Question Did Kuma activate at Kamabakka the same time Ancient Robot did at Egghead?

[zetsu banned]

Am I misremembering that?

 

[Bradhimself]

1067 - Kuma wakes up.

1092 - Iron Giant wakes up.

Kuma is in the Holy Land climbing the red line when Luffy goes G5 and Grabs Kizaru, Iron Giant wakes up at that moment.

 

[zetsu banned]

1067 - Kuma wakes up.

1092 - Iron Giant wakes up.

Kuma is in the Holy Land climbing the red line when Luffy goes G5 and Grabs Kizaru, Iron Giant wakes up at that moment.

Thank you!

 

[Bradhimself]

Thank you!

For a moment there I thought you spotted something big I had to check haha.

 

[zetsu banned]

For a moment there I thought you spotted something big I had to check haha.

I really wonder how much time passed in those 25 chapters and when exactly the Kamabakka scene was meant to take place vs the Ancient Robot waking up scene. Egghead's timeline has been wildly convoluted

 

[RaisinRisin]

I really wonder how much time passed in those 25 chapters and when exactly the Kamabakka scene was meant to take place vs the Ancient Robot waking up scene. Egghead's timeline has been wildly convoluted

I can't remember if it's 100% confirmed, but I remember it being at least implied it was because Saturn tried to activate the remote self-destruct feature on Kuma that he started acting based on what Vegapunk surmised to be his love for his daughter. Should be the chapter after the epic punch.

--- Double Post Merged, May 16, 2024, Original Post Date: May 16, 2024 ---

OK yeah, it's chapter 1104 and Vegapunk at different points mentions three possible factors:
1. Buccaneer lineage
2. Whatever VP did instead of installing literal self-destruct (implied when he took partial responsibility)
3. Love

 

[DeadlyBeast]

I think they are technically independent but do have a narrative connection to each other. On the technical side the timing seems different (pointed out by other posters above). Also seems the Ancient Robot is responding to the Drums of Liberation from Luffy going G5 whereas Kuma is motivated by something else (most likely love for Bonney). Since he's arrived on the island he hasn't been phased by G5 so does seem like they are doing two different things.

From a writing point of view though they definitely are paralleled with each other and it doesn't seem to be a coincidence we are seeing them both like this. There may be a bigger narrative theme of desires, especially those motivated by love, and their power to make the impossible possible:

• Ancient Robot that had failed to do something important in the past trying to correct that now despite it not having any source of energy (at least none that we've been looped in on). This should not be possible yet the robot moves.
• Kuma's mind should be completely gone yet the body still moves as if it has a mind, and one that cares for Bonney. VP has ideas on how this is happening but still nothing concrete.

To me the fact both these impossible things are happening in the same arc where we are told that desires are what birthed DFs makes me think that there is some metaphysical concept/property to the OP world that we will be exploring further as we approach the endgame. It's like the true underlying "magic" of the world.

Kind of reminds me of Klabautermann and how Merry which should have been "dead" still managed to do something at the very end in Ennies Lobby. There's just something deeply important about desires/dreams in OP that is whimsical/magical, enough so that it even extends to objects - ships, swords, and now battery-less robots and no mind cyborgs.

 

[RaisinRisin]

I think they are technically independent but do have a narrative connection to each other. On the technical side the timing seems different (pointed out by other posters above). Also seems the Ancient Robot is responding to the Drums of Liberation from Luffy going G5 whereas Kuma is motivated by something else (most likely love for Bonney). Since he's arrived on the island he hasn't been phased by G5 so does seem like they are doing two different things.

From a writing point of view though they definitely are paralleled with each other and it doesn't seem to be a coincidence we are seeing them both like this. There may be a bigger narrative theme of desires, especially those motivated by love, and their power to make the impossible possible:

• Ancient Robot that had failed to do something important in the past trying to correct that now despite it not having any source of energy (at least none that we've been looped in on). This should not be possible yet the robot moves.
• Kuma's mind should be completely gone yet the body still moves as if it has a mind, and one that cares for Bonney. VP has ideas on how this is happening but still nothing concrete.

To me the fact both these impossible things are happening in the same arc where we are told that desires are what birthed DFs makes me think that there is some metaphysical concept/property to the OP world that we will be exploring further as we approach the endgame. It's like the true underlying "magic" of the world.

Kind of reminds me of Klabautermann and how Merry which should have been "dead" still managed to do something at the very end in Ennies Lobby. There's just something deeply important about desires/dreams in OP that is whimsical/magical, enough so that it even extends to objects - ships, swords, and now battery-less robots and no mind cyborgs.

Something I noticed a while back is that besides the fact Kuma obviously beelined to Bonney to protect her, there's been a subtle portrayal in both chapters 1106 & 1107 of him noticing and looking straight up at G5 Luffy. Near the end of 1106, he's kneeling on the ground in the prior panel he's shown in, and Bonney is on the ground as well. While Luffy goes "full power," there's a surprise/noticing something squiggle by his head and his head is turned upwards from his body. Then in the middle of 1107 he's even more blatantly staring straight up at G5 Luffy.

So there's love for Bonney involved that got him there in the first place, but once he got there, it looks like there was also the awe/reverence/hope or whatever he feels toward Nika being portrayed as another layer on top. Oda may do nothing further with this, but I find it interesting those are the only two reactions Kuma's displayed since he was vegetable-ized. His love for his daughter and his dedication to his life purpose are both represented there, imo.

 

[zetsu banned]

Something I noticed a while back is that besides the fact Kuma obviously beelined to Bonney to protect her, there's been a subtle portrayal in both chapters 1106 & 1107 of him noticing and looking straight up at G5 Luffy. Near the end of 1106, he's kneeling on the ground in the prior panel he's shown in, and Bonney is on the ground as well. While Luffy goes "full power," there's a surprise/noticing something squiggle by his head and his head is turned upwards from his body. Then in the middle of 1107 he's even more blatantly staring straight up at G5 Luffy.

So there's love for Bonney involved that got him there in the first place, but once he got there, it looks like there was also the awe/reverence/hope or whatever he feels toward Nika being portrayed as another layer on top. Oda may do nothing further with this, but I find it interesting those are the only two reactions Kuma's displayed since he was vegetable-ized. His love for his daughter and his dedication to his life purpose are both represented there, imo.

Love for Bonney was the overall motivator, but what enabled him to do it seems to be somewhere between his bucaneer lineage, the false-kill switch from Vegapunk, and finally the presence of Nika in the world. I also find it interesting the Ancient Robot didn't seem to activate the first time Luffy used G5 on the island. Maybe. Idk.

 

[RaisinRisin]

Love for Bonney was the overall motivator, but what enabled him to do it seems to be somewhere between his bucaneer lineage, the false-kill switch from Vegapunk, and finally the presence of Nika in the world. I also find it interesting the Ancient Robot didn't seem to activate the first time Luffy used G5 on the island. Maybe. Idk.

Interestingly, the anime is following the manga reasonably closely, and Kuma has already been at Mary Geoise for two eps while Bonney isn't in immediate danger yet. For now, until proven otherwise, I'm hypothesizing that he knew where to go because he's somehow dialed into the various lookalike/PX Pacifistas' perceptions. (Could be advanced VP tech or could be a Buccaneer thing.)

DawnDusk (Native Japanese translator who makes English language YT vids) has explained the progression of the iron giant's stages of powering up. (That link is right at the relevant time stamp.) Aside from the first time, when nothing happened, each time Luffy went into G5 the IG was powered up a little bit more.

 

[zetsu banned]

Interestingly, the anime is following the manga reasonably closely, and Kuma has already been at Mary Geoise for two eps while Bonney isn't in immediate danger yet. For now, until proven otherwise, I'm hypothesizing that he knew where to go because he's somehow dialed into the various lookalike/PX Pacifistas' perceptions. (Could be advanced VP tech or could be a Buccaneer thing.)

DawnDusk (Native Japanese translator who makes English language YT vids) has explained the progression of the iron giant's stages of powering up. (That link is right at the relevant time stamp.) Aside from the first time, when nothing happened, each time Luffy went into G5 the IG was powered up a little bit more.

Oooh thanks for the suggestion, channel seems gewd

Unrelated, but this video of theirs about Blackbeard being the descendant of Davy Jones is so much better than 99% of predictions about BB.

 

[Fox666]

I think they are technically independent but do have a narrative connection to each other. On the technical side the timing seems different (pointed out by other posters above). Also seems the Ancient Robot is responding to the Drums of Liberation from Luffy going G5 whereas Kuma is motivated by something else (most likely love for Bonney). Since he's arrived on the island he hasn't been phased by G5 so does seem like they are doing two different things.

From a writing point of view though they definitely are paralleled with each other and it doesn't seem to be a coincidence we are seeing them both like this. There may be a bigger narrative theme of desires, especially those motivated by love, and their power to make the impossible possible:

• Ancient Robot that had failed to do something important in the past trying to correct that now despite it not having any source of energy (at least none that we've been looped in on). This should not be possible yet the robot moves.
• Kuma's mind should be completely gone yet the body still moves as if it has a mind, and one that cares for Bonney. VP has ideas on how this is happening but still nothing concrete.

To me the fact both these impossible things are happening in the same arc where we are told that desires are what birthed DFs makes me think that there is some metaphysical concept/property to the OP world that we will be exploring further as we approach the endgame. It's like the true underlying "magic" of the world.

Kind of reminds me of Klabautermann and how Merry which should have been "dead" still managed to do something at the very end in Ennies Lobby. There's just something deeply important about desires/dreams in OP that is whimsical/magical, enough so that it even extends to objects - ships, swords, and now battery-less robots and no mind cyborgs.

Comparing Kuma to Klabautermann is interesting, but how does this relates to his Buccaneer lineage?

 

[RaisinRisin]

Oooh thanks for the suggestion, channel seems gewd

Unrelated, but this video of theirs about Blackbeard being the descendant of Davy Jones is so much better than 99% of predictions about BB.

I mostly like that channel for translation notes from a native speaker, but the theories are fun too. I'll have to check that one out if I haven't already. If you like Dawn&Dusk, there's also another channel linked from their page, where the channel owner speaks instead of using the Stussy persona.

 

[DeadlyBeast]

Comparing Kuma to Klabautermann is interesting, but how does this relates to his Buccaneer lineage?

I don't think they directly relate to each other in universe but the themes they represent are what are related. Kuma at the moment is supposed to have no mind of his own so he's essentially an object with no will. However despite that he is somehow acting of his own accord as if he has a will. VP said this is possibly due to being a Buccaneer but no definitive answer yet.

In the same vein Going Mary is an object that should have no will of its own. And to top it off had reached a physical limit as a ship and could not be used anymore. However, Mary ended up acting on its own via Klabautermann and coming to the SHs rescue.

To me these two things relate in that two things that were outright stated to be impossible in universe ended up happening, where objects that should have no will, and were not in any good physical condition ended up acting to help those they loved.

--- Double Post Merged, May 18, 2024, Original Post Date: May 18, 2024 ---

Something I noticed a while back is that besides the fact Kuma obviously beelined to Bonney to protect her, there's been a subtle portrayal in both chapters 1106 & 1107 of him noticing and looking straight up at G5 Luffy. Near the end of 1106, he's kneeling on the ground in the prior panel he's shown in, and Bonney is on the ground as well. While Luffy goes "full power," there's a surprise/noticing something squiggle by his head and his head is turned upwards from his body. Then in the middle of 1107 he's even more blatantly staring straight up at G5 Luffy.

So there's love for Bonney involved that got him there in the first place, but once he got there, it looks like there was also the awe/reverence/hope or whatever he feels toward Nika being portrayed as another layer on top. Oda may do nothing further with this, but I find it interesting those are the only two reactions Kuma's displayed since he was vegetable-ized. His love for his daughter and his dedication to his life purpose are both represented there, imo.

Hm I hadn't noticed those but could be that Nika powers are going to free Kuma from the shackles on whatever is left of his mind. Maybe there is something of him still in his body and VP was wrong that his mind was completely erased. And at the moment that portion of Kuma that still in there is suppressed by the cybernetic modifications and now NIka's power "Drums of Liberation" are going to free him. Could be poetic and provide us some info on Buccaneer body's specialness and expand on Nika's powers.

 

[RaisinRisin]

I don't think they directly relate to each other in universe but the themes they represent are what are related. Kuma at the moment is supposed to have no mind of his own so he's essentially an object with no will. However despite that he is somehow acting of his own accord as if he has a will. VP said this is possibly due to being a Buccaneer but no definitive answer yet.

In the same vein Going Mary is an object that should have no will of its own. And to top it off had reached a physical limit as a ship and could not be used anymore. However, Mary ended up acting on its own via Klabautermann and coming to the SHs rescue.

To me these two things relate in that two things that were outright stated to be impossible in universe ended up happening, where objects that should have no will, and were not in any good physical condition ended up acting to help those they loved.

I've been meaning to reread Skypeia arc for a while (because of all the symbolism said to be thickly laid there-- besides the wolf dance thing everybody knows about). I only just reviewed from the start of the saga up to Montblanc Noland's intro (with Cricket) but your words about things people believe to be "impossible" reminded me of this (ch 218):

Spoiler

How often do we get quotes from "physicists" we've never met or heard of within the narration like this? I can't remember a single other time. Was this person associated with that ship (the St. Briss, which has a sun on the sail)? Was this a preeminent scientist of the Great Kingdom? Could be someone who knew a lot more about devil fruit and global phenomena than Vegapunk!

*edit* Could be coincidence, but this seems to have been imported and/or reworked from Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days:
"Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real."

Hm I hadn't noticed those but could be that Nika powers are going to free Kuma from the shackles on whatever is left of his mind. Maybe there is something of him still in his body and VP was wrong that his mind was completely erased. And at the moment that portion of Kuma that still in there is suppressed by the cybernetic modifications and now NIka's power "Drums of Liberation" are going to free him. Could be poetic and provide us some info on Buccaneer body's specialness and expand on Nika's powers.

I did think that was a good possibility at first but many chapters/"ignitions" of G5 later, I'm not sure it's just that he's slowly powering up like the Iron Giant except Luffy needs to get even stronger to fully affect him... or if anything will even happen at all (at least as a result of the Nika rhythm). I haven't counted him out but my hopes aren't up either.

 

[DeadlyBeast]

I've been meaning to reread Skypeia arc for a while (because of all the symbolism said to be thickly laid there-- besides the wolf dance thing everybody knows about). I only just reviewed from the start of the saga up to Montblanc Noland's intro (with Cricket) but your words about things people believe to be "impossible" reminded me of this (ch 218):

Spoiler

How often do we get quotes from "physicists" we've never met or heard of within the narration like this? I can't remember a single other time. Was this person associated with that ship (the St. Briss, which has a sun on the sail)? Was this a preeminent scientist of the Great Kingdom? Could be someone who knew a lot more about devil fruit and global phenomena than Vegapunk!

*edit* Could be coincidence, but this seems to have been imported and/or reworked from Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days:
"Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real."

Skypeia arc definitely feels like a miniature version of how the OP world at large actually came to be and really serves as a great way to predict overall narrative. Its personally one of my favorite arcs since it felt the most adventurous arc to date in the story. Up until that point I don't think we'd had anything as ridiculous as islands in the sky, ships falling from nowhere, knock up stream and its scale, learning a part of Jaya got flung up there, having Robin discover the ruins of Shandora etc.

It definitely does seem like something that's quoted from real life novel. I'd completely forgotten we'd gotten a named scientist and even more precisely the person was said to be a physicist. I don't think we've ever had scientists with specific titles in OP. Not sure that will be relevant to the story but would be cool if Oda finds a way to bring that person up again in this arc, maybe in relation to the Ancient Robot or something.

I did think that was a good possibility at first but many chapters/"ignitions" of G5 later, I'm not sure it's just that he's slowly powering up like the Iron Giant except Luffy needs to get even stronger to fully affect him... or if anything will even happen at all (at least as a result of the Nika rhythm). I haven't counted him out but my hopes aren't up either.

Yeah that's up in the air. Unlike the Ancient Robot, Kuma doesn't appear to have a battery problem (not sure what powers the Pacifista tbh since they always seem to be perpetually on and we don't see them using Cola like Franky). The Drums of Liberation do have some direct importance though that we've yet to really understand.