The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1074, “MK. III,” by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul, and Vanessa Satone, available in English from Viz Media.
One of Zoro’s best moments in One Piece was absorbing Luffy’s pain on Thriller Bark. Taking in this pain and enduring it showed his strength in body and mind among other things. Now, Jewelry Bonney is about to go through a similar trial.
As of Chapter 1074, “MK. III,” she is trying to take in the pain of her father Bartholomew Kuma’s tragic past. The trial is a little different from Zoro’s, but the results should be the same. By the end of it, she should come out revealing her resolve and becoming more fleshed out as a character.
How Is Bonney Taking In Kuma’s Memories Similar to Zoro Taking In Luffy’s Pain?
Zoro’s trial came at the end of the Thriller Bark Arc. The Straw Hats, despite an exhaustive battle with Gecko Moria, would next have to fight for their lives against Kuma. However, the then-Warlord ended up making a deal with Zoro. After using his Paw-Paw powers to expel all of the pain Luffy accumulated from his fight with Moria, he had Zoro take it into himself; if the Pirate Hunter could do this, the Straw Hats would be spared. As expected, Luffy’s pain was excruciating for Zoro, but he took it all in anyway because that’s how much he cares about his captain and his crew. All of this was a testament to Zoro’s endurance, loyalty, and resolve.
Bonney’s trial isn’t quite as physically taxing, but it will still be challenging. Somewhere on Egghead, there is a room containing all of the memories Kuma expelled from his body; this includes painful ones like being a child slave of the Celestial Dragons. At first, Bonney couldn’t bare to see a younger version of her father getting brutalized. However, she realized that taking in these memories was the best way to understand Kuma and why he did the things he did, so she’s committing to seeing it all.
Assuming Bonney completes this trial, it should do a lot for her character. While Zoro was able to complete his trial because of his latent resolve, Bonney will have to force her way through her trial by strengthening her resolve. As painful as this will be for her, she should come out mentally stronger and wiser for it. This is all to say nothing of what she’ll learn about Kuma and how that will affect her choices and actions moving forward. This self-imposed challenge could lead to a big change from the short-tempered, impulsive girl everyone knew at the start of the Egghead arc.
Bonney being presented as a member of the Worst Generation suggested that she would receive plenty of attention. Ideally, she would end up becoming a fan-favorite on par with the likes of Trafalgar Law or Eustass Kid. The on-screen development of her character could be just what she needs to elevate herself to that status. This test of endurance and willpower worked wonders for Zoro’s character, so it should certainly do the same for her. Of course, if this does end up any more like Zoro’s trial, it could end with her saying something along the lines of “nothing happened.”
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