Is he really Kuma?
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"Why is this chapter titled 'Kuma'? Could it have something to do with you?"
In the kingdom of Sorbet, where the Revolutionary Army usually gathers, Dragon glanced at Kuma, who was sitting not far from him and asked, referring to the title of Chapter No. 505 of the manga.
"Maybe..." Kuma replied with a lifeless expression as if he had already foreseen something.
Well, Kuma was one of the best analysts of the One Piece manga, but he didn't share his hypotheses on forums as Sengoku did; otherwise, he would have been more famous than him.
...
..
"Strange... why do I have a feeling that this is not Kuma..." After finishing reading the chapter, a peculiar sensation overcame Dragon and the others.
They all had the same feeling... there was something peculiar about it.
Even though this person resembled Kuma quite a bit, they couldn't pinpoint why they felt he wasn't the real Kuma.
"This guy is not me," Kuma spoke at that moment... his words deepened the doubts of Dragon, Crocodile, Bonnie, and Ivan.
...
•———•———•———•———•———•
"One Piece" Events:
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"He's attempting to take Saint Rosward's slave!!" "How did he manage to undo the chains!!?"
The Marines who witnessed Law liberating the huge slave, bound near the auction as if a guard animal, were utterly astonished.
"Will you join me, Pirate Captain Jean Bart?" Law asked after using his ability to free Jean Bart from his explosive collar and handcuffs.
"It's been a while since I've been called that." "If you release me from the Tenryuubito, I will gladly pledge my loyalty to you!!!"
Having spoken those words, Jean Bart immediately launched an assault on the Marines, already considering himself a member of the Heart Pirates from that very moment.
"Fufu..."
"Well, I'll take half the credit." "The Strawhat crew deserves some recognition too...!!"
...
By this time, the Kidd Pirates had already departed from the auction scene.
"They're still pursuing us... Even after we destroyed the bridge..."
"Of course, even if we return to town, the Marines will be waiting for us there."
"Let's leave the island now!!"
Suddenly, Kidd felt something amiss, a sense of danger... He was attacked by a scorching yellow laser beam, narrowly escaping fatal injury at the last moment.
"UWAH!!"
"Kidd!!" "Captain Kidd!!"
"Over there!!...!!?"
"That's... It can't be...!!"
The members of the Kidd Pirates were shocked to see the identity of the person who had just assaulted their captain.
"Why...!!?"
"Why is there a Shichibukai here...!!?"
Kidd's expression darkened as he recognized Bartholomew Kuma.
•———•———•———•———•———•
In the South Blue, in the Samba Kingdom...
Upon returning to this place, two individuals became engrossed in every subtle detail the manga revealed about a new character who had made an appearance.
And this new character is none other than Eustass Kid.
The reason for their interest was not arbitrary; it was because Kidd shared a striking resemblance to the due, from the husband's last name to the wife's facial features and hair color, leading them to speculate that he could be their future son.
Though the couple had not yet confirmed whether Eustass Kidd was indeed their offspring, it didn't deter them from closely following the events related to him, especially after the recent scene in the manga.
"What on earth is this... is that Bartholomew Kuma!?" exclaimed Eustass Rodd upon seeing Kuma's sudden appearance.
"This wasn't unexpected, dear. We saw Kuma's name in the chapter title... I just hope Kidd makes it out of this unscathed," Assia anxiously bit her lips.
"Could it be that the Navy has dispatched other Shichibukai, along with Kuma and Admiral Kizaru, to deal with the rising Pirates? If that's the case, how can they survive?"
"Surviving the clutches of Bartholomew Kuma alone would be highly improbable, not to mention contending with an admiral and other formidable figures."
...
The island of Jaya in the Grand Line:
"Is that...?"
"Perhaps it's just his resemblance...?"
"But he's so imposing... like a fierce animal."
"Focus on his face... there are some differences, though. He appears at least two decades younger than his portrayal in the manga, but he's still unmistakable..."
"He's looking at us! How intimidating!"
"Shh... let's not speak too loudly..."
"But I've never heard of Jean Bart before..."
Inside the art store, a large crowd had gathered from different parts of the Grand Line, all with the same purpose: reading the One Piece manga.
Jean Bart was there not for any other reason; he, too, was an avid manga reader. Most of the time, he visited Jaya because it was the closest place with an art store to his island.
However, what Jean Bart did not expect was to see himself in the manga today!
"… Pirate Captain Jean Bart… Tenryuubito Saint Rosward's slave… Trafalgar Law…"
"Is this my future? How intriguing."
The man's eyes darkened as his earlier speculation was confirmed. It wasn't that he failed to recognize the owner of the massive body bound next to the auction house; he had noticed the resemblance all along, becoming even more evident in the preceding chapters.
Yet, the certainty struck him only when his name was mentioned.
"Damn, all those Celestial Dragons!"
Jean Bart growled with deep-seated hatred.
...
On the Sea of the New World:
At this moment, the pirate ship of the Big Mom Pirates was sailing toward Whole Cake Island.
"My body still trembles every time I recall that god-like pressure..."
"How can one person be so overwhelmingly powerful?"
"Mama's Conqueror Haki seemed like child's play compared to what we faced at Elbaf..."
"I thought I'd collapse if Rob-sama desired it - Perorin..."
"You would have perished if that was his wish... From the moment I laid eyes on him, I couldn't see any future ahead."
In this moment of reflection, Katakuri, who had remained silent, spoke up.
"What's that -" Before Perospero could finish his question to Katakuri, his Den Den Mushi began to ring.
He answered immediately, aware that his mother was calling.
"Mama... I'm sorry but..."
Perospero was sweating, struggling to find the right words to explain what had happened to his mother.
He knew that informing her they could no longer return to Elbaf would undoubtedly provoke her anger.
Facing his mother's wrath after already enduring his father's anger - or rather, Rob's anger - would be a tragic and unjust fate for him.
"Mama Mama! Just return home, my dear children, I have something to share with you~"
But his mother's joyous tone left him perplexed.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 549: Heart Pirates and Kidd Pirates VS Bartholomew Kuma!
Chapter 550: Vice-Captain of the Pirate King!
Chapter 551: I'm not gonna die, partner…
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BlackStar_BH:
"Let me tell you some great news: I've finished this arc in My Pat today!"