which is just short shorts and a tank top that could easily be worn out in pubic on a hot day. Feels like they're saying 'how dare a person I'm ultimately not compatible with initially seem attractive!' Like it's somehow confusing that Bonney would look good at a glance and then not be actually appropriate to be with when you learn more about her. Acting led on by it even. Strange and uncomfortable take from certain corners of the internet. How do these people deal with seeing in the real world who look pretty but have an incompatible personality, or interests, or politics, or lifestyle? Sure, the reason isn't normally going to be 'turns out she's mentally 12,' but you're going to struggle if you can't mentally pivot from 'looks interesting' to 'off limits' easier than that.
With all that heavy stuff out of the way, let's enjoy some worldbuilding and fun details. Did you notice in the montage toward the end of the chapter that Kuma actually got that iron cage crib built? Cute, but you have to wonder the impact of sleeping behind bars on a baby's development. How about the crucifix on the church wall? It's got split ends like the cross seen on Oars' loincloth and carved on the walls of the secret straw hat room, and where the arms meet is a symbol not unlike Alabasta's flag and the Kozuki Family crest. Could Kuma's religion be more than just a stock standard Christianity stand-in?
The contrast between the shots of Kuma's home life with Bonney and his battles as a revolutionary makes for a fantastic montage through the middle of the chapter. The wartime shot at the top of page 9 is super intense, it's going to absolutely be a highlight when it's funny cleaned up. Bonney makes for a cute and charismatic kid, with the emergence of her present-day brashness a comedic highlight. Where does a girl raised almost completely indoors pick that stuff up?
And we go from the extreme gestures right back to scenes of childishness as she grapples with her developing illness and naively misunderstands the timeline she's been put on. Poor girl. The Sapphire Scales illness is an interesting addition. Like I said above, it doesn't scan as an STD-analogy. Transmissibility is never brought up as an issue in all of Kuma's time in close quarters with Bonney, and comparisons are made to White Lead Sickness. That makes me think it's a genetic issue. And what better kind of malady to bring Vegapunk into this flashback to treat, given his work on genetics with MADS. I don't think it's her Devil Fruit keeping her alive in the present. If anything, rapidly aging to appear as an adult would force the disease to advance faster. Having the skill to age up herself while ageing down the disease isn't outside the realm of possibility for shonen writing, but I wouldn't expect it of a five-year-old. Plus, the disease didn't return to an unaged state the same way she did when the sea water (presumably) nullified her powers.
Bonney not being Kuma's biological child is an interesting development given her distorted future that took on his body shape. But then, it's not like we've seen enough Buccaneers to know for sure that the bulky frame is a trademark of the race. Sure, they're said to be tough, but this is One Piece. Scrawny characters have shown incredible strength and durability, and many obstinately normal humans have had proportions far more variable and exaggerated. I see no reason a (one Piece world) human couldn't achieve Kuma's body type with the right gym routine and a bit of dedication. But we'll see.
And we end on a stinger for the next chapter, with King Becori's return. Where did he go, I wonder? Up to Marie Geoise for who knows how many months or years of bootlicking? And who ruled while he was gone? But with this, we can perhaps see the rest of this flashback taking shape. Kuma, in no mood to see his daughter's limited time get cut any shorter, confronts the king directly, inadvertently ends up put on the throne, perhaps similar to how Dalton was able to be legitimised after ousting Wapol. With Government connections, he's able to reach Vegapunk and petition to have Bonney's life saved. But because of his history as a Revolutionary, the Government doesn't let him have what he wants for free. But who could refuse, in his position?
I remember writing during Oden's flashback a few years ago that I was enjoying the scenes playing out and seeing the long-hinted at backstory getting filled in, but that I was in no danger of weeping for Oden. There was an emotional investment that I never quite made in that story. Maybe it was because we knew about about Oden's death in advance that it was too foregone a conclusion, or maybe it just wasn't the right story to appeal to my tastes. The contrast here is that I'm genuinely feeling things at the twists and turns of Kuma's flashback. This is not just a good read to quietly enjoy, it's getting a genuine emotional rise out of me. Highs and lows of Wano be damned, Oda's still got it.
As a final thought, this installment brings us to the 10th chapter of volume 108, but probably not the last. This doesn't feel like an ending cliffhanger yet. But I can't see the flashback ending in one more chapter either. Are we going to get two 12-chapter volumes in a row, or will the volume gap simply cut through Kuma's story?
Nice write up. I'm curious to ask: where do you see Bonney's story going based on what has just been revealed?
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@electricmastro Thank you! I think Bonney is all but guaranteed to have a role in the final battle, carrying on the legacy of the Bucaneers and being an example of Celestial Dragon blood standing up against Celestial Dragon rule.
For the short term... it's going to depend what happens when Kuma arrives. If he makes his last stand on Egghead and dies on the island, there's literally no safe way off save for joining the Strawhats on their way to Elbaf. The problem with that is her lack of a longer term goal. The current mission of tracking down her father and avenging what was done to him has everything it needs to resolve in this arc. So she'd need to be told or helped to decide something she can chase into the future.
However if Kuma is to survive crashing in and saving the day, I wouldn't be shocked to see him using his power to take the two of them away somewhere private to either make up for lost time or make the most of whatever time he's got left after all that's been done to him. Maybe back to Sorbet where it all began.
Spoilers for D.Gray Man, but if you've seen how...
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@Captain-M said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
@electricmastro Thank you! I think Bonney is all but guaranteed to have a role in the final battle, carrying on the legacy of the Bucaneers and being an example of Celestial Dragon blood standing up against Celestial Dragon rule.
For the short term... it's going to depend what happens when Kuma arrives. If he makes his last stand on Egghead and dies on the island, there's literally no safe way off save for joining the Strawhats on their way to Elbaf. The problem with that is her lack of a longer term goal. The current mission of tracking down her father and avenging what was done to him has everything it needs to resolve in this arc. So she'd need to be told or helped to decide something she can chase into the future.
However if Kuma is to survive crashing in and saving the day, I wouldn't be shocked to see him using his power to take the two of them away somewhere private to either make up for lost time or make the most of whatever time he's got left after all that's been done to him. Maybe back to Sorbet where it all began.
Spoilers for D.Gray Man, but if you've seen how...
I get the suspicion Bonney would be inspired to help liberate people like how Kuma and Nika wanted. I can't think of a better reason Oda would link Bonney to this much otherwise.
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This chapter makes me wonder about the fate of the Celestial Dragons at the end of this manga.
I think we all expect the revolution to somehow succeed and for them to pay for their centuries of abuse. But how far and realistic is Oda willing to go.
In real life, they would all be executed by the freedom army. I doubt that will happen.
A peaceful resolution can't happen either after how evil they've been portrayed and the only redeemable one being executed by the holy knights.
Maybe the justice will come in an indirect manner and Mary Geoise will be nuked during the final war.
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@electricmastro Bonney becoming a liberator in her own right is a cool idea. It's definitely a role I could see her taking in the final stages of the story. She just needs the time to say a proper goodbye to her father and close off that chapter of her life first.
And despite Oda being Oda, I betting on this arc being a farewell to Kuma, after which it would be reasonable for Bonney to take a little time to mourn before stepping up to her final battle role.
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@fana This is an interesting problem to consider. Oda would not have an easy time showing his good guys holding war crime hearings and carrying out executions.
I think in addition to nuking Marie Geoise, it'll be important to show the Celestial Dragons' vices being the instrument of their own device. Like there would be a chance to evacuate before the bomb drops but they stubbornly choose to go back for their riches, or weigh the escape vessel down with too much gold and slow it down, or make a detour to try and grab some slaves off the final battlefield and accidentally put themselves in the line of fire. I'm sure we'll get the catharsis of a few of them being individually facepunched, but as a collective, it'd make sense to have them be ultimately self-defeating.
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@Captain-M said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
@electricmastro Bonney becoming a liberator in her own right is a cool idea. It's definitely a role I could see her taking in the final stages of the story. She just needs the time to say a proper goodbye to her father and close off that chapter of her life first.
And despite Oda being Oda, I betting on this arc being a farewell to Kuma, after which it would be reasonable for Bonney to take a little time to mourn before stepping up to her final battle role.
Yeah, I honestly doubt Bonney will just be sitting by the sidelines crying in the corner about Ginny and the like while the world turns upside down against the Government. Even as a kid, I could still see her being a valuable asset with her powers and infiltration abilities.
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@Captain-M
I think the comparison to Berserk is a stretch.
Berserk depicts what happened with Casca as an example. Here we have Ginny who got captured and was a wive for TWO years before she was thrown away. She ends her last message to Kuma that she loved him. This doesn’t make me think that she enjoyed her time with the CD. Violet and Doffys SBS leaves enough room for ambiguity.I think what makes this portray of rape so much worse is that people who know it’s rape will imagine it differently in their mind. And there is no telling how someone reacts on a personal level with it.
For me it’s easier to read or “watch” the portrayal of rape in a story which is described in it, what’s always worse for me is the things which are not shown.
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The rape word count in this forum exploded dramatically after the last chapter.
It could have been MUCH MUCH worse. It's vaguely hinted at, instead Oda showing scenes of before or after or both. This way you can feel bad about it without actually having the scene linger in your mind years afterward, like in some other works.
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@The-Light-of-Shandora Interesting perspective. It's a known horror principal that the monster you imagine is always scarier than the monster you can see, that detail is often the enemy, but it's not usually mentioned around this kind of topic.
For me, I know in the abstract that whatever happened to Ginny in those two years was awful and torturous, but I wouldn't sit here going through it scene by scene trying to fill in the gaps. That's not an enjoyable train of thought to ride out to its conclusion. Scenes like the one in Berserk, or other grown-up prestige media like Game of Thrones or The Sopranos, on the other hand, shock and confront because they go past the point where I would stop filling in the details on my own and force me to sit with a perception of how horrible the experience really is.
It's definitely one of those things where there's no accounting for every reader.
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Do you know how it could be even worse, both Kuma and Bonney die in this arc even though I don't see it happening (nor do I wish to)
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@fana I do think Oda won't show them all genocided even though their crimes pile up by the day.
But maybe that's too easy. What about they all lose all their bubble helmets, space suits, and are dumped on some faraway island to fend for themselves. Having been privileged all their lives, they don't know how to survive on their own, and as they arrogantly assume an Admiral or whatever remains of the Navy will save them....reality kicks in....they are no longer the special people of the world. They don't get to do anything they want.
They become like the very commoners they despise so much.
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@fana said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
This chapter makes me wonder about the fate of the Celestial Dragons at the end of this manga.
I think we all expect the revolution to somehow succeed and for them to pay for their centuries of abuse. But how far and realistic is Oda willing to go.
In real life, they would all be executed by the freedom army. I doubt that will happen.
A peaceful resolution can't happen either after how evil they've been portrayed and the only redeemable one being executed by the holy knights.
Maybe the justice will come in an indirect manner and Mary Geoise will be nuked during the final war.
In my opinion, everything points to them being exiled to the moon. Symbolism (opposite of sun), the space suits, their goofy appearance, the Moon being barren... it would even be a Dragonball reference!
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@SirCaesar Heh, I have that same idea!
To me, the Celestial Dragons will escape on a rocket and land on the moon. As they plot revenge, they find out a very pissed off Enel, implying they end up dead or enslaved by another one who deludes himself a god...
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I could see them killing themselves by acccident, like that titan sub thing. But maybe it would be a little bit too clean, since nobody on team good guy would have to get their hands dirty.
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@kakuyamii said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
@danie I have a personal theory that makes me think that the reason she keeps using the adult form is because the toshi-toshi no mi essentially healed her if that makes sense.
Just like how law healed himself with the ope-ope no mi via operating on himself, bonney could have used it to age herself up to a future where she never contracted that diseaseBut we‘ve seen her in her actual form as a kid and she had the face piercing. Why would the future distortion heal her from the disease?
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I don’t know what to say, this chapter devistated me. After this chapter One Piece has changed and became so much realistic and dark. It makes me hate the Celestial Dragons and the world government even more.
Oda hinted in the past on sexual abuse and potentially rape with the SBS for Violet and Doffy and Big Mom and her husbands. (SBS vol 83 and 90) We already saw a CD take someone’s wife at the start of the Sabaody Arc.
I don’t know where Oda is going with this. Kuma just experienced the biggest tragedy and the flashback isn’t over, Bonney isn’t cured and he is still human. This is going to be the saddest flashback.
It might be the cruelest and most realistic part of One Piece for me.
What makes the chapter so hard to swallow, is that Oda left everything up to the imagination of the reader.
Other books i’ve read recently which had similar chapters (Americanah, Half of a yellow sun and the burning god triology), described rape and sexual abuse and it was much easier to process, at least for me.I know I have focused only on the first few pages, but this was stuck in my mind for the past few days.
Ginny’s death being another catalyst for the Revolutionary army to become more active is good. Not sure on the exact timeline but this should be around the time of the Ohara bustercall +/- a year or two.
Kuma asking Bonney where she’d like to go, is probably the first time he asked that question.
Next chapters will probably cover Kuma becoming a pirate, a warlord and the government lapdog and at last the mindless being he currently is. I hope Oda writes a happy ending for him and Bonney. Death to every Celestial Dragon out there, I cannot imagine that Oda can humanize a single one of them and honestly I don’t want him to even try.
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@The-Light-of-Shandora said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
Not sure on the exact timeline but this should be around the time of the Ohara bustercall +/- a year or two.
This is actually far after. Timeline to help sort things out:
- 38 years ago: God Valley Incident
- 25 ya: Ginny proposes to Kuma
- 22 ya: Ohara Incident, Kuma imprisoned by King Bekori, Freedom Fighters save Kuma and defeat Bekori. Formation of the Revolutionary Army.
- 14 ya: Ginny is kidnapped
- 12 ya: Bonney is born, Ginny is released, Ginny dies.
- 7 ya: Physician identifies Bonney's disease
- 6 ya: King Bekori returns
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I just love the Dragon memes we got from this. Like yeah, sure, we can have a whole discussion on what he did was rationale and whatever but ultimately that's not why we like the leader figures in the series. I still remember the speech bubble from last chapter where Dragon said to Kuma that he won't make him regret joining the revolutionary.
Dude got like 90% of his misery from joining the revolutionary and his leader gave as much as a fart in his effort to get his love interest back. I get that it's good to do good, and he has every reason to back the force that free slaves considering his origin, but the poor bear really needs a hug and would certainly be happier living out his life with a complete family. -
@The-Light-of-Shandora oh definitely. It's bottomless if you allow it to be and it can be even worse if you know of stories or people involved in the sex trafficking/slavery industry. When something is left open, your own knowledge is left to do the work and fill in the blanks. And that can be very uncomfortable depending on what an individual's knowledge and imagination is capable of depicting.
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Just some random thoughts on Celestial Dragons' "wives".
I imagine they are not in the same level as simple slaves. The nobles probably think being one of their wives is a privilege, and the concubines probably get some rights simple slaves lack, which is why they are "returned to the rabble" when the nobles get tired of them, rather than being eliminated or thrown with the other slaves for forced labor.
That is not to say it's a good or pleasanty deal: I don't remember where, but over the series we see Celestial Dragon's sometimes followed by female concubines dressed in revealing clothes and chained by the necks. These concubines still have no freedom, and probably only tolerated as long as they submit themselves completely to their "husband"'s desires.
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You know, between "shots getting excited about food with Chopper and Luffy" and "lived a sheltered childhood dreaming of seeing the outside world", one can only wonder if Bonney will also get a transformation with long flowing white hair. Also makes you wonder if we'll get one of these every arc now.
Despite the tone in this post, I actually loved the chapter. But I already said all I could about it in the spoiler thread.
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Only way the celestial dragons will get their "just due" is if Blackbeard is meant to overthrow Imu. Oda wouldn't want his precious Luffy to get his hands dirty.
Fortunately, Blackbeard overthrowing Imu is quite likely. I imagine Dragon will unwittingly have a hand in that too.
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@trollatron786 said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
Do you know how it could be even worse, both Kuma and Bonney die in this arc even though I don't see it happening (nor do I wish to)
I honestly don’t see Kuma making a comeback after what Vegapunk said. Bonney I see her being inspired by all the tragedy to do more though.
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@Deicide said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
@The-Light-of-Shandora said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
Not sure on the exact timeline but this should be around the time of the Ohara bustercall +/- a year or two.
This is actually far after. Timeline to help sort things out:
- 38 years ago: God Valley Incident
- 25 ya: Ginny proposes to Kuma
- 22 ya: Ohara Incident, Kuma imprisoned by King Bekori, Freedom Fighters save Kuma and defeat Bekori. Formation of the Revolutionary Army.
- 14 ya: Ginny is kidnapped
- 12 ya: Bonney is born, Ginny is released, Ginny dies.
- 7 ya: Physician identifies Bonney's disease
- 6 ya: King Bekori returns
So apparently, it went from Freedom Fighters to Revolutionary Army the day Kuma joined up?
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@electricmastro Well, the story does not say that... But Vegapunk did say that Dragon, Kuma and Ivankov formed the Revolutionary Army "within one year of Ohara", and later the flashback shows Dragon and Iva saving Kuma in the same year of Ohara, and the Freedom Fighters becoming the Revolutionary Army soon after.
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What really sucks is that Kuma's entire story is going end with his death and I do believe it'll be his salvation as he'll say goodbye to Bonney and see Sun God Nika. I'm probably gonna cry at the end of this, I know it.
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@ArmamentHero said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
What really sucks is that Kuma's entire story is going end with his death and I do believe it'll be his salvation as he'll say goodbye to Bonney and see Sun God Nika. I'm probably gonna cry at the end of this, I know it.
Could very much be. But I’m still not cleared on the memories of Kuma and how much that robot Kuma that’s coming is Kuma. Someone said here that Kuma has suffered so much that he will be given some redemption here and not die. Maybe his memories can be transferred into another body. Maybe he’ll become the ancient giant robot. Who knows how Oda will play it out.
But whatever happens yes I want to see a great entrance by Nika as Kuma and Bonney see him. They have been admiring Nika in this flashback. They should be well rewarded.
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@ArmamentHero said in Chapter 1098: Bonney's Birth:
What really sucks is that Kuma's entire story is going end with his death and I do believe it'll be his salvation as he'll say goodbye to Bonney and see Sun God Nika. I'm probably gonna cry at the end of this, I know it.
Yeah, this seems like far, far too much more trouble than it’s worth to just have it turn out that Kuma and Bonney will happily leave all hunky-dory from Egghead to fight alongside Dragon.