 Over the course of One Piece, the Straw Hats have had many allies. It's a true and tested aspect of the series that whenever the crew would land on a new island, a new alliance would be formed with the island's natives once the struggle and danger that the island is facing that requires help from Luffy and his crew is revealed. Some allies even turned into temporary travelling companions that joined the crew in their adventures across multiple arcs and multiple islands. The most recent examples being Trafalgar Law, Momonosuke and a few of the Scabbards. An alliance that culminated in that epic battle at Wano. But perhaps of all the allegiances that the Straw Hats have formed, their single best ally came in the form of an individual who they weren't even in an official alliance with, but someone who has nonetheless contributed to their survival and played the biggest role in each of the crew members' growth in terms of their individual skills and experiences. And that's the story of Bartholomew Kuma, the Straw Hat that never was. When first reading Kuma's backstory, the first observation or connection that I made, along with many others, was that in Kuma we had another joyboy figure. Adding to the list of almost joyboys or maybe joyboys, Kuma felt like he fit the mold. While we can say Roger definitely came the closest whereas Luffy is the destined one, Kaito the failed joyboy and Odin an almost joyboy. In Kuma we had another figure who could arguably play the role of the legendary hero. But the more I read and thought about Kuma's character, the more and more I began to see that the clear parallel is in fact that Kuma is an almost straw hat. Now I want you to hold that thought there because before we get into this further, please subscribe if you haven't already, I'd really appreciate it, and you clicking the subscribe button will make all the difference. Don't be just an almost joy fleet member, be one. Unlike the other almost joyboys before him, Kuma played a conscious, active role to shape himself or to act like joyboy, to play the role of a hero and savior. It wasn't his destiny but by his own efforts, and in this way it was as if Kuma was preparing the world for joyboy with an understanding that he wasn't it, he wasn't the chosen one. Rather than being another example of a could be would be joyboy, Kuma has always been more like a disciple, a follower. Which is why when he suspected that Luffy may be the promised legend, Kuma devoted himself to serving and helping him. He followed Luffy and lent him assistance, much like you would to your captain if you were a crewmate. Which is why even if we weren't sure before as to what extent or in what nature, through his actions, Kuma has always felt like an ally. Even prior to his true intentions being revealed, there was an almost obvious feeling that in all the things he does, Kuma means well. His actions against the straw hats while having devastated the crew on more than one occasion have served as either as a test or a showcase of power to allow the crew to realize that there are bigger and better enemies waiting for them. And in that, there is no one better than Kuma to serve as an example of this, because for all intents and purposes, Kuma is not the evil villain out to destroy the crew. In his first interactions with the straw hats at Thriller Bark, he was presented as a terrifying threat able to single-handedly defeat the entire straw hat pirates, but immediately showed a reasonable side to his character that told us that he is unlike any other villain we've seen in the series. The takeaway feeling we got was that Kuma, while maybe an enemy or an opponent, is not a sinister character. There's an argument to be made that since their conception, no one has done more for the straw hat crew as a whole than Bartholomew Kuma. When he made his unsettling reappearance at Sabori, proving once again his utter dominance against Luffy and the crew, Kuma single-handedly gave them a devastating but recoverable defeat, with his real intentions being to save the straw hat pirates from what was guaranteed to be the crew's permanent downfall. The straw hats riding high from their previous wins were unable to see a massive issue that they weren't aware of. They simply weren't ready for what awaited them in the new world. And so Kuma played the part of a necessary obstacle to put a temporary halt in their journey. And through Kuma's actions and foresight, the straw hats were given an opportunity to hone their unique skills by pairing them with the right person or environment that allowed them to grow in the best way possible. Had the straw hats somehow miraculously escaped Kizaru's pursuit in Sabori, they would have likely suffered a complete and utter defeat as soon as they arrived at the next island. Had it been another warlord that was sent to deal with the straw hats, the outcome and the crew's faith would have been likely very different, which is why Kuma had to be the one to do it. While distancing himself without telling the straw hats that this was for their own good, and bearing the burden and title of villain and monster while doing so. As an ex pirate now allied with the world government, Kuma helped the straw hats from a distance. By having no clear connection to them, his true intentions were unknown. And that's one of the glaring aspects of Kuma's character that becomes clearer upon closer observation. Kuma seems to do everything from a distance. He has effectively carried out actions from afar for those people and those values that he keeps close to his heart. The dream of liberating people, seeing the rebirth of his lifelong hero, and of course, unconditionally loving his daughter from afar. And that is Kuma, an individual with so much love to give, does so under the complexity of a tragic life. He was born into slavery as a half-buckaneer under the loving umbrella of his parents, a loving little family of three. This loving umbrella, however, unfortunately proved to be too small in the face of the dark cloud that was the celestial dragon's oppression. As both of Kuma's parents were taken away from him, his father being murdered right in front of his eyes for simply expressing joy, sharing with his son the story of a legendary warrior. This image of his father dancing and sharing the story of Nika would forever leave a mark on Kuma and would eventually shape the man that he would become. Someone who wants to free people that have experienced the same suffering and pain that he has. A story that would eventually shape Kuma's life and his story. Through his beliefs of his legendary savior, Kuma lived his life in the pursuit of freeing the oppressed and while waiting for his legend to come and save him from his pain, he took it upon himself to act as a placeholder in his hero's place. While someone like Doflamingo experienced the rich and abundant life of coming from a noble family who turned to evil once everything was taken away from him and forced to live under torment and suffering, Kuma never had the chance to experience such riches. Having lived under harsh conditions from early in his childhood, never knowing what it's like on the greener side of life. Something that was hammered in when we saw Kuma and Ginny crying tears of happiness, overjoyed at simply being able to enjoy a humble meal, which is another trait that defines Kuma's character. Through all of his misfortunes and suffering, Kuma time and time again chose love even if it meant showing love in the only way he knows how. He chose not to pursue a relationship with Ginny out of fear for her safety and happily gave up his humanity in the hopes of saving his daughter Bonnie. His life was a constant state of suffering for others. But you also never got the feeling that he was unhappy because of it. Through all of his suffering, Kuma once never acted like he deserved better. You genuinely felt that the thing he wants the most is for others to never suffer the pain that he constantly has to endure. And that's because Kuma was always meant to be good. He was never a villain. A now emotionless cyborg who represents the best in humanity. Kuma was destined to leave a mark in the series in the same way of those in the story that we closely follow. The central figures of the series. The straw hat pirates. Kuma's life story begs for it. A tragic backstory that tugs on the heartstrings. Going through struggles, hardships, pain and suffering and coming out of it with the same dream he had when it began. A central source of admiration and love and one that inspires him to be a better person. And if we want to characterize Kuma in another way, we could also point out that Kuma's life is one of contrast. There's a constant dichotomy and oxymorons present in his story. Kuma was born with the strongest body but with the softest of hearts. An individual with the kindest of hearts painted to be a tyrant. He possesses the power to repel anything. An ability that can heal people. And yet he's unable to take away his own pain and suffering. A man with the ability to be anywhere he wants in an instant. Yet unable to be with the love of his life during her most fragile and painful moments. His goal is to protect. Something that he's proven capable of multiple times. And yet he was unable to save the one person he loved most. A man with the ability to travel freely to anywhere he wishes. Yet he could not take the one person he loves. His child whose dream is to travel and experience the world outside. The user of a devil fruit where barriers of distance and range becomes meaningless. But his entire world is housed within one little girl. I've often thought that if we took a look inside the bible that Kuma's always carrying what's actually inside is a picture of his daughter. This duality and paradox within Kuma is clear. Even down to the fact that the two people he loved having a disease that would kill them should they be exposed to the sun. The sun that's supposed to symbolise hope in his life. The symbol of his hero Sun God Nika. That same sun that was fatal for Ginny and in the earlier stages of Bonnie's life. Kuma lived a tragic life tested by the harshest of reality. Yet time and time again he chose to act in a way that would be the best for the world at large. The greatest showing of unselfishness from someone who was robbed of almost everything. And with almost everything forcibly taken from him he has always willingly given what little is left as someone who experienced the most darkness in life. Kuma vehemently believed that someone representing the sun will eventually surface and all his actions were geared towards helping this cause even if he might not be around to witness it. And in that aspect Kuma is very much like the straw huts. Each of them with tall dreams that others may just laugh at claiming the impossibility of ever achieving their goals. And like them despite the Nika legend being just that. A legend and a myth. Kuma never gave up. In more ways than one Kuma is a straw hat. Even without having spent much time with the crew. He tops the list of characters who have the strongest connection with or at least similarity to each of the straw hats. A close relationship with Luffy's father and brother. A fellow former warlord alongside Jinbei. Being the sole survivor of his race. Similar to how Robin is the only one to have survived in Ohara. A cyborg like Frankie and committed to healing others much like Chopper. Kuma has had many titles across his eventful life. He was a slave, a priest, a tyrant, a pirate. A revolutionary, a warlord, a cyborg. And now the role that most of us will remember him for and certainly the one he's most proud of. A father. And yet one that may not be as obvious not so clear but also one that I will now always associate with him is that Kuma was a straw hat at heart. Or definitely in my heart at least. And so now if I was to add in a little fun prediction or at least a head cannon, a wish, a hope, whatever you want to call it. Seeing as Kuma can't be the one to actually join the crew with his humanity and consciousness pretty much gone. There is still something left of him. A way for him to still join the straw hat pirates. And I'm sure none of you will be surprised to hear me say that that's through Drury Bonnie. Look, I'm not going to go into detail about Bonnie's life because that's another video in its own right. But I have to say a significant reason why I wanted to make this video apart from showing appreciation for someone who has become one of my favorite characters of all time is also to lobby for another person. The person who carries Kuma's will to become a straw hat. Because in effect, Kuma's story is now also Bonnie's story. She is where Kuma's life led him. And now that she has also experienced his emotions and memories and with Kuma's memory bubble now gone. The one person left who truly and completely knows every single detail of Bartholomew Kuma's life. His birth all the way to his final sacrifice. From the moment he first opened his eyes to the last time he closed them. If by the immortal words of Dr. Hero look a person lives so far as memories of them sustains them. Kuma is alive through Bonnie. So while we can't have Kuma officially become a part of the straw hats a more than welcome consolation would be to have his daughter Drury Bonnie join us in our adventure. And with that, a big part of Kuma or arguably the biggest part of Bartholomew Kuma will always be with us. But now that's enough of my rambling for one day. Thanks for listening.