‘One Piece’s Jewelry Bonney Got the Victory She Deserved
Since the start of the Egghead arc, I’ve had very strong opinions about what I want for One Piece’s Jewelry Bonney.
After all, Bonney is the only female pirate among Luffy’s peers in the so-called Worst Generation. And alongside Boa Hancock, she’s one of only two female pirate captain protagonists in the series. I wanted Bonney to come out of Egghead as badass as ever.
Egghead’s been unpredictable in every possible way—and the apparent path ahead for ensuring my aspirations for Bonney came true were no exception. But with chapter 1121, it’s clear that I’ve gotten my wish.
Bonney was able to fight for herself. And because One Piece knows how to make me cry, Luffy’s the one cheering her on.
The saga of Jewelry Bonney
Major spoilers ahead for chapter 1121 and One Piece‘s Egghead arc, past the current point in the anime.
Egghead’s been one hell of a roller coaster. I’ve personally been quite busy reeling from major lore reveals, literally kicking in delight because a nostalgic character just re-entered the narrative, or bawling for any number of reasons. But on the off chance I wasn’t busy with any of those thoughts, I’ve been jumping between excitement and nervousness for what Oda had planned for Jewelry Bonney.
As the only major female pirate captain among Luffy’s peers in the Worst Generation, Bonney unfortunately carries a lot of weight for readers who want to see a pirate captain other than Big Mom or Boa Hancock kick some ass. Bonney’s spunky, smart, and a capable fighter. I didn’t want her to become the arc’s quintessential princess or a little girl who Luffy has to save.
Which is why—foreshadowing be damned—I was rather terrified when Bonney was confirmed to quite literally be a little girl. A twelve-year-old, in fact, who used her Devil Fruit to artificially age herself up (she and Momo should hang out). Early in the confrontation with the Five Elders, Vegapunk (RIP) entreated Saturn to show mercy on Bonney, because she was just a child. I worried Bonney was getting set up as someone to be saved.
All the while, Bonney was struggling with putting the proper omph under her Devil Fruit power, crushed by Saturn’s cartoonishly evil monologuing in the wake of recently witnessing her father’s memories. Saturn inflicted Bonney’s mother Ginny with her fatal sickness. Saturn felt Kuma should live forever as a slave to the Celestial Dragons. I should’ve had faith Eiichiro Oda was setting up this existential crisis in order for the pendulum to swing back around.
That swing seemed to come to its arc just a couple chapters ago, when Bonney was able to manipulate her Age-Age Devil Fruit power into a “distorted future” where she had the same powers as Nika. Oda seemed to make Bonney more powerful than any of us had ever dreamed, but the dream was incredibly short lived: Bonney lasted just half a chapter, contributing to a communal punch and before quipping, “Freedom is tiring” and wilting.
But she unexpectedly rallies in 1122—and faces Saturn square on. “You’ll pay for what you did to my daddy!!! And what you did to my mommy!!!” she screams. “I wish we’ve could’ve lived together as a family!! There were times I wanted to die if I had to be alone!! But I won’t! I’m going to live!!! Because they wanted me to be alive!!!”
These lines make me cry. Bonney had so much at stake, personally. The fact that she’s the one who gets to deliver the final punch to Saturn, to blow him into gross little disintegrating bits and sink him into the sea—it’s exactly what I wanted. It’s the catharsis and empowerment her character deserves.
Shoutout to Luffy
This moment is also deeply notable because Saturn becomes the first Big Bad Fight in all of One Piece that Luffy doesn’t finish off by himself. In fact, Luffy himself eggs Bonney on. He’s been egging her on since the beginning of this crescendo in the action: Luffy actively encouraged Bonney to transform into Nika. He wants to share his power.
When, at the beginning of chapter 1121, Luffy tells Bonney, “You do it!!!,” I got chills. He’s behind her all the way, even down to the punch itself, which Luffy heftily supplements with a giant gattling. But he even gases her up afterwards, laughing and celebrating with, “Good job, Bonney!!!”
It brings up a very particular emotion in me: gratitude. I’m so grateful Luffy is our main character. It’s truly remarkable to have a shonen hero who can withstand the allure of full ownership of the Big Bad’s defeat. Luffy is one-of-a-kind. Saturn’s defeat is just as incredible a development for him as it is for Bonney.
One Piece is so great.
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
