To be honest, for Ginny, that last sentence was the real killer.
After all, she had already proposed to Kuma several times—only to be turned down each time by that ridiculously pure-hearted guy.
Seriously, even Michael, just watching from the sidelines, wanted to crack open Kuma's head and see what kind of wiring was going on in there.
"Fighting... side by side."
Ginny silently nodded.
She actually knew that, in terms of combat ability, she had already fallen far behind Kuma—who not only had half-Buccaneer blood, but had also eaten the Paw-Paw Fruit.
Though battlefield intel mostly depended on her and the small squad she led, still...
She didn't want to stop there.
She wanted to do more.
Ginny's hand reached out slowly but resolutely toward the Flame-Flame Fruit. The tangerine-colored fruit lay before her like a ball of leaping fire.
Gulp.
After swallowing hard, she mentally braced herself.
Then opened her mouth wide and shoved the entire Flame-Flame Fruit inside.
The moment she started chewing, her whole body turned pale gray, as if she were about to ascend to heaven the next second.
For a food-loving girl like Ginny, the taste was a true assault on the senses—far worse than dying.
But no matter how painful it was, she didn't hesitate to swallow it all down.
At the same time, her body began to change quietly.
Fsssh.
A faint sound, and a tiny flame ignited on her forehead.
Then came a second... and a third...
Soon, Ginny was completely surrounded by fire.
Yet she felt no heat from the flames.
Instead, she felt...
Warmth and comfort.
She wanted... to become one with them.
The thought flashed through her mind—and suddenly Ginny realized she was floating in midair. Her entire lower body had turned into flames.
"Starting today, you're a Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit user." Michael tilted his head and looked at her.
"Congratulations—you've just obtained the key to the world of the strong."
"But the training and guidance that comes next—you better take it seriously, Dragon."
Michael had just finished speaking, and before Dragon could respond, Ginny suddenly dropped to the ground.
"Snacks!? What snacks!? Where are the snacks!? I'm starving!"
"Go, go, go! Kuma, get Ginny out of here. She's acting like a starving ghost reborn."
"Chief, please forgive us, we—" Kuma had just started to speak when Michael waved a hand to cut him off.
"I know. For those of you born slaves in the Valley of Gods, the greatest happiness... is to eat your fill." Michael nodded. "There was a time when I knew what it felt like to go hungry too... Don't worry. From now on, you won't go hungry again."
"And not just you—we'll fight for a world without slavery, a world where no one ever has to starve again."
"For that dream... you all need to become strong."
Michael's words were so moving that even Ginny, who usually bickered with him, didn't talk back. She just quietly nodded and left with Kuma.
Watching their figures disappear into the distance, Michael finally smiled in satisfaction.
"Honestly, even though you're younger than both of them, it always feels like you're their elder." Dragon let out a faint smile. "Even Ivankov isn't this much of a worrywart."
"Do they look anything like adults to you?" Michael rolled his eyes and hopped through the window into the teahouse. "Hello, Shimotsuki Koshiro-san. I've heard a lot about you."
"Chief of Staff, I'm just a laid-back dojo instructor in the village. There's nothing much to hear about."
"Ahaha, you've got a point."
...
Because of the food procurement issue, the Revolutionary Army stayed in Shimotsuki Village for about a week before they were able to purchase enough supplies.
And during that week, aside from using the training methods Garp once used on them to train Ginny and Kuma, Michael did almost nothing else.
That's right—even Kuma had to train.
Despite having incredible Devil Fruit development and the naturally strong physique of a Buccaneer, Kuma's kindhearted nature meant his combat techniques and instincts were actually worse than Ginny's.
Fortunately, his Haki training was progressing normally.
During this time, Michael and Dragon also worked out the best fighting style for Kuma...
Maximize strengths and avoid weaknesses—using overwhelming physical power and fully developed fruit abilities to dominate.
And the Paw-Paw Fruit's powers did help him minimize his shortcomings.
"I... Am I just too dumb?"
Sitting on the shore of Shimotsuki Village, Kuma couldn't hide the look of dejection on his face.
Michael stared resentfully at the guy who, even when seated, was twice his own height.
Let's just say it again: Anyone over 188 cm tall definitely has some form of giant syndrome!
Still, when he heard Kuma's question, Michael's mouth twitched.
Dumb? Well, maybe a little.
But being dumb doesn't mean being weak.
Kuma was one of the few people in the One Piece world with no record of defeat.
That's right—undefeated. At most, some fights ended without a winner.
With his Paw-Paw Fruit developed to near perfection and the blood of a Buccaneer running through him, his combat power ranked firmly in the top three among the wildly varied Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Kuma, hold out your hands."
Michael stood in front of him.
Seeing Kuma obediently stretch out his arms, Holy Light shimmered around Michael's body, healing all the injuries Kuma had accumulated over the past few days.
"These hands once brought freedom to you, Ginny, and Ivankov."
"They once brought liberation to the entire Sorbet Kingdom."
"These hands were once called the 'Hands of Liberation' by Ivankov and Ginny. Have you forgotten that?"
"And now, these very same hands will wield their power for the sake of the whole world."
Ever since he started training the SWORD's secret special unit, Michael's motivational speech skills had skyrocketed.
But meeting Kuma... had pushed those skills to the max.
Kuma's inferiority complex, born from both his background and personality, gnawed at him constantly.
Sometimes, not even all the pep talks in the world could truly heal that.
"Kuma! You're slacking off with Michael again!"
Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out from above. A streak of orange-red flame shot across the sky and landed directly on Kuma's shoulder.
But the instant it touched down, the flame transformed into a lively and vibrant young girl.
"You two are really something! I almost got turned into an eggplant by Dragon-san today!"
"And you're off here sneaking in a date!?"
"No way! I'm joining too!"
Ginny's voice cut straight into Kuma's daily emo session.
Michael looked at the two of them—two fated, tragic souls bound together—and suddenly said:
"The Flame of Revolution and the Hands of Liberation..."
"Ginny, would you like me to officiate your wedding?"
Facing their dumbfounded expressions, Michael smiled.
Life... shouldn't leave behind regrets.
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