One Piece Teases Its Most Tragic Character May Still Get The Happy Ending He Deserves

Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #1126 of One Piece.

One Piece has just teased that its most tragic character may still get the happy ending he deserves and fans could not be more relieved at the resolution. While One Piece has numerous tragic backstories, the Egghead Arc has single-handedly established Bartholomew Kuma as one of the most tragic characters in the series, and the latest chapter hints that he and Bonney may still have a shot at happiness.

In chapter #1126 of One Piece, Kuma and Bonney are seen aboard the Giant Pirates' ship. As the Giants and the Straw Hats continue feasting, Bonney celebrates the fact that she and Kuma finally made it to sea together and got to see the horizon with Kuma silently smiling in response.

Bonney's words about reaching the horizon are a reference to the promise Kuma made to Bonney the last time they saw each other over three years ago when leaving her at Sorbet Kingdom in chapter #1100. As such, the short scene in the latest chapter makes for a beautiful resolution to Kuma's tragic character arc, hinting at hope for a much-deserved happy ending for the father-daughter duo.

One Piece Teases A Happy Ending For Kuma and Bonney

Created by Eiichiro Oda, Chapter #1126, "Taking Responsibility"

One Piece's Egghead Arc was full of surprises at every turn, though one that completely caught fans off guard was Kuma's backstory and his tragic relationship with Bonney, who until Egghead was just another unremarkable member of the Worst Generation. The arc shone a new light on the Warlord of the Sea, with fans unanimously agreeing about Kuma being one of the most tragic characters in One Piece.

Ever since Kuma's tragic backstory was revealed, fans have been rooting for him and Bonney to be reunited and safely make it out of Egghead, which they fortunately did. Though it may be only a single panel of Kuma smiling, chapter #1126 has finally given fans some closure with just this one expression, and after all that Bonney and Kuma have been through, it is quite a relief to see the two smile again.

More than anything, it is nice to see that Eiichiro Oda did not forget to conclude Bonney and Kuma's arc despite all that is going on in the story at present with Elbaf on the horizon.

Vegapunk's Survival Hints At Hope For Kuma

The fact that Kuma smiles in response to Bonney in chapter #1126 hints that Kuma remembers the promise he made to Bonney before his memories were wiped. Although it is unclear what path Bonney and Kuma will take going forward in One Piece, chapter #1125 has confirmed that Atlas, Shaka, Edison, and Pythagoras have survived and escaped with Punk Records and could perhaps help Kuma at some point in the future.

It is still unclear how much of his memories Kuma still has and whether Vegapunk's satellites will be able to completely reverse the memory loss, but there is still a slim possibility. That said, One Piece has been noticeably vague about how Kuma was able to override the self-destruct command, with Vegapunk referring to it as "the power of love," and perhaps that is all there is to it.

One Piece is available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.

One Piece

Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history's longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix's 2023 adaptation.

Created by Eiichiro Oda

First Film One Piece: The Movie