They stayed in the capital of the Sorbet Kingdom for three days.
After the new King Bulldog completely took over the kingdom and abolished the orders of the previous King Bekori, Seven accompanied Kuma and Ginny to the southern part of the kingdom.
Kuma and Ginny had lived in seclusion in the southern countryside for many years, and the church held their happiest memories.
As for how to get from the capital to the church, Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit was used.
The Paw-Paw Fruit is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.
It performs excellently in offense, defense, healing, and speed, making it one of the most near-perfect Devil Fruits.
The user's palms develop paw-like pads that can repel anything, including solids, liquids, gases, fatigue, pain, DMG, heat, souls, slashes, slash waves, shockwaves, and energy... The speed at which matter is repelled can be controlled by the user's will, reaching up to the speed of light.
It can even repel living beings using the fruit's power, achieving spatial displacement similar to a teleportation effect.
Kuma said gently, "Captain, don't be too nervous. Just relax."
Seven completely relaxed his mind and body, waiting to experience the novel sensation of teleportation.
When he was slapped into the air and surrounded by a paw-shaped shockwave, before he could even process the experience, he was instantly repelled to his destination by the shockwave.
Immediately after, the figures of Kuma and Ginny appeared.
"How was it? Is it faster than flying yourself?" Ginny asked with a chuckle.
Seven shrugged. "It's indeed quite good."
Compared to this passive teleportation, Seven actually preferred active flight, where he could truly feel the wind whistling past his ears.
Perhaps he lacked a sense of security.
He always liked to be proactive rather than passive in everything.
"Captain, where is our ship parked? The previous news report photo was too blurry. I only remember it has a dragon-headed prow and red sails. I wonder if Kuma-chin will be able to fit."
When Ginny was around, Kuma spoke very little.
Seven smiled. "There's absolutely no problem with Kuma-san staying there. I've already notified Mihawk to sail the ship to the nearest port. Once we pack up, we can set off."
Bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt~
The moment Ginny pressed connect, the den den mushi mimicked an exaggerated expression and tone.
"Kuma, Kuma?"
"Little Ivan, it's me, Ginny."
The den den mushi grinned widely. "That's great, as long as you're okay. Where are you? A friend of mine wants to see you."
Ginny instinctively looked up, only to see Seven doing a "little bear shrug" gesture, signaling: You decide.
"Kuma-chin and I are still at the church. But Little Ivan, hurry up. Kuma-chin and I are going to sea with the Captain."
den den mushi: "We'll be there soon."
Sorbet Kingdom, South.
Ivankov hung up the den den mushi and looked at his companion with a smile. "Dragon, Kuma and Ginny are still at the old place. Let's head over quickly."
Cold sweat broke out on Dragon's forehead as he finally realized why he had been feeling a sense of loss all along this journey.
It turned out Kuma and Ginny had been snatched away by someone else.
Who is it?? How bold!!
Dragon had long grown accustomed to Ivankov's exaggerated and slow reaction time.
"Ivan, didn't you hear just now? They're going to sea with a Captain?"
"Nani?"
Ivankov shook his oversized head, which was disproportionate to his body, and his brows furrowed into a knot. "What should we do? Kuma is the type who, once he makes up his mind, I can't pull him back."
Kuma was gentle, but stubborn.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have repeatedly refused Ginny's marriage proposals out of fear that his bloodline would implicate her. Ginny had been his companion for sixteen years.
Dragon, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief.
"Let's go. We'll see them off and meet their Captain while we're at it."
While losing two potential partners was disheartening, Dragon was even more curious about the Captain who could make Kuma and Ginny follow him.
Just what kind of person could open Kuma's heart, which had been closed for many years, and make him leave his homeland for the sea?
At the entrance of the countryside church.
Kuma and Ginny were giving daily necessities to the nearby villagers, all because they had a generous Captain who gave them a 100 million Berries red envelope.
He called it some kind of crew benefit.
Seven stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against a stone pillar at the church entrance, quietly watching this peaceful scene.
When he left Housha Town to go to sea with Captain Roger, not nearly as many people saw him off. As expected of you, Kuma-san, you always manage to dispel the cold around you with that gentle and warm heart.
While changing the fates of Kuma and Ginny fulfilled Seven's obsession, it not only gained him immediate combat power but also had immense strategic significance.
He was one of the top Shichibukai in the original timeline, after all. And with Kuma around, situations like Ohara... arriving too late would never happen again.
Of course, he would have to take Kuma there once first.
Once back on the ship, Seven planned to give the Paramecia-type Gate-Gate Fruit to Ginny.
If Ginny were willing to eat it, the combination of the Gate-Gate Fruit and the Paw-Paw Fruit in the future would grant true freedom of movement—going wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted.
The Gate-Gate Fruit can open doors anywhere.
This includes conceptual things like air, the human body, and fire. It can also create an independent green sub-dimension, achieving absolutely safe concealment, movement, and logistics storage.
With the two combined, the Morning Star Pirates will—
Become a phantom force that cannot be tracked, surrounded, or worn down.
They could deploy their core combat power to any corner of the world within minutes—
Including the Reverie, Marineford, and Holy Land Mary Geoise, to carry out assassinations or strategic deterrence.
If Ginny didn't want to become a fruit user, then he would wait for the next crew member to choose.
But it must be held by one of his own. Someone like the Ope-Ope no Mi user, Doctor Phoenix, was extremely difficult for Seven to trust.
With the Morning Star Pirates' current crew configuration, it was time to plant their flag in the New World and occupy an island as their base.
By the time Kuma and Ginny finished their work, Seven had already set up a bonfire at the church entrance, roasting sizzling beef legs, Fish, and Sea King meat.
Ginny circled Seven several times.
"Captain, where did you find this meat?"
Everyone had been empty-handed when they returned, yet in the blink of an eye, a roast meat feast was ready.
Seven smiled without saying a word and produced a large bucket of Milk as if by magic.
"Well, this Captain is born with extraordinary Talents. I've eaten the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Thunder God Form, the Narukami Ogosho."
Rather than being secretive, it was better to be open. In the world of pirates, while spatial abilities were extremely rare, they were at least within the realm of acceptability.
If it were an ordinary world, Seven would certainly not expose his spatial ability—the existence of the System Warehouse.
"Ah?" Ginny sat down beside Kuma.
"I always thought you ate the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit. So it's a Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan."
Seven handed a roasted beef leg to Ginny. "Keep it a secret for your Captain."
Lying wasn't his intention, but rather an excuse Seven found for his Lunarian bloodline. Anyway, no one had seen him eat the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
I ate the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Thunder God Form. Believe it or not.
While the three were sitting around feasting, an abrupt voice suddenly rang out—
"It seems we've arrived at just the right time."