Although Luffy's bounty hadn't jumped directly to 30 million berries like it had after defeating Arlong in the original timeline, everything that happened in Loguetown—especially the dramatic scene on Roger's execution platform—had still made Smoker realize there was something uniquely significant about the young pirate.
After Smoker reported the incident to Marine Headquarters, he'd ignored direct orders from his superiors and resolutely begun pursuing Luffy across the Grand Line.
Given Smoker's intense focus on this particular rookie, the officials had paid closer attention and eventually issued Luffy an initial bounty of 20 million berries.
While this first bounty amount hadn't brought Luffy to the attention of many outside East Blue, it had certainly made Ace excited enough to chat enthusiastically with Jerry and the others for several rounds of conversation.
Even now, as Ace recounted the entire story in meticulous detail once again, Jerry took the opportunity to interject. "Deuce says we're not far from Alabasta. If you want to check out Spring Queen Town, that works for us too. Just keep your eyes open for any additional information. We'll use Skull's intelligence as our starting point."
Soon, both sides concluded their brief exchange and ended the call.
Speaking of Spring Queen Town, Jerry and the others couldn't help but recall it as one of the stops along Tom's Sea Train route from Water 7.
Jerry pondered the situation for a while. He had no memory of Teach appearing in Spring Queen Town during the original timeline, but he couldn't be certain whether the information Ace had received was accurate or not.
With his own involvement changing so many events, it wasn't impossible that Teach might have altered his route as well.
All Jerry knew for certain was that if Teach's ultimate goals remained the same, he would first focus on increasing his notoriety and building a fearsome reputation.
To achieve that objective, he'd likely target pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million berries.
If Teach could successfully capture a pirate worth over 100 million, Jerry speculated that the ambitious man wouldn't hesitate to apply for a Warlord position, considering there were still vacancies among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
After all, with Warlord status, he wouldn't need to fear Whitebeard's immediate retaliation and could operate without constant worry about Ace's pursuit.
When this line of thinking flashed through Jerry's mind, he felt a spark of inspiration, as if a new strategy was taking shape, though the details remained unclear.
Jerry shook his head and decided to table these bold ideas for the time being.
"All right, let's proceed as planned," he announced. "We'll gather supplies here and then continue on to Alabasta."
With that decision made, Jerry took the lead and headed toward the town's main streets.
As was customary during resupply missions, once the crew made landfall they usually enjoyed at least half a day of free time to explore and relax.
In the past, Jerry would typically use this opportunity to seek out rivers, lakes, or other water sources on whatever island they'd landed on for some casual fishing.
However, he chose not to pursue that hobby during this particular stop.
After separating from his crewmates, Jerry slung his fishing rod across his back, shoved his hands in his pockets, and appeared to wander around the town with casual leisure.
Before long, he turned several corners and walked into a narrow alley beside one of the main streets.
Jerry approached a familiar tall figure and raised his hand in greeting. "Hey there, Kuma. What a coincidence running into you here."
The massive form was indeed Bartholomew Kuma.
He startled suddenly and spun around in obvious panic. When he realized it was Jerry, he responded in his characteristic low voice. "Ahem... Brother Jerry, it's you. Hello."
After speaking, Kuma glanced through a nearby restaurant window at little Bonney inside, then quickly hid against the alley wall while raising a finger to signal for silence. "Shh."
Inside the establishment, Bonney had joined Carrot and Carina at a table, with Kotatsu curled up nearby. Carrot and Carina were already accustomed to Bonney's incredible appetite, so they had no objections to eating together before doing their shopping.
Jerry glanced calmly at Kuma crouched in the corner by the window, waved casually to little Bonney, and called out, "Oh, nothing important! I was just wandering around and happened to get lost here. You all enjoy your meal—I'm going to continue exploring."
"Okay! I'm ready to start eating!" Bonney responded enthusiastically before diving into the various delicacies that had just been served.
Realizing he hadn't been discovered, Kuma breathed a sigh of relief, gave Jerry a meaningful look, and vanished from the spot using his powers.
Jerry smiled slightly and moved to follow him.
In the woods beside a river on the outskirts of town, sunlight filtered through the leaf canopy, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor.
Jerry casually tossed his fishing line into the water and turned to observe Kuma, who sat quietly nearby writing something with intense concentration.
"You know, Kuma, you've been secretly watching her so many times now. Are you really never going to actually meet with Bonney?"
Hearing Jerry's question, Kuma stopped writing and scratched his head thoughtfully. His expression shifted several times before he replied with forced calm. "I still think it's better this way. I'm afraid that if we meet face to face, I won't be willing to leave afterward, and that might bring misfortune to her."
"Is that part of your agreement with the World Government?" Jerry asked, tilting his head and touching his ear casually.
Ever since little Bonney had joined the Black Star Pirates, Kuma had appeared secretly more than once, always hiding in the shadows and coming and going quietly while observing his daughter's daily life with obvious joy.
Jerry could always detect Kuma's presence, but he'd never taken the initiative to expose him. He'd pretended not to notice and allowed the Warlord to use his less-than-perfect stealth skills to his heart's content.
When the crew had been wandering around different seas, Kuma's visits had been relatively infrequent. Since returning to the Grand Line, however, he'd been checking in much more regularly.
Hearing Jerry's direct question, Kuma said nothing but nodded in silent confirmation.
After a moment, a genuine smile gradually appeared on the Revolutionary's face. "Brother Jerry, thank you so much. I'm incredibly grateful that you're willing to keep Bonney aboard your ship. I can see that she's truly happy."
"So what you're saying is, you want to maintain the current arrangement for now?" Jerry figured out that Kuma intended to continue letting Bonney travel with the Black Star Pirates indefinitely.
Kuma nodded with obvious shyness. "Please continue taking care of her for me. I believe that when the right time comes, everything will work out for the better."
He looked up at the brilliant sunlight filtering through the trees, and his smile suddenly brightened with genuine hope. "Because, although I'm not completely certain yet, I may have finally found the person I've been waiting for all these years."
Hearing this confession, Jerry didn't need to think twice to know that the person Kuma was waiting for was none other than Monkey D. Luffy.
Jerry pulled up his fishing rod and skillfully removed an unidentifiable object from the hook before tossing it aside. As he prepared to cast again, he spoke thoughtfully. "Is that so? Well, it'll be Bonney's tenth birthday soon, and she's been talking about you quite a lot lately."
Endless tenderness filled Kuma's eyes, and his face radiated pure joy at the mention of his daughter.
He slowly reached into his coat and carefully withdrew a gift box that had obviously been prepared with great thought and care. He handed it to Jerry with the reverence of someone entrusting their most precious treasure.
"Brother Jerry, this is my birthday present for her. Could you give this to Bonney and tell her something for me?"
He paused, his voice thick with emotion. "Just say... I wish her a very happy tenth birthday."
The simple request carried the weight of a father's love that transcended the impossible circumstances keeping them apart.