The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1071, “The Hero Deploys,” by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul, and Vanessa Satone, available in English from Viz Media.
Jewelry Bonney was given an important role to play in the Egghead Arc of One Piece. She’s on the island of science to make Dr. Vegapunk restore the humanity of her father Bartholomew Kuma. It’s been established that he regrets turning Kuma into a Pacifista in the first place, so he should be willing to do Bonney this favor. However, in Chapter 1071, “The Hero Deploys,” he says he can’t do it, and for a good reason.
The fact that the chapter ends without Vegapunk giving his reason suggests that it might be more complicated than one might think. If it weren’t, then there would be no point in keeping the audience in suspense. Looking at Vegapunk’s words like this, there could be all sorts of reasons he can’t fix Kuma.
What Reasons Could There Be That Vegapunk Can’t Make Bartholomew Kuma Human Again?
It’s possible that restoring the free will of a cyborg is a skill issue. As simple as it might have been for Vegapunk to remove Kuma’s humanity and turn him into a mindless machine, perhaps it’s another thing entirely to return it. However, the only satisfying way for this subplot to have a happy ending is if there is a way to make Kuma human again. The validity of this possibility depends on how dark Eiichiro Oda wants to make this part of the story.
It could also be that Vegapunk doesn’t have the resources to restore Kuma, at least not on hand. He might have the tools to fix him or whatever he’s storing Kuma’s memories on in hand, but he needs Kuma himself to perform any sort of restoration; it’s like how Trafalgar Law can switch people’s bodies, but only if they’re in the same place at the same time. Since Kuma is currently busy at Red Port for some unknown reason, there’s nothing Vegapunk can do. However, if it were something this simple, Vegapunk probably could have just said that and saved everybody the suspense, so that might not be it either, at least not entirely.
It’s also possible that he wants Bonney to do it. Restoring Kuma’s mind could be something as simple as reinserting whatever drive or disk containing his memories. If it is, then Vegapunk might feel that the responsibility of restoring his humanity should be given to his daughter.
What makes this especially likely is Vegapunk’s statement from Chapter 1067, “Punk Records.” He mentioned that he had something to give to Bonney. This could be anything from her dad’s memory drive to a final recording he made for her. Whatever it is, it’s likely related to Vegapunk’s ability or inability to restore Kuma.
Did Kuma Want to Become a Pacifista?
Kuma becoming a cyborg might also have been a conscious choice on his part. Currently, the details surrounding why he decided to work for the World Government are unknown. He might have struck up some sort of deal with them that would have protected his kingdom or someone close to him. Maybe he wanted to do some secret espionage work for the Revolutionary Army; he might have even been the one to say he wanted to be made into a machine just to earn more of the World Government’s trust. Whatever Kuma’s reason for having his humanity removed, it might be something Vegapunk intends to respect.
As for whether Vegapunk truly can’t fix Kuma, that remains to be seen. His “good reason” for why he can’t do it can be anything from a physical one to a moral one. Whatever it is, it’s going to have to be a pretty good one to get Bonney to stop trying to kill him over it.
