"Dorag… Kuma and Kinney—they're… my friends!!!"
Ivankov's roar hit Dragon like a bucket of ice water, shattering the fleeting, unrealistic daydream that had just overtaken him. In an instant, he was acutely aware of how cruel and reckless his earlier words must have sounded to Ivankov, who had only recently suffered the pain of losing a dear friend.
Beneath the hood, a flicker of regret crossed Dragon's face.
"Sorry, Ivank… that was out of line." He drew a deep breath, letting his voice soften, laced with sincere apology. "I… got a bit lost in thought just now."
Seeing Dragon offer the apology himself, coupled with the unmistakable exhaustion etched across his face, the fire in Ivankov's chest deflated like a popped balloon.
He understood Dragon. He knew the leader had been carrying the weight of the Revolutionary Army's turmoil ever since Kuma's departure, compounded by the fallout from the Holy Land incident and the looming pressure of the World Government. It was no wonder that Dragon had barely slept, that the weight of leadership had left him frayed at the edges.
It was only natural that, under such stress, careless words might slip out.
Fine… I know you're tired too. Ivankov exhaled heavily, letting his anger be replaced by a complex sense of helplessness. He waved his hand in a gesture of calm.
"I'll get back to work. You should rest while you can."
Turning to leave the stifling room, Ivankov's hand brushed the door handle.
Then—a sudden, urgent shout broke the tense silence:
"Dragon! Commander Ivankov!"
Footsteps pounded the corridor outside, fast and uneven, charged with disbelief and excitement.
Ivankov froze mid-motion, Dragon simultaneously raising his head. Both eyes darted toward the door in surprise.
The next second, the door burst open with a loud bang, and a young Revolutionary Army soldier, out of breath and barely steady, pushed through, shouting with all his might:
"They're back! They're back! Dragon! Commander Ivankov!
Kuma… Kuma's back!!!"
The words struck like thunder, detonating in both Dragon and Ivankov's minds.
Without a second thought, almost as if propelled by instinct, Dragon and Ivankov dashed from the room like arrows loosed from a bow, racing toward the central courtyard of the base.
And there he was.
Amid a spontaneous circle formed by countless Revolutionary Army soldiers, standing tall and unmistakable… Bartholomew Kuma.
He looked travel-worn, dust and wear marking his path, yet his expression radiated an uncanny serenity.
The surrounding soldiers, initially filled with joy and anticipation, froze in confusion. Their smiles faltered, replaced by awe, uncertainty… and a flicker of caution.
Almost as if pushed by an invisible force, the crowd instinctively stepped back, creating an open space around Kuma, leaving him standing alone, unflinching under the weight of every gaze.
His eyes swept across familiar and unfamiliar faces, finally locking on a single figure across the courtyard: Monkey D. Dorag, draped in his dark green cloak, hood shadowing his complicated expression, hesitant to approach.
Ivankov noticed the abrupt shift in atmosphere, and the unusual calm that radiated from Kuma. His excitement drained away, replaced by a sense of foreboding.
With practiced agility, he leapt down from Kuma's back and stood before him, tilting his head up. His large, expressive eyes—slightly trembling—fixed on Kuma.
"Kuma… this time you've come back… is it…?"
Kuma let out a deep, steady sigh.
He didn't answer directly. Instead, he removed the simple backpack from his broad shoulders and carefully placed it on the ground. From it, he retrieved a neatly folded item: a pristine, white Marine admiral's justice cloak.
Gasps and stunned silence rippled through the gathered soldiers.
Slowly, Kuma shed the pale cloak that marked him as a Revolutionary, letting it fall to the ground. Then, raising his arms, he draped the new white cloak over his massive shoulders. The bold, powerful kanji for Justice glinted in the light, billowing behind him.
In the Revolutionary Army's Baldigo HQ—a base meant to challenge the World Government—the symbol of Justice was almost shocking in its audacity.
"I've come back…" Kuma's voice wavered, choked with emotion, as he looked at his dearest friend, Ivankov. Tears ran freely down his colossal frame.
"To make… a complete resolution with everyone."
"The debt… Gern repaid for saving me and Kinney…" His voice trembled, choked with emotion.
"I… I fear that in this lifetime… I'll…never…ever fully repay it… little Ivankov!!!!"
...…
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