One Piece has its fair share of heroes and villains, but some characters blur the line between both, being not quite a hero but also not quite the bad guy. These anti-heroes often start out on a shady path but end up not only redeemed but also fan favorites. One of these characters is Bartolomeo the Cannibal.
Who Is Bartolomeo?
Bartolomeo is the green-haired captain of the Barto Club, and the Captain of the Second Ship of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. He entered the series as a notorious Mafia boss, but grew to become one of the Straw Hat Pirates greatest ally, and even their number one fan. Fans of One Piece know him by many names: Bartolomeo the Cannibal or Man-Eater Bartolomeo because of his demon-like appearance and habit of “eating people” by mocking them. You may also know him as Super Rookie because of his infamy as a young pirate or Crest Head given to him by his friend and idol, Monkey D. Luffy. He is an ex-kingpin turned pirate and the founder and captain of the Barto Club. His devotion to Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates led him to become the Captain of the Thousand Sunny.
Life In East Blue
Before becoming a pirate, a younger Bartolomeo lived in East Blue, where he successfully ran an illegal underworld organization and ruled as a Mafia kingpin, with over 150 towns under his thumb. However, he had a change of heart when he witnessed the failed execution of the Straw Hats Monkey D. Luffy by Buggy in Loguetown. He then began to track the crew’s exploits from their battle against the Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile in Arabasta, to Luffy’s mass jailbreak from Impel Down and his eventual involvement in the Summit War of Marineford. After following all these events passionately, Bartolomeo decided to leave his vast criminal empire behind, follow in the footsteps of his beloved Luffy, and become a globe-trotting pirate with other devoted fans. This was the start of the journey of the Straw Hat Pirates fan club, the Barto Club.
The Barto Club
After years of admiring Luffy’s feats from afar, Bartolomeo decided to leave his life as a crime boss and become a pirate like his idol. He gathered some of his childhood friends and other notorious gangsters, formed a crew of pirates called the Barto Club, and set off to sea with them. Bartolomeo and his 56-person crew adore the Straw Hat Pirates and are all devoted to worshipping their career and actions wholeheartedly. During their year-long travels from East Blue to the New World, Bartolomeo grew in strength and notoriety. His bounty rose to a staggering 150 million Berries, and he quickly became known as the Super Rookie.
Bartolomeo has a heartwarming relationship with his crew. Like his “Luffy-senpai,” he treats his subordinates with respect and acknowledges their loyalty with loyalty of his own. Anyone who knows Bartolomeo knows that he enjoys mocking others and never misses an opportunity to make people uncomfortable, like when he threw a fake bomb at the audience in the Corrida Colosseum. But he doesn’t apply this same cruelty towards his shipmates; he cares for them, and even more so because they share his love for Luffy. Of the 56-man crew, he is closest to the Staff Officer of the club, Gambia, and his respect for him drove him to confront and defeat Vice Admiral Maynard because the Marine officer had beat up Gambia.
Bartolomeo’s Obsession With Luffy And The Straw Hat Pirates
Bartolomeo’s obsession with Luffy began in Loguetown, East Blue. Luffy had been captured by Buggy and was set to have a public execution, which, of course, Bartolomeo attended. However, before the blade could fall on Luffy, he says he will be the next Pirate King and a perfectly timed lightning bolt saves him to escape, which allows him to escape. Coincidence? We think not. Remember ,Luffy is the son of Dragon, whose devil fruit is quite mysterious. This scenery amazes Bartolomeo and he instantly became impressed with Luffy and, by extension, his crew and resolved to follow and emulate them. And he did. A year after leaving East Blue for the New World, he emerged a stronger pirate and even entered the Corrida Colosseum to win the Mera Mera no Mi, not for himself, but for Luffy.
During the events of the Dressrosa Arc, Bartolomeo consistently showed that he was willing to go to any lengths for Luffy. After fighting in B-Block of the tournament, he overheard another competitor bad-mouthing Luffy and attacked the man, even going as far as to cut off his tongue, all while raving about Luffy’s genius. He also lent a hand to another of Luffy’s allies, Bellamy, after his boss, Donquixote Doflamingo, sent Dellinger to kill him. At the end of the arc, when the dust had settled on the tournament, and the Straw Hat Pirates confrontation with the Donquixote Pirates, Bartolomeo swore his allegiance to Luffy and the Straw Hats alongside six other pirate captains, and together they formed the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
The Corrida Colosseum
After a year on the sea, Bartolomeo and his crew make their way to the city of Dressrosa, where a massive tournament was to take place in the Corrida Colosseum. The winner of the battle royale event would win the Mera Mera no Mi Devil Fruit, which had previously belonged to Luffy’s sworn brother, Portgas D. Ace, before his untimely death in the Summit War of Marineford. Bartolomeo entered the contest determined to win and present the fruit to his role model, but unknown to him, Luffy had entered as well. Bartolomeo was assigned to Block B of the tournament alongside competitors like King Elizabello and Bellamy the Hyena, and in typical fashion, he treated both his opponents and the audience with disdain. At one point, he threw a fake bomb into the crowd to scare them, lied nonchalantly, and even peed outside the ring when the fighting started.
In the heat of the battle, King Elizabello II released his deadly King Punch and wiped out the entire ring except for Bartolomeo, who erected a barrier using his Bari Bari no Mi. He then defeated Elizabello with his Barrier Crash move, successfully emerging the winner of Block B. After his win, Bartolomeo overheard Bellamy talking to another fighter, Lucy and realized that this was actually Luffy in disguise. He spent the rest of the tournament in awe of Luffy, and when another of Luffy’s allies and his sworn brother, Sabo, appeared and claimed the Mera Mera no Mi for himself, he initially confronts him but ends up working with Sabo to win the competition.
What is Bartolomeo’s Devil Fruit ?
The Bari Bari no Mi, or Barrier Barrier Devil Fruit, was previously used by Kurozumi Semimaru, a deceased elder of the Kurozumi Family of Wano Country. It is a Paramecia-type fruit that enables its user, currently Bartolomeo, to create thick barriers by crossing their fore and middle fingers. These barriers are nearly indestructible and give their user powerful defensive capabilities. While fighting in the Corrida Colosseum, Bartolomeo became the last man standing in B-Block by blocking King Elizabello II’s King Punch technique with a barrier. He was also able to shield himself and Bellamy from Dellinger’s powerful kicks, known to be capable of moving ten tons.
The barriers can also be used to create shapes like spheres and stairs and strike offensively. When the Straw Hats faced the Donquixote Pirates, Bartolomeo wrapped a small barrier around his fist and used this Bari Bari Pistol to knock out Gambia with a single punch, a call-back to Luffy’s Gomu Gomu no Pistol. Despite its near invincibility, the Bari Bari no Mi also has a few flaws. It doesn’t always give its user complete protection in cases of an ambush, and barriers can only be created one after the other.
Bartolomeo’s Unique Powers And Abilities
Bartolomeo is more than just his Devil Fruit. Outside the powers of the Bari Bari no Mi, he possesses an incredible amount of stamina and impressive combat skills. He was able to withstand several blows from Gladius, beat up Vice Admiral Maynard, and kick Hack, the mighty fish-man, unconscious during his B-Block battle. This prowess earned him the title of Super Rookie and caused his bounty to increase from 150 million to 200 million Berries. Bartolomeo also has exceptional leadership skills. Before embarking on his journey as a pirate, he oversaw over 150 towns in East Blue and was able to lead his small crew of fans through the Grand Line and into the New World.
The Straw Hat Grand Fleet
The events of the Corrida Colosseum tournament quickly spilled over into a heated confrontation between the Straw Hat Pirates allies and the Donquixote pirates after Bartolomeo saved Bellamy and the later was forced to face his boss, Doflamingo Luffy. After a tense battle, the Straw Hat Pirates were eventually able to defeat the Donquixote family and save Dressrosa from their tyranny.
Following this victory, the seven leaders of the pirate crews that had been instrumental to the win tried to persuade Luffy to perform a Parent-Child Sakazuki Ceremony with them to cement their relationship with him. However, Luffy wanted no part in the ceremony, affirming his desire not to control others or seek power but to live freely. The captains, consisting of Bartolomeo, Hajrudin, Cavendish, Sai, Orlumbus, Leo, and Ideo, respected his decision but still proceeded to drink the ceremonial sake, vowing to represent him as his subordinates and come to his aid whenever he needed their help, no matter the circumstances. This was the beginning of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
Where Is Bartolomeo The Cannibal Now?
In the One Piece cover story titled The Stories of the Self-Proclaimed Straw Hat Grand Fleet, Bartolomeo, and the Barto Club reappeared on a small island being protected by the Red Hair Pirates. While there, they caused a commotion and tried to sell souvenirs based on the Straw Hat Pirates to the islanders, completely disregarding the presence of the Red Hair Pirates. They even went as far as burning their flag, unaware that their captain, Emperor Shanks’ had a close connection to Luffy. He also appeared briefly as a silhouette in the Levely Arc.
