The Kingdom of Sorbet was located in the South Blue and was a member nation of the World Government. The land of this country was extremely barren. Even if the entire nation were planted with crops, it wouldn't be enough to keep its citizens fed and warm. As a result, any young person who didn't want to live in perpetual hunger took to the seas to seek their fortune elsewhere, leading to a severely aging population in this country.
Forty percent of the poor were elderly. Furthermore, the King of Sorbet, who had ascended to the throne just last month, King Beckley I, was an extremely greedy and miserly man. Immediately upon taking power, he began increasing all manner of taxes, draining the last bit of vitality that the old king had painstakingly preserved.
One early morning, a three-masted ship slowly sailed towards the port of the Kingdom of Sorbet. The ship was pitch black, with a ferocious beast's head painted on its sails. It was the dreaded pirate ship of "Kaido of the Beasts" and his crew. When this ship appeared on the horizon, the port immediately descended into chaos.
"It's... it's the Jolly Roger of the Beasts Pirates!" a sharp-eyed fisherman cried out in terror.
Merchants hurriedly packed up their goods, fishermen quickly hauled in their nets and turned their boats around, and guards urgently assembled, preparing for a possible threat. The port area soon became empty, leaving behind only hastily abandoned cargo and fishing nets.
"Finally, we've arrived." Enel stood at the bow, looking at the panicked, chaotic port in the distance, a playful smile on his lips. His golden earlobes glinted in the sunlight, his golden staff tapping lightly on the deck.
"Yeah, finally here." Kaido's low voice rumbled across the deck. The burly pirate captain stood at the stern, his gaze fixed like a torch on the approaching port. Ever since recruiting Kuzan in the North Blue, their pirate ship had sailed the South Blue for nearly twenty days. During this time, Kaido had been patiently waiting for this moment to arrive.
Kuzan stood silently by the ship's railing, looking with complex emotions at the gradually nearing port. Ever since being thoroughly defeated by Kaido, he had fallen into an unprecedented state of confusion. Although he still hadn't agreed to join the Beasts Pirates, having stayed on the ship as a prisoner for so long, he had clearly understood Kaido's goal for this trip—to recruit a certain person from the Kingdom of Sorbet.
According to Kaido, this person's strength and potential were in no way inferior to his own.
Although Kuzan had lost to Kaido, he had a clear understanding of his own potential. He believed that given enough time to grow, he would eventually become a powerhouse second to none. Precisely because of this, he was even more curious: what kind of person could earn such high regard from Kaido?
The pirate ship slowly docked. The crowd on the wharf had long since scattered and fled. A few bold guards hid behind cover in the distance, nervously watching the terrifying pirate ship.
Kaido's towering figure was the first to set foot on land, his heavy footsteps seeming to pound in everyone's hearts. He wore his signature black leather pants and red cape, the massive kanabo hanging at his waist. Enel, Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, and the others followed closely behind. Kuzan walked at the rear, his expression still gloomy, but a complex light flickered in his eyes.
"Let's go," Kaido said without looking back. "Let's go meet that interesting fellow."
Surprisingly, Kaido didn't head towards the direction of the prosperous town, but instead turned onto another, smaller path.
"Kaido big bro, the guy you mentioned isn't in the town?" Enel asked, puzzled, his golden staff pointing towards the town's buildings in the distance.
"No. My Kenbunshoku Haki has already sensed him," Kaido said, walking directly towards the location of a church. He remembered clearly—Kuma should have become a pastor this year. Afterwards, he would use his Devil Fruit ability every week to help the elderly relieve their pain for free, taking all that suffering upon himself.
Just as Kaido and the others were heading towards the church...
In a simple, unadorned church in the Kingdom of Sorbet, Bartholomew Kuma was intently treating a sick elderly man. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting colorful, dappled patterns on the floor, adding a touch of warm, peaceful serenity to the holy place.
"Please relax, sir," Kuma said in a low, gentle voice. He extended his right hand, the signature paw pad of his bear-like palm gently touching the old man's hunched back. As he did so, a translucent bubble slowly emerged from the old man's body. The surface of the bubble clearly bore the imprint of a paw pad.
The moment this bubble completely separated from the old man's body, the man's previously pale complexion instantly regained color, and his violent coughing subsided.
Kuma gazed at the bubble floating in the air and, without hesitation, reached out and touched it.
In an instant, all the illness and pain contained within the bubble transferred into his own body. The tall man's face instantly turned deathly pale, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Yet, he still maintained a gentle smile, as if the one enduring the pain wasn't himself.
"Kuma, are you alright?" Ginny, standing to the side, immediately stepped forward, her eyes full of worry. She was a lively young girl, her orange hair particularly striking in the sunlight. Now, however, it trembled slightly from anxiety.
"I'm fine," Kuma turned his head, offering Ginny a reassuring smile. The sunlight fell on his face, outlining his firm features. His eyes remained as gentle as still water.
Ginny put her hands on her hips, muttering with displeasure. "Honestly, Kuma, why do you do this?! You always transfer other people's pain onto yourself!" Her voice held both heartache and reproach, her eyes slightly reddening.
Kuma looked out at the bright sky beyond the church and answered softly, "As long as I can see everyone's smiles, I feel immeasurably happy." His voice was low and gentle, like a soothing hymn, softly echoing within the church.
It was at that moment that the church door was suddenly pushed open. A white-haired old man rushed in, panting heavily, his face etched with terror. "It's... it's bad, Kuma!" the old man cried out breathlessly, his voice trembling with fear.
"Grandpa Colly, what's happened?" Kuma immediately turned around. His broad shoulders blocked the incoming sunlight, casting a shadow before him.
Ginny pouted. "Old man Colly, are you going to say something scary again?" Despite her light tone, she had subconsciously tensed her body.
The old man ignored Ginny's quip, his voice shaking as he said, "There are... there are pirates... pirates heading this way!" His hands gripped the church pew tightly, his knuckles white from the force.
Hearing this, Kuma's expression turned serious. In the impoverished Kingdom of Sorbet, while pirates rarely visited, they weren't completely absent. Over the past eight years, he had repelled invading pirates multiple times, protecting the residents of this land.
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