One Piece Drops Adorable New Look at One of Its Best Characters

At long last, One Piece is finally diving into one of the saddest flashbacks in the series to date. After endless teases the Egghead Arc is finally unveiling Kuma’s tragic past and origin story, and it’s time to strap in because it’s going to be an emotional roller coaster. The flashback has already started out strong in Episode 1129 of One Piece, giving fans a glimpse into Kuma’s birth, the death of his parents, and his childhood as a slave in the Holy Land. That said, what caught fans completely by surprise is the fact that the flashback also takes fans to God Valley, where One Piece gives fans an adorable look at a most unexpected character.

Episode 1129 unexpectedly takes fans 38 years in the past to the ever-mysterious God Valley Incident. The episode reveals that the Celestial Dragons had organized a human-hunting contest on the island due to it being rich in natural resources and unaffiliated with the World Government, despite being blasphemously named “god’s valley.” Part of this hunting contest, as the “rabbits” to be hunted by the World Nobles were not only the citizens of God Valley but also Kuma, and surprisingly enough, Emporio Ivankov. The future queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, Ivankov, is revealed to have been a slave just like Kuma, with fans getting their first ever glimpse of Ivankov as a child.

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One Piece Reveals Young Ivankov and Teases a Deeper Connection to Kuma

In Episode 1128 of One Piece, fans finally get to see the memory of Kuma crying that was first teased back in Episode 1106, with the latest episode giving fans the full picture of what Bonney saw back then. Kuma is seen escaping from his cage when the other slaves come after him to drag him back. This is when Ivankov and a newly introduced character named Ginny interrupt and reveal they have a plan to save them all.

The ever-flamboyant Ivankov that fans know and love is seen sporting his signature purple afro even as a child, donning a sleeveless floral shirt and star-printed underwear that Franky would most definitely approve of. Furthermore, the girl named Ginny refers to Ivankov as her brother, though fans will likely have to wait to learn about the actual relationship between them and whether they are truly related, as they do not look too alike.

All that said, the most interesting aspect of Ivankov’s appearance on God Valley and in Kuma’s flashback is that it hints at Ivankov and Kuma sharing a far deeper connection than fans ever anticipated. Until now, the only way the two were assumed to be acquainted was through the Revolutionary Army, though Kuma’s flashback now implies they go much further back, shedding new light on Ivankov’s plea for Kuma to recognize him at Marineford. Either way, as hinted in One Piece’s new opening theme, this trio of Kuma, Ivankov, and Ginny is likely going to be a major part of the story going forward, and it will be interesting to see where Kuma’s flashback takes fans next.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.