Chapter #1102 of One Piece concludes Kuma’s tragic backstory. showing Dr. Vegapunk finally completing the process of erasing Kuma’s individuality as ordered by Saint Saturn. Just as Vegapunk pulls the lever that will erase Kuma’s consciousness and memories, Kuma asks Vegapunk to wish Bonney a happy tenth birthday in his stead if Vegapunk ever sees her again, giving his “death” a bittersweet feel much like Ace’s.

That said, what makes Kuma’s end all the more tragic is that even in his last moments he is thinking about his daughter, and he’s happy he gave his life for her, but never got the chance to say that to Bonney.

Kuma’s ‘Death’ is Reminiscent of Ace’s Death at Marineford

Despite their wildly different characters and backgrounds, both Ace and Kuma are characters beloved to many in One Piece, a fact that they themselves remain unaware of until the very end. Ace never felt wanted and always questioned his existence, while Kuma also does something very similar in chapter #1102, where he asks Vegapunk if he has been a nuisance.In the end, they both were really well loved by the people around them but just didn’t get to actually savour that love due to their tragic circumstances.

Still, Ace’s death at Marineford, while tragic, gave him the chance to say farewell to the people he loved the most: his grandpa Garp, his father figure Whitebeard, all his companions in Whitebeard’s fleet, and most importantly his sworn brother Luffy. Kuma, on the other hand, never had the chance to say anything to Bonney, due to Saint Saturn’s cruel orders. Indeed, the fact that Kuma chose to be turned into a mindless weapon in exchange for curing his daughter, fully accepting that he could never explain these circumstances to her, makes his story even more tragic than that of Ace.

Kuma Could Never Say His Farewell

One Piece is known for being a lighthearted adventure, full of excitement and laughs, but Eiichiro Oda has proven time and time again that he is a master of drama too. Ace’s death will remain scorched in fans’ minds forever due to the tragic fate of this beloved character and the struggle of all who tried to save him until the end. Kuma’s story is similar because, as a former slave and the last survivor of a persecuted race, he also had to “justify” his existence somehow. The only difference is that, while Ace got the chance to say his farewells, Kuma could never tell the truth to Bonney, making his story possibly the most tragic ever shown in One Piece.