Warning: this article contains spoilers from chapter 1098 of One Piece.
One Piece unveiled exciting, and often heart-breaking revelations through the manga’s Egghead Arc. The arc has explored the backstories of Kuma and his daughter Jewelry Bonney, and chapter 1098 revealed even more information, including exactly how old Bonney is.
Bonney’s age has been a subject of contention for much of the Egghead Arc. She was first introduced during the Sabody Archipelago Arc alongside the other members of the Worst Generation, then known as the Eleven Supernovas.
For all intents and purposes, Bonney appeared to be a woman in her early twenties, and in an SBS Corner, author Eiichiro Oda mentioned her age to be an estimated 22 years old. So why all the confusion?
What is Bonney’s actual age in One Piece?
In chapter 1098, Bonney is revealed to be only 12 years old.
Near the beginning of the Egghead Arc, fans began speculating Bonney might be much younger than she appears because of the way other characters treated her. Specifically, Vegapunk interacted with Bonney as if she were a young child rather than an adult and notably pleaded with Saturn not to hurt her because “she’s just a kid.”
Her devil fruit also threw her age into question. Bonney has the powers of the Toshi Toshi Fruit (Age-Age) and can alter her and other living creatures’ ages at will. She’s used this power on her opponents (turning marines into little kids so they can’t function in battle) and on herself in the past.
In the Sabody Arc, Bonney manipulates her appearance so she looks like a little kid to save Zoro from the wrath of a Celestial Dragon. Now that we know how old she is, it’s more likely she manipulates her appearance all the time to look like an adult, not the other way around.
In chapter 1098, some of Bonney’s backstory is revealed for the first time. A flashback shows Bonney was only five years old, seven years before the events occurring in the Egghead Arc, confirming she’s only 12 years old.