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A few days earlier.
South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom, a solemn and majestic cathedral.
Several middle-aged men, each with their unique appearances, were cleaning and tidying up as usual while chatting casually.
These men would later become the officers of the Bonney Pirates, who would choose to set sail as pirates out of concern for the twelve-year-old Bonney.
Bang! Just as they thought it would be another dull and uneventful day, the cathedral door was suddenly pushed open with great force.
Bright, dazzling light poured in, instantly dispelling the oppressive darkness within the cathedral.
A frail woman with short hair stood in the sunlight.
The middle-aged men, who were initially dispirited, were stunned. After recognizing the woman's identity from her appearance, they rubbed their eyes in disbelief, thinking they were experiencing some sort of hallucination.
"No way, it can't be... that person, that person is..."
"Ginny?!"
Wah! Wah! Wah! The sharp and loud cry of a baby interrupted their shock.
Perhaps sensing that she had finally escaped the hellish darkness and arrived in a safe place, the baby girl in Ginny's arms, Bonney, started to cry loudly.
"It's okay, Bonney, it's okay. Don't cry."
Despite being mentally exhausted, Ginny tried her best to keep her voice calm and soothing.
While comforting the inconsolable Bonney, Ginny lifted her head and looked at the church administrators who were still in shock.
"Everyone, I'm back."
There was no joy in her voice at having escaped death; instead, there was a heaviness and humility.
Seeing the once lively and cheerful girl now reduced to such a state, the middle-aged men couldn't help but feel a pang in their hearts.
"You, you are... Ginny?"
Finally reacting, they threw away their brooms and cloths in excitement and quickly gathered around her.
"Thank goodness! Ginny, you're finally back!"
"Wait, Ginny, you must be starving, right? Don't talk yet; I'll go cook your favorite meat!"
"Don't rush, you idiot! Ginny must have gone through a lot. She should take a bath first to relax!"
"Ginny, don't listen to these fools. You should sit down and have some water. I'll go get you some!"
The men, overjoyed, surrounded Ginny, chattering excitedly and even started bickering over who should help her first.
They noticed the exhaustion on Ginny's face and, out of understanding, didn't mention the unfamiliar baby in her arms.
The noisy argument, combined with Bonney's wailing, filled the once-deadly silent cathedral with a lively atmosphere.
"No need, everyone. Please, let me have some peace and quiet for now."
As soon as Ginny finished speaking, her pupils shrank violently, and her body began to tremble slightly.
The light around them suddenly dimmed, and it became very clear that a large man had appeared at the entrance behind her.
Seeing the man who had appeared out of nowhere, the church administrators were all stunned.
The man in a black cloak, Bartholomew Kuma, simply stared at the familiar figure in front of him. His tough, steely eyes welled up with tears, blurring his vision.
He had just helped Dragon resolve a rebellion in a kingdom in the East Blue when he received the news of Ginny's return.
He immediately used his Devil Fruit ability to cross the vast sea and reach the Sorbet Kingdom first.
"Ginny, is it really you?" Kuma's voice, soft yet filled with uncontrollable excitement, floated in the air.
Kuma had imagined countless scenarios of reuniting with Ginny. On quiet nights, he even felt the urge to storm into Mary Geoise by himself.
However, meeting her in this familiar cathedral was something he had never envisioned.
Or rather, he had never dared to hope for such a scene!
Hearing the voice she had longed for, Ginny's trembling intensified, and tears streamed down her cheeks, wetting Bonney's small face.
She didn't respond.
"Ginny, have you really come back?"
Kuma instinctively took a heavy step forward, ready to verify this dreamlike reality with his own eyes.
"Kuma, don't come any closer!"
Ginny suddenly shouted emotionally, her voice tinged with despair as she scolded Kuma for trying to approach her. "I... I am already..."
Like Kuma, who had been trapped in the darkness of hell, Ginny had missed her beloved Kuma every moment. But when this unseen hope became a reality, her humility left her with no courage to face him.
Because she was no longer clean...
The painful experiences of recent times flooded her heart, and with just a short sentence, it felt like all her strength and courage had been drained.
She bit her lip hard, trying to hold herself together.
Just as Ginny was about to collapse, strong arms wrapped around her from the side.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry that I couldn't save you back then. I'm really, really sorry."
Kuma fell to his knees, holding Ginny's trembling body tightly, burying his head deep into her shoulder.
The Revolutionary Army officer, who struck fear into the hearts of countless villains and was more terrifying than a monster, was now crying uncontrollably, using weak words to express his deep remorse.
"Kuma, don't touch me, and don't apologize. I... I am no longer worthy of being held by you..."
Ginny struggled desperately, but in her current fragile state, how could she possibly escape Kuma's monstrous strength?
Gradually, Ginny felt the warmth of Kuma's chest and heard the strong, reassuring heartbeat.
As her emotions crumbled, she stopped struggling. Despite feeling that this was extremely selfish, she still accepted her true feelings and leaned her head into his strong, powerful arms.
Hot tears soaked Kuma's arms.
For some reason, Bonney, who had been crying loudly, also calmed down at this moment, her innocent eyes gazing curiously at Kuma through the gap.
"Giggle, giggle!"
After a brief pause, Bonney switched from crying to laughing, her voice clear and joyful.
Outside the cathedral, the warm sunlight shone down again, casting long shadows of Kuma, Ginny, and Bonney.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment, freezing this warm scene.
…
Three days passed in a flash.
Sorbet Kingdom, on the lush mountain grasslands.
Ginny, who had regained some of her strength, stood side by side with Kuma, overlooking the land they both loved and the vast, rolling sea in the distance.
Near the coast, the main ship of the Revolutionary Army was docked, and the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, along with Ivankov and other core members, stood silently on the deck.
Ginny took a deep breath and summoned the courage to speak to Kuma beside her, "Kuma, I've decided to stay here and raise Bonney."
"Then I'll stay with you!" Kuma said firmly.
Having regained what he had lost, he was unwilling to leave Ginny's side again and decided to protect her forever.
"Don't joke about this, Kuma. Have you forgotten your dream of making the world free?"
Ginny turned her gaze away, unable to meet Kuma's eyes, and tried to persuade him in a lighthearted tone.
"If I can't protect the person I love, then what right do I have to talk about dreams..." Kuma's voice was calm.
During the time Ginny was captured, Kuma had clearly grown, no longer the timid man who had been too shy to propose to the one he loved.
"You're playing dirty, saying something like that at a time like this!"
A complex look flashed in Ginny's eyes, but it quickly became resolute again. "If you waver because of me, I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life."
"Kuma, you have more important things to do. Even though the road to freedom is full of challenges, in my heart, you'll always be the Joy Boy who can liberate the world!"
Hearing this, Kuma lowered his head slightly, and his cloak covered his face, making it impossible to see the expression hidden in the shadows.
His throat moved as if he wanted to say something.
But suddenly, soft, cold lips silenced everything he wanted to say.
Ginny stood on her tiptoes, and after a brief moment, she pulled away, lifting her head high to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.
Seizing the moment when Kuma was stunned, she raised her hands and used all her strength to push the large man away.
Watching Kuma's hesitant back, Ginny took a deep breath and shouted with all her might.
"Run, like you used to, no matter how painful it is, don't stop!"
"Kuma!!!"
Her resolute words were sharper than any enemy's blade, piercing deeply into Kuma's heart.
He bit his lip hard, not caring as blood began to flow.
Finally, with great effort, Kuma lifted his head and took a heavy step forward, slowly breaking into a run toward the coast.
At that moment, he was undoubtedly in great pain, but unlike before, this pain was filled with passion and hope.
Only when the figure she longed for disappeared from sight did Ginny allow herself to relax, collapsing to the ground.
"Kuma, you must succeed, succeed in finding freedom..."
…
10,000 meters below the sea, a single beam of light guided the Endless Dream forward.
It was the very "All Blue" that many dream of, Fish-Man Island!
Easily passing through the two layers of special membranes surrounding Fish-Man Island, the Endless Dream successfully entered its territory, slowly docking at a harbor filled with beautiful coral reefs.
The beautiful mermaids playing among the coral reefs, like startled birds, quickly hid in concealed corners, cautiously watching Zyhark and his crew disembark.
Fish-Man Island was in a state of turmoil. Pirates and even Marines frequently came, kidnapping mermaids and fish-men to sell them as slaves on the sea.
As a result, these mermaids instinctively feared these two-legged humans.
"Huh? Why did all the fish swim away as soon as we arrived?"
Aqua, full of confusion, found this treatment far from the grand welcome she had imagined.
How could a race that lives in the sea be afraid of her, the Goddess of Water?
Wait, come to think of it, that actually makes sense. After all, she is the Goddess of Water!
Soon, the foolish goddess, now thoroughly convinced, began strutting around, showing off to the distant mermaids.
Her fierce demeanor only added to the mermaids' fear.
"Are you really a Goddess of Water?" Zyhark asked, exasperated.
"Of course! It's only natural for these mermaids to hold my divine presence in the highest regard!" Aqua proudly puffed out her chest.
"Their expressions don't look like they're full of reverence..." even Meowth couldn't help but quip.
Meanwhile, Kanna, squatting in a corner, had already devoured two crabs with large pincers.
"But it really is a fascinating world. I never imagined there would be such a beautiful island 10,000 meters under the sea."
King, who was usually silent, couldn't help but voice his amazement as he took in the sight of Fish-Man Island.
Given the hostility Fish-Man Island had toward humans, Zyhark decided not to waste any time and headed straight to Ryugu Castle to meet King Neptune.
As he released his Observation Haki to locate the exact position of Ryugu Castle, one of the mermaids, who had been watching them from afar in fear, suddenly swam toward them with determination.
"Zyhark-sama, Aqua-sama, it's really you!"
With long blue hair cascading down, the mermaid's face was delicate and beautiful, her figure stunningly voluptuous.
Zyhark immediately recognized her as the mermaid slave they had rescued at the Sabaody Archipelago! Seeing the beautiful mermaid approaching, Aqua frowned, resting her chin on her hand.
After a few seconds of thought, she quickly assumed a defensive stance and demanded, "Huh? Who are you, and how do you know my name?!"
In matters of little consequence, the dense and foolish goddess showed remarkable vigilance.
In summary: she truly is a useless goddess.
"Aqua-sama, I'm Isha! I really appreciate your help at the Sabaody auction."
The mermaid Isha was visibly emotional, bowing deeply to Zyhark and his crew.
Back at Sabaody, the arrival of an Admiral had thrown everything into chaos. Zyhark and his group had no time to interact with this mermaid slave as they hurriedly fled.
"Oh, it's you! Why didn't you say so earlier?" Aqua exclaimed in sudden realization.
Meowth and King both twitched their lips at this.
Kanna, who had never met Isha before, tilted her head, her cute face full of confusion.
"Hey, Zyhark, who is this pretty lady?" she asked, tugging on his pants.
"She's a friend, not an enemy," Zyhark replied.
"Oh!"
Hearing that she wasn't an enemy, Kanna nodded and continued looking for food.
Meanwhile, seeing that Isha hadn't been attacked, the mermaids who had been watching from a distance began to relax, cautiously gathering around.
They were indeed afraid of humans, but they were also incredibly curious about these beings who could live freely under the bright sunlight.
(End of Chapter)