The Nikyu Nikyu no Mi is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that grants the ability to repel anything via paws permanently manifested on the user's palms, making the user a Paw Human (肉球人間, Nikukyū Ningen?, English version: "Paw-Palmed Human"). It was a treasure of the World Nobles before it was stolen and eaten by Bartholomew Kuma.[3]
This fruit's abilities were duplicated in the Seraph S-Bear, via a transfusion of Green Blood.[4][5]
Etymology[]
- The fruit's name, Nikyu, comes from the word nikukyū (肉球?) which means "pad" in Japanese.
- In the VIZ manga and Funimation dub, it is called the Paw-Paw Fruit.
Appearance[]
The Nikyu Nikyu no Mi is a round fruit shaped like a three-digit paw print, matching the paw motif of the fruit's ability. It has a simple T-shaped stem that is curled on one end.[1]
Strengths[]
As explained by Kuma, this Devil Fruit bestows "the ability to send all things flying" (あらゆるものを弾き飛ばす能力, arayuru mono wo hajikitobasu nōryoku?, VIZ: "the power to repel anything") via invulnerable, five-digit paw pads on the user's palms; since these paws are permanently manifested, the current ability user Kuma always wears gloves when not using his power. Anything that touches, or is touched, by the paws can be pushed away at will with variable (usually immense) speed and force, with this repellent effect requiring no actual pushing motion on the user's part.[3] The paws are only present on the palms and not the feet.[6]
Almost anything can be affected by this ability and "sent flying" regardless of makeup: tangible materials like objects and people (even the ability user's own body), gases like air,[3] completely immaterial targets like ghosts,[2] and abstract targets such as pain, fatigue, illnesses,[7][8] or even memories.[9] Intangible targets (like air) are automatically encased in transparent, paw-shaped energy bubbles when repelled. If something innate to a living being is targeted (e.g., pain or memories), it will not be blown away far but instead pushed out as a bubble that maintains itself close-by, making it accessible to someone touching it (and causing the touching person to experience the bubble's contents).[10] It is shown that if untouched and treated carefully, a bubble storing memories (orange in color) can maintain its form indefinitely, even for years on end, and can thus be stored away for later access; the memories in the bubble are duplicated from the real ones, allowing a target (e.g., the ability user) to pass on memories without losing them, while the bubble vanishes once touched and the memories are transferred.[9][11] A bubble storing pain and suffering (red in color) will eventually return to its originator unless someone else opts to receive it in their stead.[12]
In combat, the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi's ability makes for a powerful defense, allowing the user to deflect any and all attacks aside (or back towards the attacker) so long as they move their hands in the way fast enough, their paws working like impenetrable shields. In this context, the paws take no damage from and thus can withstand any attack, repelling fire without being burned or blades without being cut, for instance. Aside from defense, the user is able to harness their ability for offensive maneuvers, such as repelling the very atmosphere around them at "lightspeed" to create paw-shaped shockwaves that can pierce almost anything, to the point of leaving paw-shaped holes within concrete. A user may also create massive paw bubbles around the air to compress down and then release as "bombs".[3]
One misconception about the powers of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi is that it allows its user to "warp" themself;[2] this is incorrect. Rather than teleport, Kuma uses his paws to propel himself (as well as other people and objects) over certain distances and to chosen destinations at such immense speed that, to an observer, it merely appears as if he (or another target of choice) "vanished" into thin air. By sending their own body flying, the ability user can travel to different islands across the seas far faster than anyone could by ship,[3][13][14] and it is that very ability to send the ability user (and other people) to far-away islands quickly that this Devil Fruit is most coveted for.[15]
Weaknesses[]
While the ability user can deflect almost any physical attack, they may only do so with their bare hands. Thus, should their hands be otherwise occupied, obstructed, or not move fast enough, such as when the user is caught off-guard, they will receive damage from an attack that could have otherwise been averted. However, this weakness can be compensated for if the user has other means of protecting their body, such as Kuma's transformation into a cyborg with stronger-than-steel armoring.[16][17]
While the ability user can fly to different islands, even across entirely different oceans, at unrivaled speeds (or send others to such far-off locations), this method of travel is limited in some respects:
- Most notably, the ability user can send themself/others only to those places that the user has visited in the past,[18] leaving them unable to aim for unknown coordinates; in Kuma's case, since he spent a lot of time travelling the world, he can still use this aspect of his power to great effect, and indeed he visited every island that he would eventually send the Straw Hats to.[19]
- Additionally, landmarks may be in the way of a given flight trajectory, forcefully stopping a sent-away target from reaching their proper destination mid-travel. E.g., Kuma was unable to break past the Red Line, leading him to crash into it at high speeds and suffer heavy damage, and then forcing him to climb up the continent to its summit in order to resume his voyage past it.[20]
- Also, it seems that it is much more difficult for the ability user to endure the long-distance flight if they are too physically exhausted, even to the point of making convential travel by ship preferable.[21]
Otherwise, while the ability user can push out physical pain and suffering into a bubble, that bubble will eventually return to its source body unless it is absorbed into another person (like the ability user themself).[12] A bubble storing copied memories will also vanish if touched, causing the duplicate memories to transfer over to the touching person.[11]
Aside from this, the user suffers the standard Devil Fruit weaknesses.
Usage[]
Bartholomew Kuma[]
Since his youth, Kuma has dedicated himself to using the powers he received from his Devil Fruit in order to save, heal, and free the oppressed similar to the ancient figure of Nika, whom Kuma has come to idolize. Because of Kuma's altruism and capability, Emporio Ivankov dubbed his friend as having the Hands of Liberation (解放の手, Kaihō no Te?),[22] while one enfeebled woman of the Sorbet Kingdom's populace, which would be "healed" by Kuma on a weekly basis, called his hands Miracle Hands (奇跡の手, Kiseki no Te?).[23]
Despite Kuma's kind-heartedness, the combat potential of his ability is undeniable and evident from how he has been seen using it in the present. For attacks in particular, Kuma likes to target the very atmosphere to launch attacks which, when executed, leave paw-shaped imprints or holes in whatever lies in their path, matching the pads on Kuma's palms. He can also push a massive amount of air into a bubble with both his hands to compress down and create a "bomb" that, when released, causes massive devastation.[3] During his days as a revolutionary, Kuma effectively used the self-transportive aspect of his power to traverse the seas at unmatched speeds, to and between different battlefields where the Revolutionaries were active in order to aid his comrades.[24]
— Kuma before sending a target flying.[25] |
Other people (and objects) that Kuma blows away also fly at incredible speeds, seeming to disappear into thin air. According to Sentomaru, a person sent away by Kuma will travel through the air for three days and three nights[26] (although in practice, flight time seems to vary) inside a paw-shaped bubble that protects them from any and all obstacles in their path until they arrive at a location designated by Kuma. Upon their arrival, the bubble will vanish, and the victim will land in the middle of a large paw print, completely unharmed.[27]
Kuma can also use his powers to push virtually anything out of another person's body, including the sensations of pain and fatigue. These sensations are then manifested into a red bubble resembling a paw. With this technique, the pain the original person suffered can be transferred to another through direct physical contact with the bubble. This transfer leaves the recipient in agonizing pain and the benefactor feeling healthy and energized.[10] These bubbles do not disappear until their contents are transferred to someone and, if that does not happen, will return to their originator.[12] Kuma is even capable of pushing out memories into a paw bubble and has done so with his own memories, effectively duplicating them for his friend Vegapunk, which the latter had kept secret in a promise to the former Warlord; in his lab, Vegapunk had a system designed to see inside the memory bubble without contact, which allowed the bubble to remain intact for two years.[28][11]
Techniques[]
- Pad Ho (
圧力 砲, Paddo Hō?, literally meaning "Pressure Cannon"): Kuma repels the air around him at what he claims is lightspeed, sending a devastating shockwave (an air-containing paw bubble) toward his opponent at high speed. The shockwave can travel directly through the body of the victim and continue into the distance, leaving paw imprints (or outright holes) in its wake. Anyone and anything that is in the path of the blast receives serious damage. This attack was first seen when it was used on members of the Thriller Bark Victim's Association.[29] In the VIZ manga and Funimation dub, this is called Pad Cannon.
- Tsuppari Pad Ho (つっぱり
圧力 砲, Tsuppari Paddo Hō?, literally meaning "Slapping Thrust Pressure Cannon"): Kuma first plants both feet firmly on the ground by means of a sumo-style foot stomp. Then, throwing his palms forward multiple times, he fires a vast number of "pressure shots" at the enemy. This technique was first seen used against Roronoa Zoro.[3] The way he pushes his palms forward and the stance he takes while performing this technique resemble those used commonly in sumo wrestling. Tsuppari is a thrusting open-handed strike about the upper chest and face, a technique in Sumo. In the VIZ manga and Funimation dub, this is called Thrust Pad Cannon.
- Tsuppari Pad Ho (つっぱり
- Puni (ぷに, Puni?, onomatopoeia for "Squish"): Kuma's basic defensive maneuver where he moves his hands to intercept, repel, and thus counter enemy attacks using his paw pads. This was first shown in the manga when Kuma used it to counter Zoro's Sanjuroku Pound Ho (and subsequently his sword blades directly).[30] The move remains unnamed in the manga (beyond "Puni" being the title of Chapter 484 as well as the onomatopoeic SFX used for Kuma blocking attacks, rendered as Squish in the VIZ translation) but is named in One Piece: Burning Blood.
- Ursus Shock (
熊の衝撃 , Urususu Shokku?, literally meaning "Bear Impact"): A destructive attack where Kuma forms an enormous paw bubble in-between his outstretched arms, trapping a massive portion of air within. He then slowly compresses the air by repelling it over and over using his paws, causing the bubble to shrink rapidly. Once compact enough to fit between his hands, Kuma launches the compressed air bubble at his opponent(s), like a bomb. Once near the target, the air decompresses at once to cause a massive, paw-shaped explosion. The force of such blast was strong enough to knock out most of Kuma's "enemies" on Thriller Bark, smash buildings, uproot trees, and shake the entire island-ship.[31] At Marineford, the attack critically injured Little Oars Jr., an enormous ancient giant, while also shattering the latter's blade, destroying the thick ice sheet he was standing on, and causing massive structural damage to the Marineford Bay.[32] Unfortunately for Kuma, this attack requires a fair amount of time to complete given the amount of air needed and also leaves him vulnerable to attack in the meantime, as he has to use both hands to charge up the attack. However, in Kuma's specific case, that might not be a major issue due to his Pacifista resilience. Ursus is Latin for "bear" and the scientific name of a genus of bears. In the VIZ manga and Funimation dub, the attack is called Ursa Shock, as a possible reference to the constellation Ursa Major (also known as "The Great Bear"). The attack retains its name in the Funimation subs.
Non-Canon Techniques[]
Video Game Techniques[]
- Kuma no Te (熊の手, Kuma no Te?, literally meaning "Bear Claw"): Kuma lands upon the ground from mid-air with great force. This sends a powerful shockwave that blows away the enemies around him. This technique was first used in Pirate Warriors 2.
S-Bear[]
S-Bear utilizes this ability bestowed by Green Blood in the same way as his genetic progenitor, Kuma, in providing high-speed travel and creating a compressed air bomb.[4][5]
Techniques[]
- Ursus Shock (
熊の衝撃 , Urususu Shokku?, literally meaning "Bear Impact"): The same as Kuma's technique, S-Bear gathers air with his palms and compresses it into a giant bubble which resembles a paw-print. Once the bubble is compact enough to fit within his hands, he releases the compressed air and sends it toward his opponent. The air quickly decompresses, causing a massive explosion in the form of a bear paw. It was first used against CP0.[5] In the VIZ manga and Crunchyroll subs, this is called Ursa Shock.
History[]
38 years ago before the present, the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, under the power of the World Nobles, was offered as one of the prizes for their triennial contest, the Native Hunting Competition that would take place on God Valley. The slave Ginny, who was spying on the Nobles' communication network, was able to identify said fruit and the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu as possibilities for allowing the hunted slaves and natives to escape the game. A young Bartholomew Kuma, one of the participating slaves of the game, volunteered along with fellow slave Ivankov to obtain one of those fruits.
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the conflict between the Rocks Pirates and the Roger Pirates, Kuma and Ivankov were able to sneak into the competition's central venue and obtain the fruits. Suddenly though, Charlotte Linlin ambushed the boys and managed to take the Uo Uo no Mi for herself but was unable to steal the Nikyu Nikyu due to Kuma quickly eating it at Ivankov's encouragement. After confronting Jaygarcia Saturn and making his own intentions to save people with his new powers clear, Kuma was able to escape the island, but not before saving 500 other victims of the hunt.[33]
Several years later, Dr. Vegapunk managed to artificially recreate the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi ability as Green Blood, which was bestowed on the Seraphim, S-Bear.
Trivia[]
- In the anime, whenever Kuma uses Ursus Shock, a hum reminiscent of a bomb alert horn is used (either as the attack's sound or as a general sound effect), which adds to the bomb-like usage of the attack.
- In SBS 59, a fan revealed that all the Straw Hats' Devil Fruits each have two numbers between one and ten, with 2 and 9 being the ones left out. Therefore, due to being the translation of the letters in "Nikyu Nikyu," this led to the belief that Kuma or someone with his power would later join or aid the Straw Hats. This is further implied when Oda tries to avoid commenting further on the discovery.[34]
- This Devil Fruit has the largest range potential of all known Devil Fruit powers, being able to send people across the world.
- The technique where Kuma repels one's pain away from their body appears in Pirate Warriors 3 as a special attack named "Omae ni wa Jigoku o Miseru…" (「お前には地獄を見せる…」, "I Will Show You Hell..."?), in which Kuma throws the damage he has received at enemies, healing himself in the process.[35] It is named after Kuma's quote from his meeting with Zoro.[36] It is implied through many video games that Kuma can push out his own pain and fatigue, allowing him to endure a match much longer than he normally would. It is unknown if this aspect will show up in canon or not.
- In One Piece: Burning Blood, Kuma's special attack Where would you like to travel? where he "teleports" someone to some faraway location acts as a one hit-KO when used on a single opponent. When fighting against a team of opponents, the attack will force the hit target to swap out.
- The Nikyu Nikyu no Mi is similar to Bonney's Toshi Toshi no Mi and Big Mom's Soru Soru no Mi, being able to extract and sublimate intangible aspects of a living target, making them tangible (Kuma with pain/fatigue and memories, Bonney with age, and Big Mom with souls).
- The presence of both the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu and the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi showing up together during God Valley Incident — and how in the end Kuma's group could only acquire the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi — may be a reference to a passage of Mencius Chapter Gaozi I: "魚,我所欲也;熊掌,亦我所欲也,二者不可得兼,舍魚而取熊掌者也。生,亦我所欲也;義,亦我所欲也,二者不可得兼,舍生而取義者也。 (I like fish, and I also like bear's paws. If I cannot have the two together, I will let the fish go, and take the bear's paws. I like life, and I also like righteousness. If I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go, and choose righteousness.)" The same passage is condensed into the idiom 魚與熊掌, 不可兼得 (lit. "Fish and bear paw, cannot have both"), which has a similar meaning to "Can't have your cake and eat it too."
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1096 (p. 11-12).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 49 Chapter 473 (p. 11-18) and Episode 368, The fruit's power is demonstrated but not clearly explained.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 484 and Episode 376, The fruit's power is shown and explained by Kuma.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1068 (p. 10) and Episode 1099, S-Bear uses his Nikyu Nikyu no Mi ability.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1070 (p. 5-8) and Episode 1101, Vegapunk explains Green Blood.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 109 Chapter 1101 (p. 10), Kuma's bare foot is shown to not have pads.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 485 (p. 15-17) and Episode 377.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1097 (p. 2-4).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1072 (p. 8-11) and Episodes 1103–1104.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 485 (p. 15-17) and Episode 377, Kuma makes Zoro experience Luffy's pain and fatigue in exchange for sparing the lives of the Straw Hats.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 One Piece Manga — Vol. 109 Chapter 1102 (p. 14).
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1097 (p. 5-6).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1068 (p. 4) and Episode 1099, Rob Lucci mentions that he and his fellow agents shall use S-Bear's ability to fly onto Egghead.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1068 (p. 5) and Episode 1098, Kuma uses his paw pad on himself, flying away.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1096 (p. 6).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 484 (p. 14-115) and Episode 376, Kuma is caught off guard and kicked in the face by Sanji.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 485 (p. 6) and Episode 377, Kuma is caught off guard and has his shoulder slashed by Zoro.
- ↑ SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 109 (p. 92).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1099 (p. 10-11), Kuma is seen visiting the various islands that he would eventually send the Straw Hats to.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1071 (p. 3-5) and Episode 1102, Kuma is seen in the air, flying towards the Red Line before crashing into it.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1098 (p. 3), Kuma elects to travel back to the Revolutionary HQ by ship, since he tired himself out.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1096 (p. 14).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1097 (p. 2).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1098 (p. 2-3, 5-6), Kuma travels rapidly to/between different islands across the seas.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 49 Chapter 473 (p. 14) and Episode 368.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 53 Chapter 513 (p. 4) and Episode 405.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 53 Chapter 514 and Episode 408, Luffy lands on Amazon Lily surrounded by the imprint of a paw-pad.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1072 (p. 2-11) and Episodes 1103–1104.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 483 and Episode 375, Kuma defeats some members of the Thriller Bark Victim's Association with Pad Cannon.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 484 and Episode 376, Kuma uses "Puni" to counter Zoro's swords.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 484 and Episode 376, Kuma uses Ursus Shock against the targets.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 57 Chapter 555 and Episode 464, Kuma uses Ursus Shock against the giant Oars Jr. and successfully damages him.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1096 (p. 6, 11-14).
- ↑ SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 59 (p. 186).
- ↑ One Piece Video Game — Pirate Warriors 3, Kuma uses "I Will Show You Hell..." as a special attack.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 50 Chapter 485 (p. 13) and Episode 377.
External links[]
- Paw – Wikipedia article about paws in general.
- Motion – Wikipedia article about motion.
- Pressure – Wikipedia article about pressure.
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