Kuma's tear-choked words—"Mr. Gern's kindness… I'll never be able to repay it in this lifetime…"
fell like a final verdict, utterly shattering the last remnants of hope in Ivankov's heart.
Only now did he truly understand. Kuma hadn't returned because he had changed his mind. He had come back prepared for farewell—to sever ties cleanly and decisively with him, with Dragon, and with the entire Revolutionary Army.
Realizing this, Ivankov parted his lips, staring at his closest friend—tears streaming down his face, yet his expression unwaveringly resolute.For a moment, countless words clogged his throat, leaving him unable to speak.
He understood Kuma's choice.And precisely because he understood… the pain cut all the deeper.
Not far away, Dragon watched the entire scene unfold in silence.
He took a small step forward, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something—to explain the impossible circumstances of the past,to try to keep this indispensable comrade from leaving,to express the guilt weighing heavily on his heart…
But in the end, he realized that once everything had already been decided, any explanation would be hollow—nothing more than self-serving excuses.
So Dragon could only let out a deep sigh and say in a low voice,"Kuma… about what happened before… I truly am sorry."
"Mr. Dragon…"
Dragon's apology was sincere.Yet in the face of the present situation, it felt unbearably insignificant.
Of course, not everyone present understood the full story as Dragon and Ivankov did—especially the younger soldiers who had joined the Revolutionary Army more recently, burning with passion, viewing the World Government and the Marines as absolute evil.
What they saw now was simple and infuriating:a once-respected high-ranking officersuddenly donning the Marine cloak that symbolized oppression and hypocrisy,standing on the opposite side of the Revolutionary Army.
The violent clash between sight and belief ignited their anger instantly.
"Traitor!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"You actually defected to the Marines?!"
"Damn it! Have you forgotten our ideals?!"
"Government dog! Lapdog of the Celestial Dragons!"
"Get out of Baltigo!"
In an instant, curses spread through the crowd like a plague.
These young fighters had joined the Revolutionary Army to liberate the oppressed.And at least for now, in their understanding, the Marines were the greatest accomplices to the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons.
To them, Kuma's actions were the most despicable form of betrayal imaginable.
Especially when the masses were at their most easily inflamed.
Shouts of abuse, insults as foul as rotten eggs and spoiled vegetables, seemed to rain down upon Kuma—standing alone at the center of the plaza, wrapped in the white cloak of "Justice."
"You people—!" Ivankov clenched his teeth, furious and anxious, about to shout them down—only to be stopped by Dragon's gaze.
Dragon closed his eyes in pain.He knew this was the price Kuma had chosen to pay.It was also the inevitable reaction born from the Revolutionary Army's ideological purity.
And precisely because that purity was essential to the Revolutionary Army,neither he nor Ivankov could intervene.
If the highest leaders stepped in now, it would be tantamount to denying the very ideals they upheld.
Kuma silently endured every insult.He did not argue.He did not explain.
Instead, just as always, he wore that gentle smile and spoke softly:
"Goodbye… everyone."
As the words fell, he raised his palm and pressed it against his own chest.
"Pop."
With a soft sound, Kuma's massive figure vanished from the Revolutionary Army headquarters of Baltigo without a trace.
All that remained was a slowly expanding ring of distorted air—and a group of young soldiers still shouting in anger, suddenly left without a target.
The next moment—
On a desolate, uninhabited island far from the world's noise, where only the sound of waves and wind remained.
"Pop."
The same soft sound echoed as Kuma's towering figure abruptly appeared on the beach.
The sea breeze immediately caught the white Justice cloak behind him, the bold characters for Justice standing out starkly against the vast natural landscape.
Before he could fully steady himself, a voice tinged with annoyance and disdain drifted down from above:
"Tch. You could've just killed those noisy, stupid ants outright, you know."
Atop a tall coconut tree, Enel lounged against the trunk, one leg crossed over the other, lazily gnawing on an apple.He looked down at Kuma, brows furrowed, clearly unable to understand Kuma's earlier restraint at Revolutionary HQ.
Kuma lifted his head to look at Enel.There was no anger, no resentment on his face from what had just happened—only his familiar, slightly simple, gentle smile.
He shook his head lightly and replied in a calm voice,"They… were once my friends as well. Comrades who carried beautiful ideals.It's just that… we chose different paths."
Seeing Kuma like this, Enel couldn't help rolling his eyes, instantly slapping a label on him in his mind:
[Softie.]
Yet at the same time, Enel couldn't help recalling the battle not long ago at G-1 Base,where the two of them had fought side by side against Kizaru.
This seemingly mild-mannered "softie" possessed strength that was nothing short of terrifying.
Those hands, with palms that looked soft and harmless, could repel any attack—including Kizaru's infuriating light-speed kicks.
His near-teleportation movement,his ability to extract pain and damage from others' bodies and transfer it away,even absorbing the fatigue Enel accumulated from prolonged discharges of lightning, allowing him to maintain near-peak output…
But what left the deepest impression on Enelwas the colossal, bear-paw-shaped shockwave cannon Kuma unleashed—a blast that consumed half the sky.
That pure, annihilating force stood in violent contrast to the gentle giant before him.
"Hmph!" Enel took a huge bite of his apple and muttered around it,"You know… that 'Tyrant' nickname of yoursdoesn't match your goody-two-shoes personality at all—but when it comes to strength, yeah… you're worthy of it."
He clicked his tongue, then added with lingering fear and reluctant respect,"When you really cut loose, you're a genuine monster—a true, uncompromising Tyrant."
Kuma simply responded with his usual gentle smile—neither agreeing nor denying.
Instead, he gazed toward the horizon and said calmly,"We should head back, Enel.Mr. Gern specifically instructed that while your abilities are powerful…your personality is… hm, rather eye-catching.I'll be accompanying you on missions from now on."
Hearing this, Enel curled his lip, finished the rest of his apple in a few quick bites, and tossed the core into the sea.
Hmph! As if he didn't see through it!
Gern was obviously worried that this "Thunder God" would get too carried away again,crash headfirst into something he couldn't handle,refuse to ask for help,and end up suffering another humiliating setback like before.
So he'd sent Kuma—strong, steady, reliable—as a safeguard.
Even knowing it was for his own good, Enel would never admit it out loud.
He leapt lightly down from the treetop, landing beside Kuma, dusting off his hands.Chin raised high, he spoke in his trademark arrogant tone:
"Hmph! Cooperate?What need does this god have for cooperation?It's just Gern being overly cautious!"
He shot Kuma a sideways glance.
"But… since your strength is passable,and you can barely keep up with this god's pace,I'll allow you to tag along and witness the true might of a god!"
He began striding forward on his own, muttering nonstop:"Seriously… making me partner up with such a taciturn guy…Hey, big guy! Don't slow me down when the time comes!Move fast, strike hard, keep the pressure overwhelming!Make those mortals witness absolute authority—got it?"
"And that soft-hearted look of yours has to go!Mercy toward enemies is cruelty to yourself!When it's time to be ruthless, you must be ruthless!Preferably like this god—always ruthless, anytime, anywhere!"
Enel's rambling stream of complaints, demands, and so-called advicebombarded Kuma nonstop, perfectly embodying what it meant to be tsundere.
Yet in the face of Enel's unfiltered arrogance and relentless nitpicking,Kuma showed not the slightest hint of irritation.
He simply walked quietly beside the chattering "god,"head slightly lowered, that gentle, all-embracing smile still on his face.He listened attentively, even nodding now and then—as though seriously considering Enel's "suggestions."
Sunlight bathed the two of them—one loud and wild, the other calm and steady—painting a strangely harmonious picture.
One strode ahead, endlessly "planning" the future.The other followed silently behind, solid and dependable, like an unbreakable bulwark.
Perhaps…this pairing wasn't such a bad one after all.