"Kuma—if you could travel, where would you want to go?"
The sudden question caught Kuma off guard. He froze, clearly not expecting Gern to ask something like that.
"Travel…?"
He blinked, looking at Gern with confusion.
"I… I've never really thought about it."
"Is that so?"
Gern smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping across the simple yet warm interior of the church.
Burnt bread lay on the wooden table.
Bundles of medicinal herbs Kuma had gathered from the forest were stacked in the corner.
Several patched-up clothes hung on the wall.
"Your home feels warm," Gern said lightly.
"And you're not alone, are you? A girl keeps you company."
"Ah—"
Kuma's eyes instinctively shifted away. Clearly fond of Ginny, he awkwardly changed the subject.
"Mr. Gern… I'm satisfied with my current life. I don't really have thoughts of traveling."
The Paw-Paw Fruit was an extremely powerful ability.
Back then, Gern himself had once favored that Devil Fruit.
Unfortunately—whether due to the world anchoring people to their destined paths or sheer bad timing—he had missed it.
But looking at it now, Kuma, who had eaten the Paw-Paw Fruit, would become a formidable force in the future.
And as Gern continued rising within the Marines, he would eventually need a faction of his own—
a justice that belonged solely to him.
Rather than recruiting existing Marine officers, Gern preferred gathering strength from outside the system.
With his foreknowledge of the future, he could intercept many valuable individuals.
Kuma was one of them.
As for Kuma joining the Revolutionary Army?
Gern believed that was largely due to coincidence—Ivankov, Ginny, the circumstances at the time.
Kuma himself had no strong ambitions.
He simply wanted to help others.
And really—helping was helping.
Better to help him.
At least when Kuma needed help most, Gern wouldn't just stand by and sweat.
"Big Kuma! Big Kuma!"
Ginny's cheerful voice rang out from outside the church.
"Granny Aya gave me freshly baked bread! Come try it!"
"She's back," Gern said with a faint smile.
Even through the door, Ginny's energy was unmistakable.
"Big Kuma! I'm back!"
Her footsteps were light, followed by the creak of the wooden door opening.
Pink hair swayed as she stepped inside. At seventeen, Ginny had grown into a bright, lively young woman—her smile radiant, her eyes full of life.
But the moment she saw Gern standing beside Kuma—
Her smile froze.
Her steps halted.
"Y-You… why are you here?!"
Her voice trembled as she pointed at Gern, fear and vigilance filling her eyes.
"Ginny?"
Kuma noticed immediately and turned in confusion.
But before he could approach her, her face had already gone pale, cold sweat forming on her forehead.
Ginny's pupils shrank violently, her fingers trembling uncontrollably as she stared at Gern's faintly smiling face.
"Big Kuma… stay away from him…"
Her voice was taut, stretched like a drawn bowstring.
"He's a Marine Headquarters captain…"
Her throat bobbed.
"The one from two months ago—the man in the papers who severely wounded Golden Lion in a single strike—
'Skyquake' Gern!"
The air instantly froze.
Kuma rarely read newspapers, but the moment he realized Gern was a Marine officer, his body stiffened.
After all—he and Ginny were escaped slaves of the Celestial Dragons.
"Haha…"
Gern casually adjusted the brim of his hat, a teasing curve forming at his lips.
"I didn't expect my name to be this famous—even in the South Blue."
"The World Economy News Paper really doesn't hold back on publicity."
The moment he moved, Ginny rushed forward, placing herself squarely in front of Kuma.
Her slender arms spread wide like a mother beast protecting her cubs.
"What do you want?!"
Her voice shook with suppressed fear.
"Hunting down escaped slaves—does that make you feel accomplished?!"
Gern looked at her tense expression and suddenly chuckled.
Slowly, deliberately, he removed his hat, revealing his full face.
"Relax."
"I'm currently on…"
He dragged out the word deliberately.
"Va–ca–tion~"
Even so, as his gaze swept over the two of them, Ginny couldn't stop herself from shivering.
After all, everything she knew about Gern came from exaggerated headlines.
A man who could seriously wound Golden Lion with a single slash—
In this era, the name Golden Lion itself symbolized the pinnacle of combat power.
Who wouldn't be afraid?
"Well then,"
Gern gave a small bow, performing an exaggerated gentleman's salute.
"Let's properly introduce ourselves again."
His gaze shifted to Kuma.
"The kind Bartholomew Kuma."
Then it locked onto Ginny.
"And… Jewelry Bonney—Ginny."
Ginny's breathing stopped.
Calling them by their full names meant only one thing—
This Marine already possessed their information.
At the same time, Kuma noticed Ginny's trembling shoulders.
The fear in her eyes stabbed into his heart like needles.
I can't let Ginny be afraid. I have to protect her.
The moment that thought exploded in his mind, his body moved.
His towering frame stepped past Ginny, his paw-shaped hand glowing faintly as the air compressed within his palm.
"Though it's very rude…"
Kuma's voice was deep and unwavering.
"Please leave."
His palm slammed toward Gern's chest—
A force capable of sending a person flying for days.
But—
Bang!
A single finger, coated in jet-black Armament Haki, lightly pressed against Kuma's palm.
The world seemed to pause.
"Sorry,"
Gern smiled faintly.
"I don't feel like going on a trip."
The Haki-coated finger was as unyielding as steel, completely blocking the Paw-Paw Fruit's power.
"What?!"
Kuma's pupils shrank violently.
He had never encountered Haki before.
His ability… stopped by a single finger?
The shockwave burst outward, rattling the church's fragile windows.
"Watch out!!" Ginny cried from behind.
Kuma tried to press harder—
But Gern's finger didn't budge, like an immovable mountain.
"This power…"
Kuma whispered in disbelief.
Gern withdrew his finger calmly.
"Haki. A power that can counter Devil Fruits."
His eyes swept across Kuma's hand.
"Your ability is strong. But there are many forces in this world you haven't yet encountered."
Ginny rushed forward, gripping Kuma's arm, staring at Gern warily.
"What do you want?!"
Gern didn't answer immediately.
He turned his head slightly, looking past them—toward the sky beyond the church.
"I only wanted to tell you this…"
His voice was low and steady.
"If you can't even break past one of my fingers—
how do you plan to face your true enemies?"
Then his gaze returned to Ginny.
"Or rather—if I truly had ill intentions…"
"…would Kuma still be standing here when you came back?"
Silence swallowed the room.
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