Chapter 1097

Kuma was touched by this, though Ginny retorted that he pampered these people way too much. One of the old folk stated that they would pay if they could, but the Heavenly Tribute was making it difficult for them to make ends meet. It turned out that Sorbet Kingdom had received a new king named Bekori, and he was reputed to be a cold-blooded tyrant who sent sick people that could not pay the tribute to a terrible prison where they would eventually die of starvation because he refused to feed them. In short, the people considered him caring more for what the World Nobles say than the voices of the people he was supposed to protect. Kuma told his patients that he would continue to treat them for light pain and sickness, so they could come every week, which they deeply appreciated.

At night, once all the people left, Kuma took the bubble of pain and sickness he had removed from the people and took it into his own body, causing him great discomfort and deeply saddening Ginny. As Ginny treated him, she tearfully told him that no one knew that he was doing this to himself. Kuma said that he had no choice because if someone did not take in that bubble of pain, it would eventually return to the person it had come from. But it made people happy, and that was more than enough for him. He apologized to her for making her worry, and the two ate together.

Five years later, Ginny proposed to Kuma, but he rejected her, much to her annoyance as she believed she could make him happy. Kuma stated, though, that he already was, but in reality, he feared that because of his Buccaneer blood, she may suffer the same way he and his mother had done. He shifted topics to discuss the Freedom Fighters and the protests they had been starting in every kingdom, and now the World Government had finally issued a warrant for them. Kuma took notice of Monkey D. Dragon and stated he viewed him as a cool person, and that someday, he would set out to sea and spend his life helping others.

He then went to receive some fish brought to Ginny by some other would-be suitors, much to her annoyance. Three years later, Kuma demanded that the kingdom’s soldiers return all of the people they kidnapped, but they refused, saying that the law said they could use them however they saw fit. Enraged, Kuma attacked them, causing him to be called a traitor. It turned out that King Bekori had split Sorbet Kingdom in two: The northern half of the island was the “true” kingdom for people who could pay the Heavenly Tribute, while everyone else that made too little was cut off and resided in the “Lawless Area.” As a result of Kuma’s defiance, he was imprisoned, and Ginny and several others who tried to help him followed suit. Kuma knew that if this policy continued this kingdom would discriminate against others, and Ginny said that if they fought against the king, who was under the World Nobles’ thumb, it was the equivalent of fighting against the entire World Government.

However, the Freedom Fighters invaded Sorbet and deposed Bekori, abolishing the slave policy and freeing the kingdom from the oppressive government. Dragon and Ivankov then found Kuma locked up and the latter invited him to join and change their world for the better. Together, Dragon, Ivankov, and Kuma would go on to reform the Freedom Fighters as the Revolutionary Army following the Ohara Incident, turning their small bouts of protesting into a full-scale rebellion. Due to lacking funds, they became mercenaries lending their services to other rebellions against their oppressors, and Dragon offered to train anyone who decided to join up. Kuma was surprised that Dragon knew how to use weapons, and he stated he had once served the Marines, but quit because he had seen no “justice” there. Ivankov commented that Dragon just wanted to help people, and Kuma proclaimed his loyalty to him, which Dragon accepted. Eight years later, Ginny, who also had joined the army and served as a Captain, expressed happiness at meeting up with Kuma’s division. Unfortunately, she was captured by an unexpected enemy, and Dragon was quickly notified of this distress.