Old Friends Forever
Sailing off the coast of "Rica" just about to approach Hero Island, Bartholomew Kuma stood on the bow of a very large ship. He tried to recall his last memories, maybe even the circumstances that put him on this ship. He slowly grabbed his glove and began to adjust it. He noticed red stains that resembled blood between the fingers. Kuma ignored it and continued to gaze out into the sea, his Bible clutched in his other hand as he focused his mind on his current situation.
A rustling sound began to reach Kuma's ears and he turned to see Inazuma sitting in a white folding chair with a glass of wine in his hand smiling, his poise was defined and legs were perfectly crossed. Kuma looked at him and said, "Why am I here...How did I get on this ship?" Inazuma eased up from his chair and placed his glass on the table, "Kuma… this might be impossible for you to understand but the Government was trying to kill you" Inazuma waited for Kuma to reply. Kuma took a few steps forward, "I know of this…I agreed for this to happen" Kuma looked again at his glove and asked, "Tell me, what is this stain?" he held his glove up for Inazuma to inspect. "Don't worry, no one was hurt too bad…you weren't to cooperative, so a few of our men were slightly hurt." Inazuma turned to go into the cabin when Kuma suddenly appeared in front of him, "I must have answers to my questions" Kuma was about to remove his glove and project Inazuma from his eye sight when Inazuma's face suddenly took on a serious expression, "all the answers you desire is in that cabin" He quickly walked around Kuma and disappeared into the cabin leaving him on deck alone.
Kuma was just about to enter the cabin when loud booms were heard in the distance. He turned to see a large ship approaching them. The front of the ship bore a large Mermaid with a golden sword in each hand. The blade was jutted out as if warding off enemies. Inazuma busted through the cabin door clicking his shears, "What's this? Kuma I think your Government friends sent someone to try to pick up and finish what they started." Before Kuma could react, Inazuma cut the boat from under Kuma, "You must not let them get their hands on you! You have a purpose that must be explained to you…please be careful" Inazuma headed for the bow of the ship and waited for the ship to reach him. Kuma reluctantly swam away from the boat towards Hero Island.
Inazuma saw the guns pointed towards him and his ship, "Where is Kuma? You better tell me his whereabouts or die right where you stand!" Vice Admiral Jonathan stood surrounded by many marines. Inazuma glared at Admiral Jonathan and said, "If you think for one moment that I would yield to you or your corrupt Government you must be crazy!" Inazuma took a stance and prepared to defend the ship with all he had. Suddenly there was a loud "POP" in the air and the ship with the Vice Admiral disappeared! Inazuma looked into the water and saw Kuma floating where the boat was, "Listen Inazuma, I don't understand what's going on, but when I find out, I will come looking for you" Kuma turned and began to swim towards Hero Island. Inazuma watched him disappear then called out, "Ivankov, he's heading for Hero Island like you planned" Ivankov opened the cabin door and said, "My little Candies, it's time to head for Hero Island!" Ivankov had a big grin on his face. He was glad to see his friend again and not as a mindless robot. Ivankov ordered them to drop the small boat attached to the ship and he alone headed for the Island.
Kuma didn't have any regrets about his decision, "The Government is becoming unjust and the balance between pirate and Navy is undoubtedly blurred. I will make my OWN justice" while these thoughts vibrated in his head, he never lost stride. The water seemed to part with each stroke of his arms. Within moments he was at the waters end, he stood up staring straight ahead not knowing what to expect, but prepared to face any adversary. The sun was setting giving the sky an orange glow, this usually would be the setting for reading his Bible under a shady tree, but not on this day.
Once out of the water, Kuma turned and noticed the Ship in the distance. He turned around and noticed someone in the distance moving slowly towards him. Kuma brushed the sand from his Bible and stood still, "I don't have time for this…my only concern at this point is why was I on that ship. Kuma suddenly felt a sharp pain in head he had a vision of the Straw Hat Crew. He began to remember his encounter with the crew and sending them away for their own good, also his last words to Rayleigh sprung to his mind…Kuma was snapped out of his thoughts with the sight of Jaguar D. Saul looming over him. Saul was once a former Marine Vice-Admiral that had his own crew and very large ship, Kuma vaguely remembered meeting him once at one of the Governments important discussions. That little hat sitting on that large head surrounded by a large red beard is hard to forget, not to mention his humongous size.
Kuma watched him with that large smile on his face and was calm, "What are you doing here?" Kuma stood very still, expecting maybe he would try to take him back to the Government before he could get answers. This put Kuma on defense which Saul picked up immediately, "No, No don't worry… I'm also stranded here" Saul plopped down on the sand and grinned, "The last thing I remember was being cold with ice chunks in my beard floating on a thick sheet of ice. I was trying to save a little girl by the name of Robin" Saul lost his smile for a moment as he thought of her little face and her losing everyone she ever knew.
Kuma decided to sit down across from him, "I also lost some of my memories also. I awoke on a strange ship with a very strange man which seemed to half woman and half man, large scissor-like hands and a peculiar hair style. I asked him to explain why I was here and he said to follow him into the cabin of the ship, when Vice-Admiral Johnathan appeared. I removed them and swam to the shore and that's when I saw you." Saul listened intently, happy to have company at last. It's been years since that faithful day, and he knew Robin was a grown woman. He hoped she met wonderful friends or maybe even have a husband and a family of her own somewhere.
Saul looked at Kuma and said to himself, "he might be able to shed some light on the whereabouts of Robin if I ask." Kuma saw that Saul seemed to be deep in thought and was about to question him when he noticed he was wide eyed and pointing towards the sea, "Look behind you!" Saul jumped up the sand flew in the air like a small sand storm. Kuma moved with the speed of light, turning around, his gloved hand exposed ready for whatever might come his way. Just a few feet away stood his long-time friend Ivankov, standing with his small hands on his hips, his large head with curly hair bounced as he sat don't in the sand, " Kuma sit… let me tell you what you need to know... and who is this?" Ivankov looked over at Jaguar who was now sitting down, "My name is Saul, I've been stranded on this island for years now and I'm happy to have so much company." Saul grinned, feeling very comfortable around the both of them. Kuma sat too, his back straight waiting for Ivankov to begin, "Well, let's see, It all started just after you made the arrangements with Rayleigh involving Luffy and his Crew…"
It was now completely dark, the sky twinkled with the brilliants of thousands of stars. Saul decided to start a fire while Ivankov and Kuma sat deep in conversation. Saul thought it would be a good time to take a stroll down the beach, "Fellas, I'm going down the way and get out of your hair for a bit" Jaguar stood up and tipped his hat, "See you later" then he walked away and never looked back. Kuma and Ivankov was so deep in conversation that they didn't even notice that Jaguar left. Kuma said, "Why would I want to be decommissioned? This doesn't make much sense." Kuma watched Ivankov face in the glow of the fire intently, "My Friend, the Government had this plan set up from the start" Ivankov's face became sullen, "I learned this while traveling to a remote little town called "Prankora Hills" these "Hill people" knew you and asked for aid in a problem they had involving a few renegade pirates. Sengoku wasn't against the idea of interfering because he trusted your judgment, you were completely unaware at how conniving the "Hill people" had become through the years.
Sengoku tried to reason with them, to no avail, you also tried they didn't listen. Within minutes both of you were surrounded by thousands of strong pirates from many parts of the world." Ivankov took a deep breath and continued, "They demanded your ship and all information entailing the Governments plans to annihilate pirates from that part of the world. You asked the Hill folks why they would back stab you, but their only reply was, "Money." From that point, the battle lasted for hours… No matter how many were taken out, they were replaced with more, both of you barely escaped. Once back at Headquarters, Sengoku blamed you, saying that you tried to set him up. You tried to defend yourself, telling them you knew nothing of their treachery, Sengoku knew you didn't know about the attack, his only concern was his reputation. After ten days, it was decided that you were to become a warlord of the Government, no longer a separate entity. You asked for a month to get your affairs in order, they granted this to you and also gave you one more assignment. You agreed and on your way out the door you decided to find a group of Pirates powerful enough for what you had in mind. You were briefed about a pirate crew led by Luffy, the son of Dragon. You were to kill him and his crew because they were becoming bothersome to the government; so you followed his development closely and realized he could be the one you were looking for.
Before the war against White Beard to save Ace, you caught up with the crew and engaged in battle. During a brief conversation with the swordsman "Zoro" you believed him to be honorable to his crew, the fact that he would die for Luffy and vice versa, helped you to make the decision to send them away and not annihilate them, hoping one day Luffy and his crew would shed some light on how dangerous it could be to allow Pirates in Government affairs, only using them for their own gain… I know this is hard to believe, but you must remember you were bitter and became un-trusting of any type of Government at that point"
Kuma immediately stood up, his face seemed to look like chiseled marble in the light of the fire. Ivankov noticed Kuma was visibly upset…and this worried him, "Kuma, listen to me don't barge into things without thinking it through… I was told these things in absolute confidence by Dragon, who made it clear for me to leave it up to him to tell you! …please wait… KUMA!" Kuma was already heading for the boat, "Ivankov I appreciate you letting me know, now I must handle this in ,my own way" Ivankov kicked the fire out and ran to catch up with him. Saul was walking towards Kuma and saw he was upset, "What's wrong big guy?" Saul had a concerned look on his face. "We must head to Government Headquarters, I have a few things I need to settle with an old friend" Just as Kuma was about to walk onto the boat, Ivankov yelled, "Kuma… Please wait… theres a few things I must tell you!" Kuma walked back onto the sandy beaches and sat with his legs folded, "Ok then Ivankov tell me what I must know. "Kuma looked at Ivankov and noticed fear mixed with concern on his face, "if you are concerned about Dragon finding out about this…don't worry" Kuma watched as Ivankov face began to soften as he took a deep breathe, relieved to hear Kuma speak those words.
Daylight was breaking over the horizon as all three men sat down in the sand again, after this talk there will be no more words as far as Kuma was concerned. "Listen Kuma, we both served with Dragon and I just don't understand why you would throw away everything!... It just doesn't make sense!" Ivankov said to Kuma, his face full of emotion, "The Government used you to do their dirty work and then toss you to the side like trash" Ivankov voice began to lower and his eyes became very serious, "You mustn't go to headquarters…their waiting for you! I'm sure they realize that your absence is probably taking place because you know the truth." Kuma sat very still, he never said a word, he just watched the fire light flicker, his mind deep in thought. Suddenly Kuma stood up and said, "I understand why you stopped me from going through with my decision to become a complete cyborg, but Ivankov you must stand back and let me make my own decisions." Kuma turned away and looked towards the sea, "I know they are waiting for me…the feeling is mutual" Kuma projected himself in one swift motion onto the boat and started to sail away, "I'll be back for the both of you, and if I don't then you must forgive me" Kuma turned the boat away from the Island, behind him he could hear the faint cries of Ivankov, "Please don't take on the Government alone…let us help you!" Kuma's last words to Ivankov was, "This is personal and must be handled only by me…thank you…my friend" then Kuma disappeared from sight.
Kuma was now surrounded by sea and bright sunlight. He stood at the helm and felt calm and self-assured, "It's time to finally settle this once and for all" the sea winds began to pick up causing the boat to pick up tremendous speed. It was almost as if the God's themselves wanted this meeting to take place. Kuma held his Bible close to him and closed his eyes and began to sink into the quiet serenity of his thoughts. He opened his eyes and didn't realize that an hour passed as he stared at the small crust of land in the distance. Kuma face became stone cold, yet in his heart was the regret of maybe being forced to kill his comrade… or die trying.
The boat was now only 30 yards away and Kuma could clearly see the fleets of Marines on the coast line. Their guns leaning against their left shoulder staring straight ahead, they seemed uncomfortable, almost as if they didn't want to be on this assignment. Kuma knew most of them and realized they just couldn't face the outcome that they believed could be Kuma's demise. The boat finally hit the shore line and Kuma projected himself so quickly in front of the soldier by the name of Stanley and startled him, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Kuma said to Stanley then looked at the rest of them to also reassure them as well. As Kuma walked away towards Marine headquarters one soldier said, "Why not just talk this through Kuma? You always been the most level-headed person I know…please don't do it…their waiting for you and it's not good…Please!" the soldier was near tears. Kuma turned to face the soldier and said, "I will try my best to avoid a confrontation…but I doubt it will work" Kuma continued to walk towards the building, his thoughts going back to that day he saved that soldiers life from a band of renegade pirates on a small island off the coast of Ferretville. Ever since then they were good friends, sometime they even went on missions together, so he understood why Stanley was upset.
Kuma stood in front of the huge building, memories of good and bad times flooded his mind, his jaw was tight with tension as the wind picked up around him. He took in a tremendous amount of air into his lungs and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he held his hand up, his Bible in the other hand clenched tightly. At the base of his outstretched hand formed a small bubble, the bubble grew in size followed by a loud sound of air caught in a chamber. Kuma's bubble continued to grow and grow, the light that emitted from it was bright as it surpassed his size it diameter. Then it began to shrink in size, pulsating each time it became smaller until it was the size of a baseball, then Kuma closed his eyes and released the ball of powerful energy towards the Marine Headquarters.
Sengoku was at a meeting with the Admirals to discuss the issue concerning Kuma. The meeting wasn't over yet and Sengoku wanted to stretch his legs, hoping that maybe a little fresh air would clear his thoughts. He headed towards the balcony and walked into the sunlight, his eyes tried to adjust to the light, while at the same time he could hear the meeting starting to get heated. Sengoku looked over his shoulder, "listen, keep it down…I don't want to alert anyone into thinking that were one step from a confrontation with each other." Sengoku slowly turned back around towards the sky only to see a small round ball floating just an inch from his face, " WHAT THE HELL…KU—" suddenly before Sengoku could react there was a loud crack in the air then a huge explosion. The sound traveled through the air like a thunder storm as fire and debris flew up into the sky. The sound was tremendous as the ground began to tremble with the force of a mega ton of explosives. Kuma stood his ground and watched as the whole front of the massive building was totally annihilated.
Kuma turned away, he no longer wished to be a part of Government…he knew this deep in his heart. From that moment on he was on his own, creating his "OWN" destiny. The Marines that were standing near the water edge was in shock, their guns no longer on their shoulders, each one of them stood frozen as they watched Kuma calmly walk up to them and say, "I will never see you again…tell them not to try and find me, if they do…It will be the last thing they do!" Kuma grabbed the shoulder of Stanley and gave his last words to him, "Everything will be fine, we will see each other again one day my friend." Kuma projected himself into the boat and headed back to the Island to return with his worried friends.