A gentle smile graced Keel's face as he read the letter from the East Blue.
Keel,
Greetings.
Everything here in the East Blue has been business as usual while you've been away. That boy, Ace, is certainly getting stronger, but he's as wild as ever. He and that little rascal Sabo are always running off into the mountains. He comes back covered in injuries every time, giving poor Dadan a terrible headache. Just a few days ago, he dragged home a massive tiger, insisting it was for dinner, and nearly tore down Dadan's house in the process. Boys are just so hard to manage once they start growing up.
On another note, the girl you asked me to look after, Stella, has settled in well. She was very scared when she first arrived, but she understood your intentions after I explained everything to her. She's a very kind child and helps out at the flower shop every day now. She has a real talent for it and takes excellent care of the flower beds. She still spends a lot of time just staring out at the sea. I think she's waiting for the day she can be reunited with Mr. Tesoro.
Please be careful out there.
Rouge.
At the very bottom of the letter, a crooked smiley face was drawn in pencil, with two equally crooked words written beside it: Ace.
Keel chuckled to himself. Ace, Sabo... and the future Luffy. With those three together, Mount Corvo will never know a moment of peace. He carefully folded the letter and tucked it back into its envelope. As for Stella, his thoughts drifted. Tesoro, you'd better use your gold to pave the most brilliant path imaginable for her return.
After several months of quiet life on the Sabaody Archipelago, Keel was starting to feel restless. The peace was becoming boring. Leaving the day-to-day affairs in Robin's capable hands, he quietly departed from the villa. His destination was Baltigo, the "White Dirt Island," better known as the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.
The moment Keel set foot on the white soil of the island, the entire base went on high alert. Alarms blared, and revolutionary soldiers, armed and nervous, quickly surrounded him. The tension was so thick it felt like a physical weight in the air.
"It's the Wave Guiding King... Aaron Kyle!" someone shouted, their voice trembling with fear.
Only a handful of high-ranking officers, privy to top-secret intelligence, knew the true weight of that name. This was the man who had fought five of the "Gods" at Mary Geoise and walked away. He was a living legend, a monster with enough power to single-handedly destroy their entire fortress. A wave of fear rippled through the assembled soldiers.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through the area, and Dragon's imposing figure appeared, standing between Keel and the soldiers.
"Everyone, stand down," Dragon's voice was calm but held an authority that no one dared to question. "He is a guest."
Before the soldiers could fully process the order, an even more dramatic figure burst out from deeper within the base. With a characteristic "Vee-Haw!" shriek, Ivankov rushed forward, his enormous face getting uncomfortably close to Keel's. He unceremoniously grabbed Keel's arm, squeezing it tightly.
"Keel! You're finally here! I was starting to think you'd decided to rot away in some soft, comfortable bed!"
The surrounding Revolutionary Army officers stared, their jaws practically on the ground. Lord Ivankov… was actually touching that man? And speaking to him so casually?
"Ugh, let go," Keel said, swatting Ivankov's hand away with a look of disgust. "You're getting your hormones all over me." He glanced around at the revolutionary soldiers, who were still tense and on edge. He turned to Dragon with a smirk. "You really don't need to throw such a grand welcome for me. All this formality isn't good for my health, you know. Hahaha!"
Dragon simply smiled and stepped aside, revealing a tall, silent figure standing behind him: Bartholomew Kuma.
Kuma walked forward until he stood before Keel. Then, in a clumsy but deeply sincere gesture, he bowed low. "Mr. Keel," he said, his voice quiet but full of gratitude. "Thank you for… for saving Ginny."
This exchange, followed by a brief explanation from Dragon, left the revolutionary cadres completely stunned. A mentor to their leader Dragon, a close friend to Commander Ivankov, and the savior of their comrade Kuma… This lazy, easygoing pirate legend had incredibly deep ties to their core leadership. The tension in the air finally began to dissipate as the soldiers slowly lowered their weapons.
Keel's reason for visiting was simple: he was there to attend Kuma and Ginny's wedding.
The ceremony was held in a large underground cave on Baltigo. There were no expensive decorations, only colorful streamers and paper flowers that their comrades had hung from the walls. It was a simple affair, but the cave was filled with a lively, genuine joy that no luxurious banquet could ever hope to match.
Before the wedding began, Kuma stood alone in a corner, his broad back looking tense and uncertain. Keel ambled over with a glass of wine and leaned casually against the rock wall next to him.
"What's wrong? Is the groom getting cold feet and planning to run away?"
Kuma turned, his face etched with worry. "Mr. Keel, you know about my bloodline… the blood of the Buccaneer race. It's cursed. I'm afraid… I'm afraid I'll bring disaster to Ginny."
"So what?" Keel asked, taking a sip of his wine. "You're going to give up the happiness you have right now because you're afraid of a disaster that might happen in the future?"
Kuma's large frame trembled slightly.
"The events at Mary Geoise should have taught you that hiding is useless," Keel continued, his voice calm and steady. "Since you can't hide from it, you have to face it. Protect her. Protect her with your life. If you don't even have that much resolve, then that would be the greatest betrayal you could ever commit against her."
Kuma was silent for a long time, clutching the Bible he always carried. The confusion and fear in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a new, unwavering determination. He finally looked at Keel and nodded heavily. "I understand."
Dragon himself officiated the wedding. Ginny, vibrant and full of life, wore a simple white dress, and her smile was brighter than any of the lights illuminating the cave. She confidently took Kuma's large, clumsy hand, facing the crowd without a trace of fear. Holding her hand, the shy Kuma, though still visibly nervous and sweating, stood as straight and tall as a mountain.
"Bartholomew Kuma," Dragon began, his voice echoing in the cavern, "do you take Ginny as your wife? To protect her and to cherish her, through storms and calm, through battle and peace, until the end of your life?"
Kuma took a deep breath, his voice low but firm and clear. "I do."
"And Ginny," Dragon turned to her, "do you take Bartholomew Kuma as your husband? To stand by him, through whatever past he carries and whatever future he may face, and to never leave his side?"
"Of course I do!" Ginny's answer was crisp and full of strength, bringing a smile to everyone's face.
As their Revolutionary Army comrades cheered and whistled, Kuma awkwardly bent down and gently kissed his bride. Thunderous applause erupted throughout the cave, celebrating their union.
Keel stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the couple who had endured so much finally find their happiness. His heart was filled with a mix of emotions. He thought of the crying little boy at God Valley, the kind pastor in the Sorbet Kingdom, and the tragic tyrant who was fated to lose himself and become a mindless weapon.
What a pity I couldn't kill that bastard, Saint Saturn, he thought. Hmm… perhaps I'll leave that task for Kuma to handle himself one day.
The course of fate had been changed by his actions. Looking at the happy couple before him, Keel, the "middle-aged old geezer," allowed a complicated smile to form on his face.
How nice, he thought to himself. The corpse is warm.
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