Who are the Buccaneers? How One Piece turned Kuma into a tragic character via his race

One Piece is set in an oppressive world where the World Government runs an authoritarian regime, discriminating against anyone it deems unfit. Several races have fallen prey to this, but one of the most heartbreaking and significant is the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers are a mysterious race of hybrids who are believed to carry the blood of giants. They are much taller than average humans, displaying great feats of durability and strength. At the same time, the Buccaneers are not as formidable as pure-blooded giants.

In the rich world of One Piece, it is hard to properly distinguish a Buccaneer unless a blood test is taken. Their physical superiority has naturally led to assumptions that they are from the bloodline of giants, but there are also many doubts surrounding this theory. Scopper Gaban stated that the Buccaneers are a product of multiple races.

Additionally, Gaban’s son, Colon, is a child of the giant Ripley. Despite his mixed heritage, Colon is not mentioned as a Buccaneer. In contrast, Kuma, born to a Buccaneer father and human mother, is never identified as any race other than a Buccaneer. This poses many questions that One Piece is yet to answer.

In the entire story so far, only two Buccaneers have been introduced. These are Bartholomew Kuma and his father, Clapp. The artificial clones created from Kuma, such as the Pacifista and S-Bear, are also considered to be part of the race. As One Piece anime fans have recently found, the history and legacy of this race are mainly only mentioned through Kuma’s backstory.

The tragic tale of the Buccaneers in One Piece

The Buccaneers are a tragic race who have faced continuous injustice and excruciating pain at the hands of the World Government. The reason for this is never revealed, but it is mentioned that they committed a great crime against the world in the past. As a result, they live in constant hiding, and if found, will be made slaves or put to death.

A part of the fandom believes that this may be due to the Buccaneers’ connection to the Sun God Nika. The race believes him to be a divine figure who brings them liberation and happiness. Since Imu and the World Government have a known past against the holders of Nika’s powers, wiping out the Buccaneers may be part of their mission to silence those who resist their ideals.

In One Piece, right after Clapp was found to be a Buccaneer, he was imprisoned by the Celestial Dragons along with his young son and human wife. His wife died soon, while Clapp was also mercilessly shot down right in front of Kuma when teaching him about Nika.

Kuma’s life only grew harsher from that point, as he was abused daily and forced to take part in the Native Hunting Competition in God Valley. Although he eventually escaped, his race continued haunting him, with Saturn forcing Vegapunk into turning him into a mindless soldier who would serve the World Government.

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Through the Buccaneers, One Piece doesn’t just expand the lore, but emphasizes the systematic injustice. It echoes the plight of the oppressed Fishmen, as well as other near-extinct groups like the Three-Eye Tribe and the Lunarians.

Hence, while the enigmatic nature of the races is certainly fascinating, Oda attempts to draw focus on the hateful actions of the World Government and the faulty concept of collective punishment. This makes the antagonist even more despicable while displaying inspiring individual stories like Kuma, who fights back against the aggressors through sheer relentlessness and willpower.

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