Because Kuma was busy searching for the medical equipment Haibara Meow needed, he rarely came back. Every time he found something new, he would usually just send it back using his Devil Fruit ability.
As a result, before Bonney could even make proper use of her newly awakened power—where she could finally affect others—Kuma still hadn't returned. Instead, an unwelcome guest arrived…
"Bad news! King Beckley has returned again!"
The old folks who often visited Bonney in the church crowded at the doorway, shouting in panic.
"He planning to burn all the burdens of this country alive!"
"That guy isn't even human!"
"The massacre has already begun!"
Sherwin froze for a moment, rubbed his forehead, and said:"Wait, this Beckley—wasn't he overthrown by the Revolutionary Army more than ten years ago? He didn't die?"
"He escaped early on with his men and the royal treasury!"
"We all thought he had died out there already!"
The elderly answered one after another, voices overlapping.
"Then what about King Bulldog? Can't he stop Beckley?"
"No. Beckley may have fled, but he still the rightful king. Bulldog is only considered a regent. Even the Marines can't intervene."
What kind of bullshit rule is this?!Sherwin couldn't help but complain inwardly.
But thinking about it, even in the manga, Drum Kingdom had a similar setup. He could only accept this kind of setting.
However…
The silly netizens were right—Dragon and his Revolutionary Army are really just useless!
Back then, letting Beckley escape was bad enough, but more than ten years have passed and they still haven't cleaned up this loose end!
As Sherwin ranted in his heart, he and Haibara Meow quickly stopped the Felynes who were about to rush out. Now was definitely not the time to start a fight with the World Government.
Even if they tried to contact Kuma, it would be too late. His Paw-Paw Fruit could send things flying fast, but it wasn't the Teleport-Teleport Fruit or Instant Movement—it still needed time.
Watching the flames rise in the distance, Sherwin clicked his tongue helplessly, then walked up to Bonney and extended his hand toward her…
"Luckily, I had the foresight to make you train your fruit power. Alright, do me a favor—make me look older. I don't want the Marines and the World Government targeting me just for assassinating a king."
Bonney grasped Sherwin hand, pressing her lips together with determination as she activated her not-yet-mastered ability.
The moment her power flowed, Sherwin felt his perspective shift higher, and his clothes tightened slightly around him.
Something felt strange around his mouth. Reaching up to touch it, his hand brushed against a thick beard…
So I'm going to be a bearded man in the future?
"Sherwin-nii, you wanted to hide your identity, right? So I thought I should also give you a beard." Bonney explained.
"Nice work!" Sherwin praised her, though a trace of doubt surfaced in his heart…
Was Bonney ability really just the Age-Age Fruit?
But now wasn't the time to think about that. Sherwin tore off the shirt that no longer fit, tied a headband around his head just like Zoro, and figured with how pirates generally had terrible face recognition, he probably wouldn't be exposed.
Only then did he pull out the greatsword from his bag—the two-handed blade named "Manticore."
Thankfully, back at the St. Brabo auction, he hadn't sold it off.
Sherwin gave the greatsword a few swings, then turned to the Investigation Corps' steward and instructed:
"Huamei, keep an eye on them."
"Don't worry, Admiral." Haibara Meow gave Klee Meow a sharp warning glance, forcing the little ragdoll to obediently crouch back beside her. Only then did she nod and say, "I'll keep everyone safe."
Before leaving the church, Sherwin passed on a bit of his philosophy to Bonney—"Relying on yourself is better than relying on others."
"See? At a time like this, there no Nika coming to save you. Instead of praying to him, it better to make yourself strong enough."
After finishing his words, he hefted the door-sized greatsword onto his shoulder and dashed toward the place where flames lit up the sky.
…
When Sherwin arrived at the fire, he first used his fastest speed to rescue all the trapped people inside and bring them to safety. Then, raising Manticore horizontally—
Demon Mode + Charged Slash + Spirit Blade + Horizontal Sweep
Monster Hunter Style · Overlord Raging Lion!
The door-like greatsword whipped up a massive storm, instantly suppressing the raging flames.
Sherwin then swung Manticore back and forth in different directions a few more times, fanning the fire completely out.
"Damn it! Who dares obstruct His Majesty the King plan!"
A man dressed like a noble cursed loudly as he charged in with a squad of soldiers. Each of them carried a torch in hand—it was obvious they were the culprits behind the raging fire.
Sherwin had no intention of wasting words with them. He adjusted his grip on the Longsword, switching back to its normal hold, and then unleashed another charged slash toward the noble and his soldiers.
But this time, it wasn't a storming strike. Instead, a massive flying slash burst forth, cutting the shouting noble and the soldiers behind him cleanly in half at the waist.
The bisected noble and soldiers didn't die immediately, releasing bloodcurdling screams as they collapsed.
Mm, that would be the Longsword version of Heavenbreaker Collapse. The Great Sword version would be something like Skypiercer Ruin.
Sherwin still paid no mind to them. He simply gave his flying slash a new name in silence, then hefted his Longsword upside-down and strode toward the royal palace…
Because with his Observation Haki, he had already "heard" the protests and gunfire echoing from there.
…
King Beckley, the so-called "King Return," stood atop the palace, admiring the flames consuming the southern district.
It was a "management" method he had learned from the Goa Kingdom—because doing so could please the Celestial Dragons, and even draw them to visit.
As a ruler once driven from his country by the Revolutionary Army, Beckley ability to make his "triumphant return" after sixteen years was not just thanks to the treasure and subordinates he had carried off while fleeing.
The most critical factor was that he had gained the support of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
Thus, where once he had divided his kingdom in two to lessen the burden of the Heavenly Tribute, Beckley now thought only of how to curry favor with the Celestial Dragons.
"Sometimes, to achieve great happiness, one must be ruthless enough to change the nation…"
Beckley pressed his fingers lightly against his forehead, striking the pose of a man exhausting himself for the sake of the Sorbet Kingdom.
But his moment of "self-moved sentiment" was soon interrupted by the sound of protests outside the palace.
"Nothing but a bunch of rabble," Beckley frowned in displeasure. "It seems they've completely forgotten who the true ruler of this nation is."
He immediately gave the order for the soldiers to open fire on the people gathered at the palace gates, driving them away…
"A few deaths don't matter. It all in the name of justice. If they still refuse to leave, execute every last one of them."
If Beckley hadn't still needed some laborers to serve his purposes, he wouldn't have been so "softhearted" as to give these rabble a chance to regret their actions.
He would have simply followed the example of the Celestial Dragons and slaughtered them all outright.
Suddenly, the flames in the distance vanished in a short span of time, and even the billowing smoke was blown away by some immense gust of wind.
"What is that fool Carol doing?!" The kingly demeanor Beckley had been putting on instantly shattered as he roared in fury:
"Didn't I assign him a squad of soldiers? How could those rabble have put out the fire?!"
The protests and even resistance of the people meant nothing to him—but matters concerning how he flattered the Celestial Dragons were absolutely not allowed to go wrong!
However, Beckley had no time now to pursue the accountability of Carol—who had already been sliced cleanly in two—for suddenly, at the palace gates, there appeared a shirtless man with a bandana tied around his head and a thick beard covering his face.
In his hand, he carried a massive greatsword the size of a door, its weight obvious at a glance—yet in the bearded man grip, it looked as light as paper.
"You there! Who are you?!"
Seeing Sherwin casually wave his Longsword and blow away all the bullets fired by the soldiers, a sense of dread rose in Beckley heart…
Back when he had been driven out by the Revolutionary Army, there had been several figures just like this—men who treated entire armies as if they were nothing.
"Me?" Sherwin twirled the Longsword in a flourish as if it weighed nothing at all, then rested it lightly on his shoulder.
"I'm the guard hired by King Bulldogg, here to make sure you—a runaway former king—never return."
Originally, Sherwin had intended to use the name of the Revolutionary Army to deal with Beckley. After all, they specialized in this sort of work, and wouldn't mind taking the blame.
But thinking about how sloppy and unfinished their operations usually were, Sherwin didn't feel like patching up another one of Dragon messes, so instead he invoked the name of the former king.
Hm? Not the Revolutionary Army?
Beckley let out a breath of relief, though mixed with a trace of disappointment.
To avoid repeating the tragedy of sixteen years ago, he had not only mustered a large force of soldiers but had also borrowed two powerful guards from the Celestial Dragons.
If it had been the Revolutionary Army, Beckley might have worried. But that old fool Bulldogg, who knew nothing about hoarding wealth—what kind of formidable fighter could he possibly hire?
"The former king? That old relic has long since abdicated! I am the one recognized by the World Government as the true King of the Sorbet Kingdom!"
Beckley sneered with disdain, loudly proclaiming the legitimacy of his throne.
So dismissive of Sherwin was he that he didn't even bother attempting to recruit him. Instead, he directly ordered the two guards lent to him—
"Kill that man for me!"