Highlights
- Jewelry Bonney, a member of the Worst Generation, was deeply affected by the condition of her father figure Kuma, leading her to seek revenge on the person responsible.
- Bonney has the ability to manipulate her age through her Devil Fruit power, making her physical form appear older than her actual age as a child.
- Kuma played a crucial role in Bonney’s life, taking care of her and eventually finding a way to cure her disease, possibly with the help of the World Government.
The Worst Generation is a group of pirates who gathered together in Sabaody Archipelago before the Paramount War. Every one of them is important to the story of One Piece, but as always, there is a discrepancy. Some of the individuals are more crucial to the overall story, while the involvement of others is limited to a single arc. Jewelry Bonney falls in the former category.
She was still in Sabaody Archipelago when Whitebeard and Ace were killed. At the time, Bonney could be seen crying, which led many fans to speculate that she had some kind of connection to either of the two One Piece characters. It wasn’t until the Egghead Island arc that the actual reason came to light. Bonney was sad because she saw Kuma’s condition in Marineford. She couldn’t bear to see her father in such terrible condition. So, she decided to head to the New World to find the person responsible for Kuma’s present state.
Bonney’s destination was Egghead Island, the home of Dr. Vegapunk. However, she was caught by Blackbeard and handed over to the Marines. Bonney ended up in captivity but somehow managed to escape. On her way to the island, Bonney was caught in an eddy, and she would have remained there if it weren’t for the Straw Hat Pirates. They managed to free her, and not long afterward, they learned about her motive. However, Bonney did not reveal the identity of her father until later, when one of the Pacifista was attacking Luffy.
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What Is Bonney’s Age
From her actions, Bonney has always come off as a kid, but her physical form is that of a grown-up. Bonney’s Toshi Toshi no Mi confused the audience further as she could use it to manipulate her age and those around her. As the Egghead arc continued, Oda finally decided to reveal Kuma and Bonney’s past. In Kuma’s flashback, Ginny was kidnapped 14 years prior to the current timeline. She was serving as a commander of the Revolutionary Army when a Celestial Dragon laid eyes on her and forcibly abducted her. He made Ginny his wife, but not long afterward, he left her to die because of her disease.
Two years after her kidnapping, Ginny was able to contact the Revolutionary Army and tell them about her current status. She also told Kuma that she loved him, but he had already teleported to Ginny’s location, so he didn’t hear it. Sadly, Ginny was already dead when Kuma arrived. He found that Ginny was not alone and actually had a baby. This child was none other than Jewelry Bonney. Kuma was devastated by Ginny’s death, but he promised to raise Bonney in the best way possible. So, Bonney was born 12 years before the current timeline, which makes her the youngest member of the Worst Generation.
Many characters have called Bonney a kid, which now makes sense. The first time fans saw her true form was in the Sabaody Archipelago arc, when she reverted to her normal age to stop Zoro from cutting down a Celestial Dragon. In the Egghead arc, after Bonney was rescued from the eddy, she was in her original form as she couldn’t use her Devil Fruit powers due to the water. Dr. Vegapunk has stated that Bonney is a kid multiple times.
Bonney and Kuma’s Relationship
After Ginny’s death, Kuma took care of Bonney. He kept fighting for the Revolutionary Army, but eventually he decided to quit when Bonney began to exhibit the same symptoms as her mother. Kuma wanted to devote all her time to Bonney so that she could be saved. Due to her condition, Bonney had to stay inside the house, and it led to the kids making fun of her. However, Kuma always reassured her that she was special. The two would often talk about the future, and Kuma would ask Bonney what places she wanted to visit when she grew up.
Unfortunately, Kuma’s hopes took a massive hit when a doctor revealed that, at best, Bonney had another five years to live. After the doctor left, Bonney told Kuma that she had heard everything. She was happy that the disease would be gone by the time she was ten years old. Kuma realized that Bonney had overheard only half of the conversation, which is why she believed that she would be cured. Her father had no option but to play along.
It is unclear how Kuma managed to cure her disease, but it is highly likely that the World Government might have had a cure. Of course, the organization would never let a Buccaneer have it, so Kuma may have decided to become a test subject for Vegapunk in exchange for a cure. There is a chance that Bonney’s Devil Fruit could have saved her and stopped her from aging. However, it would not explain how she would be able to stay outside and not exhibit any of the symptoms. Furthermore, it would mean Bonney consumed the Devil Fruit before the age of ten. Comparing both possibilities, it is much likelier that the World Government had the cure. It would also explain why the World Government mysteriously chased her and wanted to capture her.
One Piece is available to read on Viz Media.