The southern seas—the Sorbet Kingdom, its port district.
The Sorbet Kingdom was a land split cleanly in two.
One half belonged to the World Government—banners fluttering proudly, nobles living in excess, order enforced beneath polished facades.
The other half existed beyond the law.A lawless zone steeped in chaos and poverty, so neglected that even the World Government couldn't be bothered to extend its grasp there.
Gern Reginald Sigmar disembarked from an East Blue Marine vessel, stepping onto the docks of the government-controlled side of the port.
To the officials of the Sorbet Kingdom, this was nothing unusual.Marine warships often docked briefly for supplies. As long as they didn't interfere in internal affairs, everyone preferred to look the other way.
"Captain Gern, we'll be heading back now," a petty officer saluted crisply.
"Go ahead," Gern replied with a faint smile, lifting a hand. "If I leave later, I'll contact the South Blue branch directly."
As the warship slowly pulled away from the harbor, Gern inhaled deeply. The humid, heavy air unique to the South Blue filled his lungs. He tugged the brim of his hat lower, shadowing half his face, and stepped into the city.
Four years ago—during the chaos of God Valley—young Bartholomew Kuma and Ginny had escaped amidst the carnage. Eventually, they'd returned to Kuma's homeland: the Sorbet Kingdom.
According to Gern's fragmented memories, they were hiding in an abandoned church somewhere in this forsaken region.
Four years…Kuma should be fourteen now. Ginny… seventeen.
"I wonder how they're doing now…" Gern murmured, a faint smile flickering across his lips.
The lawless district of Sorbet was even more desolate than he'd imagined.
Crumbling buildings. Cracked earth. People in tattered clothes wandering aimlessly.It felt like a place the world had deliberately erased.
With no idea which church it was, Gern asked around until an elderly fruit vendor finally spoke up.
"There is a young pair living in an abandoned church nearby," she said slowly. "They've been taking care of the elderly and children lately."
Her cloudy eyes narrowed in thought."That boy's huge—hands like bear paws. And the girl… always smiling. Lively, that one."
"Thank you," Gern said gently.
Following her directions, he passed through muddy backstreets until he reached a half-collapsed church.
Outside, a few elderly villagers sat resting beneath the shade of a tree.
Nearby, a tall boy crouched carefully beside an old woman, gently bandaging her injured knee.
That boy was Bartholomew Kuma.
Though only fourteen, he already stood nearly two meters tall.His broad shoulders, bear-like ears—distinctive traits of the Buccaneer bloodline—and those massive paw-like hands made him unmistakable.
Yet his movements were astonishingly gentle, as though afraid to cause pain.Nothing about him suggested someone who had survived the hell of God Valley or endured slavery.
"Thank you, Kuma…" the old woman said kindly.
"You're welcome," he replied softly. "Please don't get the wound wet. And if you need help with farm work, come find me."
Gern stood a short distance away, watching quietly.
Just like I remember…Too gentle for this world.
He stepped forward.
Sensing someone's presence, Kuma looked up. A man dressed in black stood before him, hat pulled low, a blade wrapped in white cloth hanging at his waist.
"Hello," Kuma said politely, standing up. His towering frame cast a shadow over Gern, yet his tone was warm and gentle—almost disarmingly so.
Gern studied him briefly before smiling casually."I heard there's a doctor here who can take people's pain away. Thought I'd come take a look."
Kuma blinked, then smiled sincerely."Yes… that's true. But you don't seem sick."
Gern casually lied that he was just a traveler passing through.Kuma believed him without question and warmly welcomed him inside the church.
The interior was simple—rough wooden tables, herbs and bandages neatly arranged, a few tattered medical books in the corner.
Crude drawings covered the walls—childish sketches of Kuma's broad, smiling face.
"You live here alone?" Gern asked.
Kuma shook his head but didn't say Ginny's name.
"This place used to be abandoned… but later, people with nowhere to go started staying here."
His voice was soft, but Gern understood—this was Kuma's home now.
He glanced at the elderly sleeping nearby, the children curled beneath blankets, then back at Kuma.
"You take away their pain every day?"
"Yes. As long as I can."
"Doesn't that exhaust you?"
Kuma smiled gently."Compared to their suffering, my fatigue doesn't matter."
Gern stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a quiet chuckle.
"That's… a foolish answer."
Kuma blinked, confused but not offended."Mr. Gern… do you know me?"
Gern didn't answer. He turned toward the window instead.
Outside, ragged children chased a limping stray dog through the mud.
"You've never thought about leaving this place?" he asked suddenly.
"Leaving?" Kuma echoed, puzzled, though he still checked Gern's condition out of habit. In his mind, Gern was simply another patient seeking help.
"If my ability can help someone… then I should use it."
"The world is vast," Gern said, turning to face him."Beyond the South Blue, there's the East, the West, the Grand Line… and even places beyond that."
Kuma's hands paused. After a moment, he said quietly,"But… the people here need me."
Something tightened in Gern's chest.
This boy had survived the inferno of God Valley, lost his parents, lived as a slave—and yet still chose kindness.
Even now, facing a stranger of unknown intent, he offered help without hesitation, willing to shoulder pain that wasn't his.
Kuma… you're kind to the point of cruelty.
"You save them," Gern said softly. "But what then? Their pain disappears for a moment, yet the world keeps crushing them. Hunger. Disease. Oppression… Can you bear it all forever?"
Kuma's fingers curled slightly—then relaxed.
"Maybe not forever," he said calmly."But as long as I can… I will."
Sunlight slanted through the broken windows, outlining him in soft gold.
A man with the power to repel everything—yet he chose to carry the suffering of others.
"Mr. Gern," Kuma said suddenly, returning to his examination, "do you train often?"
"You've got signs of fatigue… and you were seriously injured not long ago.But don't worry—I can push the pain out—"
Before he could finish, Gern spoke:
"Kuma… if you could travel anywhere… where would you want to go?"