Nikyu Nikyu no Mi

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). It was the World Nobles’ treasure before it was stolen and eaten by Bartholomew Kuma.

This fruit's abilities were duplicated in the Seraph S-Bear, via a transfusion of Green Blood.

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.

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) via invulnerable, five-digit paw pads on the user's palms; these are permanently manifested, leading the current ability user, Kuma, to always wear gloves when not using his power. Anything that touches (or is touched) by said paws can be pushed away at will with variable (usually immense) speed and force. The paws are only manifested on the users palms and not their feet.

Almost anything can be affected by this ability and sent flying regardless of makeup, including tangible materials like people (even the ability user's own body) or objects, gases like air, completely immaterial targets like ghosts, and abstract targets like pain, fatigue, illnesses, or memories. Intangible targets (like air) will be 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 far away 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 whatever emotion was kept inside). It is shown that if untouched, a bubble storing memories will maintain its form indefinitely, even for years on end, and can thus be stored away for later access; 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.



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 functioning 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 bedrock. A user may also create massive paw bubbles around the air to compress down and then release as "bombs".



One misconception about the powers of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi is that it allows its user to "warp" at will; this assumption is incorrect. Rather than teleport, Kuma uses his paws to propel himself, other people, and objects over certain distances and to chosen destinations at such immense speed that, to an observer, it merely appears as if Kuma (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; indeed, 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.

Weaknesses
While the ability user can deflect almost any physical attack, they may only do so using their bare hands. If their hands are otherwise occupied or not fast enough, or if 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 if the user has other means of protecting their body, such as Kuma's transformation into a cyborg with stronger-than-steel armoring.

While the ability user can travel between different islands across the seas at unrivaled speeds by sending themself flying (or send others to such far-off locations), this method of transportation is limited to an extent. Namely, landmarks may be in the way of a given flight trajectory, forcefully stopping a sent-away target from reaching their proper destination. For example, Kuma was unable to break past the Red Line, leading him to crash into it at high speeds and suffer heavy damage, while forcing him to climb up the continent to its summit in order to resume his voyage past it. More than that, it seems that it is much more difficult for the ability user to send themself flying over long distances if they are too physically exhausted.

It is unknown to what extend the ability user needs to know the location/coordinates of whatever islands they send themself or others to, but worthy of note is that Kuma, at some point in the past, has visited every island that he would eventually send the Straw Hats (as well as Perona) to.

Additionally, while the ability user can push out physical pain and suffering as a bubble, that bubble will eventually return to its source body unless it is absorbed into another person (like the ability user themself). At the same time, it is all but outright stated that, while suffering like pain, fatigue, and "light illnesses" can be pushed out of someone, the recuperative effect thereof is limited and does not equal healing injuries. This was seen when Luffy, who had all his pain and fatigue accumulated throughout the events on Thriller Bark pushed out, felt his body being light and free of pain, but his injuries were visibly still present.

Aside from this, the user suffers the standard Devil Fruit weaknesses.

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), 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).



Despite Kuma's good nature, the combat potential of his ability is undeniable and evident from how he has been shown using it in the present. For attacks in particular, Kuma likes to target the very atmosphere to create attacks that, when executed, leave a 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. 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 to aid his comrades.

If you were to go on a vacation... where would you like to go?

Other people (and objects) that Kuma blows away also fly at incredible speeds. According to Sentomaru, a person sent away by Kuma will travel through the air for three days and three nights (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.



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, though their wounds remain unhealed. These bubbles do not disappear until they are transferred to someone. Kuma is also capable of pushing out his own memories into a paw bubble, which his friend Vegapunk had kept secret in a promise to the former Warlord.

Techniques

 * Pad Ho (砲): 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. In the VIZ manga and Funimation dub, this is called Pad Cannon.


 * Tsuppari Pad Ho (つっぱり砲): 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. 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.


 * Puni (ぷに): 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). 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: 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 at 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, smashing buildings, uprooting trees and shaking the entire island-ship. 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. 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.

Video Game Techniques

 * Kuma no Te (熊の手): 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.

Techniques

 * Ursus Shock: 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. In the VIZ manga, 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, 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.

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.
 * 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…」), in which Kuma throws the damage he has received at enemies, healing himself in the process. It is named after Kuma's quote from his meeting with Zoro. 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."

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