In a secluded alley, a massive figure came to a halt.
"Why are you following me?"
Bartholomew Kuma's face remained expressionless as he turned to the stranger tailing him. His enormous body shifted into a guarded stance, exuding an aura of overwhelming danger.
He had already sensed the powerful presence radiating from Souta Kiryuu. Most likely, it was yet another troublesome pirate or bounty hunter. Ever since the Marines placed a bounty on his head, such encounters had become all too common.
But he hadn't expected this—he had only just used his Paw-Paw Fruit ability to arrive in Dressrosa, and already this man had trailed him. Clearly, this stranger was no ordinary pursuer.
Still, Kuma had no time to waste on Souta Kiryuu. He was in a hurry to secure a small sailing vessel to reach Egghead Island. With Bonney in his care, it was inconvenient to engage in combat with another powerhouse.
Just as Kuma prepared to use his Paw-Paw Fruit to vanish, the stranger suddenly spoke.
"Jade Scales can be cured."
Souta Kiryuu's calm words cut through the tension as his eyes locked on the dangerous aura of the Tyrant Kuma.
The moment he saw Kuma, Souta had already made up his mind—to pull him into his own faction. For this man, who would sacrifice everything for Bonney, persuasion would be far easier than with someone like Gild Tesoro.
And most importantly, Kuma's strength was every bit as great as Tesoro's.
"What…?!"
The cold mask that Kuma usually wore shattered in an instant. His massive eyes widened, his composure broke, and his hands trembled.
His journey to Egghead to find Vegapunk had always been a desperate gamble. He didn't even know if Vegapunk had a way to cure Bonney.
For years, he had roamed the seas, seeking out famous doctors, only to meet disappointment again and again.
And now this stranger, with unshakable certainty, spoke the words he had longed to hear. Tears welled in the corners of Kuma's eyes.
At last—Bonney could live past the age of ten.
Inside the wooden crate she was hidden in, Bonney's own eyes lit up with hope. Her heart raced. Once her sickness was gone, she dreamed of traveling the world with her father.
"Let's talk on that island up ahead. Show me the power of your Paw-Paw Fruit."
Souta gestured toward Green Bit, the island north of Dressrosa, then casually walked up beside Kuma.
Staying here risked discovery by Doflamingo's men, especially Violet with her Glare-Glare Fruit ability. That woman was still loyal to the Donquixote Family, and Souta had no intention of drawing their attention.
Kuma stiffened. He hadn't expected this man to know so much—not only Bonney's terminal Jade Scales, but also his own identity and his Devil Fruit ability. His wariness deepened.
But for Bonney's sake, he was willing to risk anything.
Kuma glanced toward Green Bit, gauged the distance, then silently removed his gloves. With a massive paw, he sent Souta flying, and in the next instant struck himself as well.
Both figures vanished from sight, hurtling toward the opposite island.
Boom!
Twin shockwaves of colossal paw-prints slammed into the dense forests of Green Bit, carving two enormous craters into the ground.
"This ability is incredible, Bartholomew Kuma!" Souta's eyes gleamed with excitement. Kuma's possession of the coordinates to islands like Amazon Lily, Weatheria, and Boin Archipelago could grant Souta immense advantages.
Dozens of schemes began forming in his mind.
Facing the towering figure—nearly seven meters tall—Souta felt a twinge of pressure. Kuma's height of 689 centimeters even surpassed Whitebeard's 666 centimeters, giving him the physique of a small giant.
By contrast, even after countless body modifications and his second growth, Souta's normal height was only 266 centimeters, about the same as Yamato, Kaido's daughter.
Yet in Kuma's presence, he still seemed almost childlike.
The ancient giant blood running in his veins only manifested fully when he assumed his dragon form. In his human state, trying to awaken his "Attack Titan" form was unstable at best. At his strongest, that imperfect giant form could reach about sixty-six meters—towering like three giants stacked together.
"Who are you? Do you truly have a way to cure Jade Scales?"
Kuma removed his hood, revealing a face tinged with anxious hope. His rimless glasses lent a gentle, scholarly air to his otherwise massive, intimidating frame.
"I know where the Cure-Cure Fruit user is. I also know the whereabouts of the Ope-Ope Fruit user. And beyond Devil Fruits, there's a medical technique called stem cell transplantation—it can completely cure Jade Scales."
Souta's voice was calm, yet resolute. The weight of certainty in his tone made both Kuma and Bonney tremble with hope, their trust in him deepening by the moment.
"As for me," Souta continued, his gaze unwavering, "just call me Souta Kiryuu. I am a survivor of the World Government's laboratories… an experimental subject who escaped their grasp. And I have only one goal: to annihilate the World Government and slaughter the Five Elders."
The glow of his laser-enhanced eyes underscored the truth of his words.
"Now, I intend to build my own faction. And I want you, Bartholomew Kuma, to join me."
Kuma's expression shifted in shock. "You intend to fight the World Government? The Five Elders? …I could introduce you to the Revolutionary Army instead. They exist for that very purpose."
His eyes brightened. Souta's ambition aligned with Dragon's. He wanted to bring this man under Dragon's banner.
But Souta's answer was cold and cutting.
"You think I'd ever bow beneath another man?"
The surge of his overwhelming will exploded outward. His Conqueror's Haki shook the air. Souta would never serve under anyone else's command.
"This…!"
Kuma's eyes widened once more. He hadn't expected this man to possess the rare and kingly will of a true monarch.
Souta pressed harder, his words like hammer blows.
"Don't you want revenge for Ginny? Don't you want Bonney cured? Dragon can't save them. Even Ivankov has been locked away in Impel Down. They are your family—your comrades. And yet you can do nothing for them."
Each word struck Kuma's heart like a blade. He staggered back, shaken to his core.
Yes. He had failed Ginny. Failed Ivankov. Failed Bonney.
The weight of his guilt crushed him.
Suddenly, Kuma dropped to his knees, tears spilling freely.
His whole life had been cursed—his mother slain by the Celestial Dragons, his father gunned down before his very eyes. Ginny, the love of his life, tortured and murdered in his arms. One by one, everyone he loved had been taken by the Celestial Dragons.
And now, even his brother Ivankov had been captured. Bonney was dying from a disease he couldn't cure.
A Bacannia man like him… how could he ever be the "Sun God Nika" who brings laughter to the world?
From inside the crate, Bonney felt her father's sorrow. She pounded on the wooden boards, screaming to be let out. She wanted to scold this hateful man who was tormenting her gentle, weeping father. But more than anything, she wanted to comfort him.
"Join me," Souta pressed, his eyes burning. "I will cure Bonney. I will see the Celestial Dragons destroyed for Ginny's sake. And when the time comes, we will storm Impel Down and free Ivankov together!"
To Souta, Kuma's problem was clear—his immense strength was shackled by his gentle, merciful nature. That weakness had invited tragedy again and again. Strength and kindness were out of balance.
Kuma had the power to be a true tyrant.
"As long as Bonney can be saved," Kuma whispered, clutching the crate tightly, "I will accept any condition."
He calmed Bonney with a gentle pat, then looked straight at Souta, taking a deep breath.
Once, he had planned that after Bonney's recovery, he would rejoin the Revolutionary Army and fight alongside Dragon again.
But now, for Bonney's life—for vengeance—he was willing to accept any terms Souta Kiryuu demanded. Even if it meant swearing allegiance to him.