The One Piece fandom is once again spiraling into debate — and this time, it’s centered on one of the series’ most heartbreaking father-daughter connections. As the God Valley flashback continues to dominate discussion online, fans have begun revisiting older mysteries with fresh eyes. One question is suddenly popping up everywhere: if Bartholomew Kuma’s Paw-Paw Fruit can teleport people across the world… why didn’t he use it to save Jewelry Bonney sooner?
It’s the kind of “wait a minute…” thought that only hits when the story gets so lore-heavy that every past decision starts looking suspicious. And with God Valley delivering reveal after reveal, fans are now re-examining Kuma’s tragedy like it’s a case file — looking for the moment he could have changed everything.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story.
The arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For many, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world — something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters. And as the series keeps pulling back the curtain, every character connected to the World Government is being put under a microscope — especially Kuma.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers say they don’t want to go back to the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media platforms are full of fans expressing that this arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years — with its dark tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy revelations.
While Luffy and his crew are the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something entirely different: a look at the legends and events that shaped everything we know. One fan summed it up best on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” The sentiment highlights a unique moment in the fandom, where the past has become more captivating than the present adventure.
And in that atmosphere, fans aren’t just watching events unfold — they’re recalculating everything.
The Kuma Question That Won’t Go Away
Kuma has always been one of One Piece’s most emotionally complicated characters. For years, he existed as a mystery: a quiet tyrant, a warlord, a living weapon for the World Government, and a man who sacrificed his identity for something bigger. But as the series has revealed more about his connection to Bonney, fans have started viewing him less as a machine… and more as a parent trapped in a nightmare.
That’s why this new debate is spreading so quickly.
Fans are essentially asking:
- If Kuma could push people away across massive distances… why not push Bonney to safety?
- If the Paw-Paw Fruit can remove pain and damage, could it have helped her survive longer or escape sooner?
- If Kuma loved her enough to sacrifice everything, why not make one “final move” to save her?
To a lot of readers, it feels like Kuma had an ability designed for emergency rescues — yet his story is defined by suffering, captivity, and helplessness.
So what gives?
Theories Fans Are Throwing Around
Because One Piece rarely has simple answers, the fandom has been rapidly building explanations — and some of them are terrifying.
1) Kuma Might Not Have Been Able To Act Freely
One of the biggest theories is that Kuma simply didn’t have the freedom to make that choice. If he was under strict surveillance by the World Government, or if his movements were controlled, any attempt to “save Bonney” could have triggered immediate punishment — not just for him, but for her too.
For fans, this theory makes the most emotional sense: Kuma didn’t fail because he didn’t care — he failed because the system was designed to break him.
2) Saving Bonney Could Have Made Her A Bigger Target
Another idea is that Kuma knew Bonney could never truly hide. If the World Government wanted her, teleporting her away might only delay the inevitable — or worse, cause her to be hunted harder. Some fans think Kuma may have believed that staying predictable and playing the long game gave her the highest chance of survival, even if it looked like abandonment from the outside.
3) Kuma’s Powers Have Limits We Still Don’t Fully Understand
Fans also keep pointing out something important: Kuma’s Devil Fruit is insanely powerful, but Oda has never treated it as a “solve everything” button. There may be limitations involving distance, accuracy, stamina, or conditions that prevent him from doing certain things at certain times.
In other words: maybe Kuma could have saved Bonney in theory… but not in reality.
And One Piece is full of moments where “the power exists” but the world’s cruelty makes it unusable.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
The enthusiasm surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he continues to surprise fans by revealing layers of history that connect generations of pirates, marines, and rulers.
The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded readers of One Piece’s golden era — a blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few series can match. Even as some fans fear that returning to the Straw Hats will slow the story’s momentum, others believe this balance between past and present is what makes One Piece timeless.
And the Kuma debate proves it. Because when a fandom starts obsessing over why a character didn’t make one specific decision, it’s usually a sign that the writing has made those characters feel real — with choices that hurt, sacrifices that sting, and mysteries that keep haunting the story long after the chapter ends.
Whether Kuma truly had the power to save Bonney, or whether he was trapped in a cage even his Devil Fruit couldn’t open, one thing is clear:
God Valley isn’t just revealing the past — it’s rewriting how fans understand every tragedy in the present.
