In the Kingdom of Sorbel, in a region where laws were lax, Kael and the others appeared one after another in front of a somewhat dilapidated church.
"Bo!"
Kael and the rest materialized before the church. Ivan was barely standing, holding his head and murmuring,
"What happened? My head is spinning… Where is this place?"
Berro looked at the church in front of him with a sorrowful expression and spoke softly,
"This is my birthplace Sorbel Kingdom."
Ginny looked around curiously and asked,
"So we escaped? There's a church here!"
"Yes, this church belonged to my father. He was a priest…"
Ivan and Ginny fell silent. They had overheard Berro talking about the bear's trauma and knew the bear remembered those painful memories.
"aagh…"
Kael, who had been silent until now, suddenly let out a painful sound.
Berro and the others immediately turned to Kael in alarm.
He clutching his forehead with one hand, brows furrowed, beads of sweat rolling from his temples. Clearly he wasn't doing well.
It could be said that Kael's prior operations in God Valley had caused all three especially the eldest, Ivan to deeply recognize Kael as their "brother" and leader:
"Brother Kael, what's wrong with you?!"
The three rushed to Kael's side. Ivan kneeled and placed Kael's arm over his shoulders. Ginny gently stroked Kael's chest with her hand, and the bear reached out its paws toward Kael.
Kael saw the bear's intention to use the Meatball Fruit's power to externalize its pain for him.
One must say the bear and Meatball Fruit were naturally compatible a perfect pair. Moreover, Kael had previously taught them how to use the fruit's ability. Now the bear had unlocked part of its potential.
However, Kael raised his hand to stop the bear's movement. Under the bear's bewildered gaze, Kael breathed deeply and said faintly,
"You are not yet familiar with the Meatball Fruit's power, so do not use it indiscriminately. And if you use it, the pain will eventually return to me."
"No, I can do it…"
Berro continued stroking Kael's chest clearly trying to help him endure physical pain.
Yet Kael refused again. He interrupted Berro, because he didn't want that, and his mind was currently tangled not exactly in pain, but in chaos.
In his mind, chaotic memory fragments appeared like a spinning door. He desired to stop and observe carefully, but couldn't.
It all started when Shanks had told him, before departing, the four-word clue: "Figarland."
Kael saw his body placed like a cold testing platform, and a man dressed like a Celestial Dragon gazed greedily at him.
Suddenly rage, fear, confusion, and every negative emotion erupted, and Kael felt a pounding headache.
"Crack!"
Silver electricity surged from Kael's body, striking Ivan on the arm.
The bear was harmed as well. It hurriedly pulled the dazed Ginny away. It lifted the rolling-eyed Ivan and used the Meatball Fruit's power to escape.
At that moment, Kael abruptly raised his head. His pupils initially dark turned blood-red, and a wave of darkness spread from beneath his feet.
His eyes were vacant, and his voice sounded cold as if from hell:
"…revenge..."
Darkness spread across the bear's paws and morphed into a massive black mouth ready to consume the bear. At that instant, Kael's body weakened and he fainted to the ground.
The huge dark mouth suddenly froze, turned back into dark liquid, and flowed back into Kael's body.
Berro swallowed and raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his brow.
He had just tried to use the fruit's power to avoid that but didn't know what had happened. When the darkness approached him, he felt his connection to his power was utterly stagnant and activation was impossible.
Had Kael not collapsed, he, Ivan, and Ginny would have been completely consumed by the darkness.
Berro laid Ivan and Ginny on the ground, then gently approached the unconscious Kael. Seeing Kael completely fainted, he lifted Kael into his arms. Together with Ginny and Ivan, they walked toward the church.
At night
In the mist, Kael struggled to open his eyes and found himself in a soft, large bed. He slowly rose to his feet.
Another dizziness hit him, and Kael heard a hateful voice in his mind:
"I am you, you are me take my revenge!"
Kael felt nothing strange. He appeared calm and murmured in a low voice as if talking to himself:
"I know. We are one. I will take revenge, definitely!"
As soon as he said that, Kael felt his body light up, as though something in his mind had completely dissipated.
He experienced a clarity he had never felt before; his perception became sharp, and the entire layout of the church appeared clearly in his mind including the scents of the bear and Ginny...
"Where did that mummy come from?"
He looked at the large-headed mummy wrapped like a rice roll next to him and a look of confusion appeared on Kael's face.
The mummy nodded its head twice and made a muffled sound:
"I'm Ivan... Ivan who was nearly screwed by you... hehe... ha..."
"Ah, this…"
At that moment Kael recalled the electrical discharge in his body. He slapped his forehead, turned around, helped Ivan to his feet, and said in an apologetic tone:
"I'm sorry, Ivan. At that moment, my mind was in chaos I didn't know what I was doing."
"No, it's fine. I even escaped from a place like God Valley. This little injury is nothing, hehe!"
Ivan seemed in good spirits and didn't take the electric shock seriously.
But Kael still felt a bit guilty. He jumped out of bed, gently lifted Ivan, and carried him on his back.
Ivan's eyes widened in astonishment. He knew Kael's physique well. Though not strong, he was certainly much stronger than Ginny a girl.
Yet now Kael easily lifted Ivan who was much heavier and carried him as if nothing happened. Ivan felt like he'd seen a ghost.
Kael noticed this too, but said no more. Carrying Ivan on his back like a breeze, he entered the living room.
The bear, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of hot fish soup. Ginny sat at the dining table, fork in one hand, knife in the other, deep in thought.
Seeing Kael emerge with Ivan on his back, Ginny gasped in surprise. The bear's paws trembled and the soup was about to topple.
Buzz!
A gravity force emerged and controlled the bowl levitating it by Kael's will. He laughed and said,
"Berro, your craftsmanship is excellent. This fish soup smells wonderful."