Inside the Sorbet Palace, the tall figure of Bartholomew Kuma sat upon his throne.
The entire palace lacked any trace of luxury. On the contrary, it was remarkably simple. Even the throne that symbolized royal power was plain and unadorned.
As for Bartholomew Kuma himself, he didn't carry himself like a king at all.
He wore the same clothing Finn would later become intimately familiar with. On his nose sat a pair of glasses that looked comically small compared to his enormous frame. On his head rested a spotted bear-ear cap.
He held a book in his hands, reading quietly on the throne.
The Bible. The same one he'd never put down in the future.
Two years ago, he'd met former Vice Admiral Monkey D. Dragon and received tremendous inspiration and intellectual enlightenment from him.
Therefore, as a king, he'd resolutely prepared for reform. He'd firmly believed that if the reforms could be implemented, the Sorbet Kingdom would usher in a brand new future.
But unfortunately, it had failed in the end.
In the past two years, he'd only met Dragon a handful of times. It couldn't be said that Dragon had bewitched him. Rather, he was simply a king with desire for change.
Now, he had failed. The country lay in tatters.
He knew perfectly well his failure wasn't because he'd chosen the wrong path. It was because the enemy he'd faced was too powerful.
Perhaps he had regrets.
But if given another chance, perhaps he'd still choose to embark on the path of reform.
Still, his heart ached that his country was being ruthlessly manipulated, that innocent citizens were falling into darkness and conspiracy.
Even as he looked at the Bible in his hands, he couldn't calm the hatred he felt toward the World Government in his heart.
Click, click, click...
The sound of footsteps approached from outside the palace.
Bartholomew Kuma heard them, but he didn't look up. He simply continued reading the book in his hands quietly.
From the shadows of the hall, Stussy's figure slowly emerged.
She wore a small white hat with an exquisite ladies' handbag hanging from her arm, still looking effortlessly elegant.
She didn't look like someone here to complete an important mission. On the contrary, she resembled a noble lady attending a palace banquet.
"Mr. Bartholomew Kuma, you should already know the purpose of our visit. So, please give me an answer that won't disappoint me, would you?" Stussy said with a pleasant smile.
Bartholomew Kuma said nothing. Didn't even look at Stussy.
Seeing this, Stussy didn't press. Instead, she took her time observing the surrounding environment.
As a CP agency member, she'd dealt with many member nations and seen countless royal palaces. But this was the most austere palace she'd ever encountered.
As for Bartholomew Kuma himself, the king of a country, he didn't carry even the slightest hint of arrogance.
Perhaps he's a good king. Such a pity he had to become an enemy of the World Government, Stussy thought with some sentiment.
There was a soft rustling sound as Bartholomew Kuma turned a page. After reading the passage closely, he slowly raised his head.
His gaze passed over Stussy, focusing on the palace entrance.
Another figure was approaching. Unlike Stussy's light footfalls, these steps were obviously much heavier.
Short blond hair, slightly messy but sharp. An extremely powerful physique. The Justice coat draped over broad shoulders. Vice Admiral epaulettes displayed prominently.
The presence of a true fighter.
That's right. From the very beginning, Bartholomew Kuma hadn't taken Stussy seriously.
This woman was too weak. She wasn't worthy enough to force him to abdicate.
That's why Bartholomew Kuma had been waiting. Waiting for someone who would make him give up. Who would destroy the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
And that person had arrived.
"The 'Violent Tiger' of Marine Headquarters, Vice Admiral Rodriguez Finn?" Bartholomew Kuma closed the Bible in his hands and asked the approaching figure.
Yes, it was Finn who'd come.
Sōzai at his waist swayed with his steps. He stopped after reaching Stussy's position, looking at the infamous tyrant with mild curiosity.
"That's me. Pleased to meet you, Bartholomew Kuma... Your Majesty," Finn said softly.
Unlike Stussy, he didn't address Bartholomew Kuma as "Mister," but as "Your Majesty."
This made Bartholomew Kuma's expression complicated. Your Majesty?
He'd never expected to hear such a title from a World Government representative.
Stussy also looked at Finn strangely, though she said nothing.
Obviously, Bartholomew Kuma looked down on her and had chosen to speak with Finn first.
But this was also beneficial. Stussy knew how to protect herself. When facing Bartholomew Kuma, though she tried her best to maintain calm elegance on the surface, she remained somewhat fearful inside.
As a CP-0 member, she naturally knew exactly how powerful this deposed king was!
It was excellent that Finn was there to help bear that pressure.
"As a Marine, you should be someone who upholds justice, correct? Do you think this situation is just?" Bartholomew Kuma asked.
Finn smiled and shook his head. "The justice maintained by the Marines represents order. Order in the Sorbet Kingdom has collapsed. Your Majesty, you should be most aware of this. The only way the Marines can restore order and justice here in the shortest possible time is... for you to abdicate."
"Order..." Bartholomew Kuma murmured softly.
Wasn't the order here destroyed by your World Government?
However, he already understood what Finn meant, so he didn't pursue the point further.
"What happens afterward? What will become of the Sorbet Kingdom after this?" Bartholomew Kuma asked.
Finn remained silent. Stussy then spoke. "Please rest assured, Mr. Kuma. All sins will be attributed to you alone. As long as you abdicate, the World Government will forgive the Sorbet Kingdom's transgressions and select a successor from within the royal family..."
"In other words, as long as I abdicate, I will bear sole responsibility for all crimes, and the World Government will spare the royal family and the Sorbet Kingdom, correct?" Bartholomew Kuma clarified.
"Of course. As punishment, you will be exiled and never permitted to set foot in the Sorbet Kingdom again for the remainder of your life," Stussy confirmed with a nod.
Bartholomew Kuma said nothing.
But in truth, he'd already accepted this condition in his heart.
He'd resisted, but ultimately failed.
However, before accepting this defeat, he still wanted to retain a king's dignity.
Thinking this, Bartholomew Kuma stood from the throne. He was tremendously tall, nearly seven meters, like a small giant.
Thanks to his enormous frame and powerful strength, when he rose, his presence and oppressive aura became terrifyingly intense.
Stussy felt the pressure from this aura, heart pounding. She couldn't help glancing at Finn before her. Seeing him appear calm and composed, for some reason, her originally nervous state of mind quickly settled.
"Buzz... buzz... buzz..." An inexplicable sound emanated from Bartholomew Kuma's hands.
Bartholomew Kuma descended from the throne, gathering energy in his palms.
It was like holding a transparent sphere.
Air. Finn recognized the technique. He was compressing atmosphere. This was the Paramecia-type Paw-Paw Fruit's power, said to be capable of deflecting anything.
Even conceptual things like injuries and fatigue could be expelled.
Of course, Bartholomew Kuma might not have developed his abilities to the point of affecting pure concepts yet.
But regardless, the Paw-Paw Fruit was tremendously powerful. Not inferior to his own Press-Press Fruit.
Even Finn couldn't identify any obvious flaws in Bartholomew Kuma more than twenty years in the future.
Strength: Just looking at his physique, it was obviously extraordinary. Tremendously powerful.
Speed: Bartholomew Kuma's velocity could reach the point of teleportation with his abilities. He'd even been able to casually intervene in duels between Dark King Silvers Rayleigh and Marine Admiral Borsalino. His speed was imaginable.
At the same time, his offensive power was devastatingly strong. He could kill Little Oars Jr. in a single blow.
And after being injured, he could use his ability to expel the damage itself...
There were virtually no weaknesses. This kind of strength was comprehensively overwhelming.
No wonder this man was called the "Invincible Tyrant" after becoming a pirate. After being taken as a slave by the Celestial Dragons, even having lost his self-awareness, he was still called the "Invincible Slave."
Thinking carefully, this man's strength genuinely met the template of "invincible."
Perhaps the cyborg transformation he'd undergo was actually a weakness? Perhaps it wouldn't strengthen him at all, but instead weaken him?
But those were future concerns. Finn didn't believe Bartholomew Kuma was currently as strong as he'd be twenty years from now.
Seeing Bartholomew Kuma make his move, Finn also placed his hand on Sōzai.
The ground beneath his feet began trembling slightly. The solid palace floor warped at its edges. Invisible gravity, emitting a pale lavender halo, spread outward in all directions with Finn at the epicenter.
"Shall I give you a proper send-off?" Finn looked at Bartholomew Kuma.
"Thank you," Bartholomew Kuma replied softly.
The next moment, his figure suddenly vanished from Finn's sight. His speed was so extreme it was nearly invisible. Stussy beside him gasped in surprise. If that speed had been directed at her, she'd have had no power to resist whatsoever.
"Pad Cannon!" Bartholomew Kuma shouted. With a single palm thrust, he fired the compressed energy sphere toward Finn.
Finn managed to track Bartholomew Kuma's movement. True, Kuma's speed was extreme. Though his eyes couldn't follow precisely, his Observation Haki still kept pace.
He grabbed Stussy's body with his free hand, the woman unable to react in time, and pushed off explosively with his feet, retreating violently.
Was it an illusion, or did something feel elastic under my hand?
The next moment, Bartholomew Kuma's palm struck the ground, leaving a distinct paw print embedded in the floor.
After landing, Stussy looked at Finn beside her with bewildered confusion. This guy's hand was still gripping her body.
Though she was genuinely grateful this bastard hadn't forgotten to bring her along when evading Bartholomew Kuma's attack...
But your 'bear-grabbing' evacuation technique... wasn't it excessive?
It hurt! Bastard!
Finn, however, was completely oblivious. His gaze remained fixed on Bartholomew Kuma. He released Stussy, drew Sōzai, and said, "You're welcome."
As soon as he finished speaking, his aura surged dramatically!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~