Does Luffy Ever Meet Bon Clay Again?
Introducing Bon Clay
Bon Clay, also known by his real name Bentham, was initially introduced as an officer agent of the criminal organization Baroque Works in the Alabasta arc of One Piece (onepiece.fandom.com). He had the ability to transform into anyone he touched, thanks to eating the Clone-Clone Fruit devil fruit. Bon Clay was sent to Alabasta along with the other Baroque Works members to stage a coup against the kingdom. However, after battling Luffy and the Straw Hats, Bon Clay developed a friendship with Luffy and helped him infiltrate Crocodile’s lair. Bon Clay admired Luffy’s commitment to save Alabasta and protect his friends. Though initially enemies, Luffy earned Bon Clay’s respect during their fights, beginning an unlikely friendship.
Bon Clay’s Sacrifice at Impel Down
Bon Clay, also known as Mr. 2, was an ally of Luffy’s who helped him infiltrate Impel Down to save his brother Ace. However, when Luffy and the other escapees reached Level 1, they were confronted by the prison warden Magellan. Knowing that Luffy had to keep going to have any chance of saving Ace, Bon Clay made the ultimate sacrifice and stayed behind to battle Magellan so Luffy and the others could escape. As Luffy fled, he tearfully thanked Bon Clay for enabling his progress (Was Bon-chans sacrifice not needed?: r/OnePiece).
Luffy’s Gratitude Towards Bon Clay
Despite their short time together, Luffy formed a strong bond with Bon Clay during the Alabasta arc. Bon Clay went undercover in Baroque Works to help the Straw Hats take down Crocodile’s operation. Luffy was incredibly grateful for Bon Clay’s help and saw him as a valuable friend.
This was seen most clearly during the Impel Down arc. After Luffy broke into the prison, he encountered Bon Clay disguised as the Chief Guard. Bon Clay helped Luffy navigate through Levels 1 and 2 of the prison. However, when they reached Level 3, Bon Clay sacrificed himself to buy time for Luffy to continue (CBR).
Luffy was devastated by Bon Clay’s sacrifice and wanted to go back for him. He told Bon Clay that he would return to save him after rescuing Ace. This demonstrated how much Luffy valued Bon Clay’s friendship and wanted to honor his sacrifice. Even though Ace was his priority, Luffy felt compelled to one day return to Impel Down for Bon Clay.
Bon Clay’s Unknown Fate
After Bon Clay disguised himself as Magellan to enable Luffy’s escape from Impel Down, his fate was left unclear. Bon Clay stayed behind to stall the real Magellan, fully prepared to sacrifice his life for Luffy’s freedom. The scene of Bon Clay’s sacrifice was highly emotional, as Luffy desperately wanted to go back to save his friend but knew he had to press forward with his mission.
Fans were left wondering whether Bon Clay had survived his encounter with Magellan and his deadly poison abilities. There was never any definitive confirmation if Bon Clay lived or died in Impel Down. According to a thread on Reddit (source), Bon Clay’s status was purposely left ambiguous by Oda.
The Timeskip
After the events at the Paramount War, Luffy decided to postpone his pirating and use the next two years to train and improve his skills (Timeskip – One Piece Wiki). This became known as the “timeskip” period. During this time, Luffy was sent to Rusukaina Island by Silvers Rayleigh to undergo special training. There, Luffy honed his mastery over Haki and greatly improved his strength and fighting abilities.
When the timeskip ended and Luffy set out to reunite with his crew, he had become much stronger and more capable as a pirate. His two years of intense training allowed him to learn techniques like Gear Fourth and attain substantial growth in power. This new strength would serve Luffy well moving forward on his mission to become the Pirate King.
Luffy’s Return to Sabaody
After being separated from his crew by Kuma, Luffy spent two years training with Rayleigh on Ruskaina Island. Once his training was complete, Luffy set out to reunite with his crew on Sabaody Archipelago, where they had promised to meet up again (Return to Sabaody Arc | One Piece Wiki – Fandom).
Luffy arrived at Sabaody Archipelago and was quickly found by the Kuja Pirates, who had been instructed by Hancock to bring Luffy back safely. Luffy was overjoyed to finally be back at Sabaody and near his crew after two long years apart. However, trouble arose when an impostor posing as Luffy caused chaos around the island. To prove his identity, Luffy removed his disguise and revealed his new post-timeskip look and Haki abilities while defeating the impostor. This marked Luffy’s long awaited return to Sabaody and the start of reuniting with his scattered Straw Hat crew.
Reunion at Levely
During the Levely, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have an emotional reunion with Vivi, who they previously met and befriended in Alabasta. Vivi was overjoyed to see her friends again after being separated for so long. She thanked them profusely for protecting her country from Crocodile’s evil plans years ago (OnePiece, 2022).
Despite the risks, Vivi wants to continue helping her people and refuse to be silenced. Luffy encourages Vivi and promises he will come whenever she needs their help. Their strong bond remains unbroken after all this time apart. Though their reunion is brief, it’s a heartwarming moment for Luffy, Vivi, and fans of their enduring friendship.
Searching for Answers
After the timeskip, when Luffy and his crew finally reunite in Sabaody Archipelago, one of the first things Luffy does is ask Vivi about Bon Clay’s fate. As we know, Bon Clay stayed behind in Impel Down to enable Luffy’s escape, a noble sacrifice that Luffy is eager to learn the outcome of. During a conversation with Vivi, Luffy brings up Bon Clay and asks her directly if she knows what happened to him after the war (https://neverwatchedonepiece.tumblr.com/post/108940823639/129-it-all-began-on-that-day-vivi-tells-the).
Unfortunately, Vivi does not have any new information about Bon Clay’s fate after the war. All she can tell Luffy is that Bon Clay enabled his escape from Impel Down. Luffy is clearly grateful for Bon Clay’s sacrifice and wants to find out if he survived. However, the mystery of Bon Clay’s fate remains unresolved, even after Luffy inquires about it.
Vivi’s Response
During the Levely arc, Luffy meets up with Vivi again and asks about the fate of his friend Bon Clay. Vivi informs Luffy that Bon Clay had in fact survived his sacrifice at Impel Down. According to Vivi, after the war ended, the Blackbeard Pirates raided Impel Down and freed many of the prisoners. During this raid, Bon Clay was able to escape and avoid detection from the prison guards.
Vivi explains that Bon Clay made his way to Kamabakka Kingdom, the island of okamas that he originated from. There, he was able to recover from his injuries and regain his strength among friends. Vivi tells Luffy that Bon Clay is doing well at Kamabakka Kingdom, which comes as a huge relief to Luffy after believing his friend had died. This revelation from Vivi finally gives Luffy and readers confirmation that Bon Clay survived his heroic sacrifice at Impel Down.
Closing Thoughts
After the events at Levely, Luffy was relieved to learn that his friend Bon Clay had survived the battle at Impel Down and somehow managed to escape. Though their reunion was brief, it meant a lot to Luffy to see Bon Clay alive and well. The okama’s willingness to sacrifice himself for Luffy’s sake is something that Luffy will never forget.
Though their paths split once again after Levely, there is no doubt that Luffy hopes to cross paths with Bon Clay again someday. The Straw Hat captain values friendship highly, and he does not give up on those he considers nakama. Now that Luffy knows Bon Clay is out there free somewhere in the world, he will certainly be keeping an eye out for his swan-loving friend the next time adventure takes the Straw Hats to the Grand Line.
Their bond was forged through adversity at Impel Down, and it seems not even death can break the connection between Luffy and Bon Clay. Though the future is uncertain, Luffy likely relishes the chance to meet Bon Clay again on the high seas and reminisce about their daring escape from the great prison. For now, Luffy can rest easy knowing his unlikely ally is alive and fabulous as ever.
