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Pending to issue's official release, which is scheduled for October 30, 2023, the first spoilers of One Piece chapter 1096 are already circulating. Based on the leaks, the storytelling will keep focusing on Bartholomew Kuma's sad past, which is shown to readers through Jewelry Bonney's thoughts.
So far, the flashback showed the heartbreaking childhood of Kuma and revealed his roots as an offspring of the Buccaneer Race. With the journey back in time continuing in One Piece 1096, readers will learn other valuable information. This will include the circumstances in which Kuma ate the Paw-Paw Fruit during the God Valley Incident.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1096.
One Piece 1096's spoilers reveal how a young Bartholomew Kuma obtained the Paw-Paw Fruit
Recently, the main highlight of Bartholomew Kuma has been his past, and how it ties with the ongoing Egghead Arc. However, throughout the One Piece story Kuma has received a substantial focus regarding his capabilities as a fighter.
He proved himself to be one of the most fearsome pirates enlisted among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and, beforehand, a major member of the Revolutionary Army. Most of Kuma's combat prowess stems from his usage of the Paw-Paw Fruit.
This Paramecia-type Devil Fruit grants Kuma exceptional versatility, allowing him to repel anything he touches with his paw pads, for both defensive and offensive purposes. As the paw pads are permanently ingrained in his hands, Kuma wears gloves to avoid using his Devil Fruit powers accidentally.
Whether, weapons, incoming attacks, people, or even the air itself, the Paw-Paw Fruit can seemingly repel any target, as long as Kuma's paw pads come in contact with it.
Still, it must be remembered that the power of Haki seems to surpass even that of Devil Fruits. As such, individuals with particularly powerful and developed Haki might be able to subdue the Paw-Paw Fruit's ability.
By repelling the air at the speed of light, Kuma can create devastating cannon-like shockwaves. For increased effectiveness, he can perform this action in quick succession, performing a technique called Tsuppari Pad Cannon. During the Thriller Bark Arc, Kuma used this move against Roronoa Zoro.
Luckily for him, the second-in-command of the Straw Hat Pirates was able to dodge the barrage of attacks. If this had not been so, he would have suffered grievous damage, as each of Kuma's shockwaves was powerful enough to break through solid rock.
The strongest Paw-Paw Fruit technique seems to be the Ursus Shock. To perform this attack, Kuma releases an enormous quantity of compressed air through a single paw-shaped projectile. The air quickly decompresses, causing a tremendous explosion.
Back in Thriller Bark, Kuma used this move to overpower the Straw Hat Pirates. He also performed it in Marineford. On that occasion, he targeted Little Oars Jr, who ended up badly injured by the attack.
Via his Devil Fruit powers, Kuma can propel himself, other people, or objects with such quickness that it resembles teleportation. To an observer, it would seem that the target had disappeared, even though in truth it had been sent flying at extremely high speed.
Through this method, Kuma or his target can travel enormous distances in a short amount of time. In his first appearance, he used this ability on Perona. Sometime later, he employed it to make all the Straw Hat Pirates disappear from Sabaody Archipelago, sending each of them to a different place in the world.
Shortly before the Paramount War, Kuma allowed Dr Vegapunk to turn his body in that of a seemingly mindless cyborg at the service of the World Government. He became a slave for Mary Geoise's Celestial Dragons once again, but his former comrades in the Revolutionary Army eventually freed him.
However, he suddenly used the Paw-Paw Fruit to travel back to Mary Geoise. Once arrived there, he was attacked and quickly overpowered by Fleet Admiral Sakazuki "Akainu". Forced to flee, Kuma used his Devil Fruit to propel himself away. His next destination remains unknown.
Impressively, the Paw-Paw Fruit allows Kuma to repel even intangible things such as his own memories, or another person's physical pain and fatigue, which he then manifests into a huge paw-shaped bubble.
Back then in Thriller Bark, Kuma extracted all the pain from Luffy's body and subjected Zoro to the insanely difficult test of enduring it. At one point in the past, Kuma pulled out his memories. They remained hidden in Egghead, until his daughter Jewelry Bonney, eventually resolved to see them.
Recently, Vegapunk created the Seraphim, cyborgs based on the former members of the Seven Warlords and empowered with King's DNA in order to have the same outstanding durability as Lunarians.
Owing to a substance called Green Blood, which is instilled with the Lineage Factor of a certain Warlord, each Seraph can use the artificial replica of a Devil Fruit. As such, S-Bear, the cyborg based on Kuma, can emulate the abilities of the latter's Paw-Paw Fruit.
Forced to fight for his life, Kuma gained his trademark power
Several decades ago, Kuma's whole family was enslaved by the Celestial Dragons. He suffered brutal abuse, and his parents died in horrific circumstances. Moreover, he was chosen among the slaves designed to be the prey of the human hunting tournament held in God Valley.
Every three years, in fact, the Celestial Dragons used to choose a nation not affiliated with the World Government to organize a full-fledged human hunting game, whose subjects were some of their slaves, as well as the inhabitants of the unfortunate land.
As if the game wasn't cruel enough, the Celestial Dragons taking part in the manhunt were granted different points for each target. Essentially, it was a genocide committed for sheer competition, with complete disregard for the value of human life.
Within this hideous context, 38 years before One Piece's present narration Kuma finally met two friends. One of them was Emporio Ivankov, his future comrade in the Revolutionary Army, while the second one was a character never featured before in the One Piece story, a little girl named Ginny.
Together, the three young slaves devised a plan to escape God Valley. Knowing that the Celestial Dragons had put several Devil Fruits as the prizes for the manhunt's winners, Ivankov and Kuma decided to steal those items, and use the special powers granted by them to facilitate their getaway.
Based on the spoilers of One Piece chapter 1096, the Devil Fruits on which Kuma and Ivankov managed to get their hands were the Mythical Zoan-type, the Fish-Fish Fruit Model Azure Dragon, and a Paramecia-type, the Paw-Paw Fruit.
However, Kuma and Ivankov came across a 30 years old Charlotte Linlin "Big Mom". At the time a member of the Rocks Pirates, Big Mom was in God Valley with the rest of the crew. The Rocks Pirates attacked the Celestial Dragons but met their downfall at the hands of Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp.
Big Mom took the Fish-Fish Fruit from Ivankov, and it's already well known to fans that she will eventually give it to Kaido within the context of the God Valley Incident. Kuma, instead, ate the Paw-Paw Fruit on the spot.
Whether the young boy was able to use his powers properly from the beginning or not isn't revealed in One Piece 1096's leaks. So far, the spoilers only mention that shortly after consuming the Paw-Paw Fruit he had the misfortune to meet someone even more dangerous than Big Mom, namely Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.
Still, considering the significant role he played in the years ahead, it's clear that Kuma will somehow survive this encounter with the ominous Saturn. One Piece chapter 1096 allegedly concludes with Ivankov, Kuma, and Ginny who have survived the God Valley Incident and have found asylum in the Sorbet Kingdom.
As high-speed travel is one of the main abilities granted by the Paw-Paw Fruit, it's possible that Kuma used his newfound Devil Fruit ability to propel himself and his friends away from God Valley. However, Kuma should not have extensive knowledge of his own Devil Fruit abilities at the time.
Looking forward to the official release of One Piece 1096, the chapter's full scanlation will hopefully clarify the issue.
Be sure to keep up with One Piece's manga, anime, and live-action as 2023 progresses.
