Welcome back everyone to another exciting chapter of Hellfire!

Now that we have concluded the God Valley Arc, we can move on to the start of Belindo's journey.

So without further ado, please enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Aside from the OCs I created, I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/elements from other fictional genres that may appear in this story.

Hellfire Chapter 4 – The Journey Begins

"A farewell is necessary before we can meet again, and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends." – Richard Bach

Seven Years Later

The sun's rays shone brightly down through the thick foliage of a forest as a young woman, wearing a cloak with the hood up, hummed happily to herself as she knelt in front of a large tree picking up some wild mushrooms. As she carried out her task, she quietly hummed with happiness as the warmth of the sun kissed the back of her neck, all the while enjoying the smooth breeze that washed over her.

Suddenly, the calm and relaxing atmosphere was broken by a loud snap. The woman's head shot up as she quickly looked around to identify the source of the sound. She observed her surroundings for a few seconds, failing to notice anything unusual as silence had returned to the area around her, broken only by the wind howling through the trees.

Frowning a bit, the woman eventually shrugged her shoulders and resumed her humming as she went back to her current task. As she turned her head, she failed to notice a shadow dart through the trees. As the girl finished her task and started to walk back down the way she came, a shadowy figure emerged from behind one of the tree trunks behind her. The figure appeared to be male, with most of his face covered by a hood and bandages while a black cloak and clothing covered the rest of their body. From the confines of the cloak, the man pulled out a hunting knife and silently approached his target.

As he was within stabbing distance, he lifted the blade into the air, preparing to bring it down in one swift motion. However, just as he did so, the girl quickly pivoted with surprising speed away from the assassin, avoiding his attack. As she twisted her body to face her enemy again, she kicked the ground in front of her, using the added momentum of her swing to increase the power behind her attack, producing a large cloud of dust and dirt that obscured her from her opponent's view.

The masked man frowned but quickly turned around and brought his arms in an X formation as he blocked a roundhouse kick to the face. While the attack did not move him, the force of the kick was enough to blow his hood off his head, revealing the man's black hair and his bandage-covered face. With a grunt he pushed the girl away, sending her flying back. She backflipped and landed on her feet, before charging at him again. With a flurry of kicks and jabs, the girl forced her opponent on the defensive.

Finally, with a quick feint, the woman thrust forward her palm which adopted a black sheen through her attacker's guard. The blow struck his chin, momentarily confusing the man, before she launched a series of punches and palm strikes to his stomach.

However, the man quickly recovered from the woman's attack and retaliated by countering one of the woman's strikes and sending her flying with a kick of his own. The woman rolled on the ground before coming to a stop and from her position on the ground, she aimed a pistol at her opponent's head. The assassin seemed shocked before his hand went to the right side of his belt only to be met with an empty holster.

"Clever girl." He said while the pink-haired woman grinned as she pulled the trigger. The gun rang out as the bullet went flying towards her attacker, but he easily dodged the weapon and charged straight at her. Before she could reload, he was already on top of her and prepared to unleash an overheard strike with one of his knives. However, she threw the gun at his head, forcing him to stop his attack to dodge. It was just a brief window, but one that she exploited, nonetheless.

As her opponent came down, she entered a breakdancing formation, kicking the weapon out of his hand. The force of the kick forced him back a step and she spun back into her feet and elbowed him just below the chest. Breathless, her attacker stumbled back a bit, but quickly recovered and charged at her again, albeit slightly disoriented from her previous blow. An opening which the woman took full advantage of.

As the attack came towards her, she moved out of the way, grabbed the attacking limb and finally used her enemy's momentum to flip him over her shoulder. The man rolled on the ground, but quickly recovered and returned to his feet ready to continue his assault. However, before he could retaliate, a large shadow loomed over him.

Turning around, he came face to face with a large shadowy figure, resembling a large bear. The figure's palm was outstretched above him, palm facing downward. A second later the giant figure brought down their arm with incredible speed and force. The assassin quickly dodged the palm strike, but the force of the blow was enough to crater the ground around the area where he previously stood and the resulting shockwave sent him flying back further.

The figure looked up, seeing a large man wearing a clergy uniform with hair in the shape of bear ears walk out from the shadows. He looked down at him with a frown, while the woman ran to his side, brandishing the stolen pistol once more, while in her other hand was her attacker's knife that he had dropped earlier while avoiding the giant man's attack.

"Thanks for the save, Kumachi," The girl said as Kuma looked down at the girl with a big smile.

"Happy to help, Ginny." Said Kuma as Ginny removed her hood showing off her signature pink hair and grin.

Both fighters soon turned their attention to their opponent, whose hands went to his back pulling out a tanto blade in one hand and another combat knife in a reverse grip with the other.

"Let's take him down Kumachi!" Ginny yelled as she reloaded the weapon and tightly gripped her enemy's hunting knife.

"Right!" Yelled Kuma as his form disappeared in a blur and next moment stood in front of his foe, his palm outstretched before thrusting it forward with incredible speed. The figure leapt back just as Kuma's attack hit the ground, generating a huge cloud of dust, obscuring his surroundings. The assassin's eyes darted behind him as he picked up a smaller presence and narrowed his eyes as he saw the familiar form of Ginny, who used the smokescreen as cover to move behind him.

He moved his head to the right, dodging the bullet fired from the gun Ginny was holding. Lashing out with his knife arm in a backhand strike, the attacker struck swiftly with enough force to knock the weapon out of Ginny's hand and send it spinning across the ground. Ignoring her fallen weapon, Ginny attacked with her knife, but the intruder was quick to parry it with one of his blades before kicking Ginny in the stomach sending her flying back.

Moments later, the masked man raised his arm to block a powerful palm blow that sent him flying through several trees. For a few minutes, everything was silent, but during that time Kuma refused to relax his defensive stance.

Sure enough, from the depths of the forest, several wooden projectiles flew from the shadows of the trees towards Kuma who retaliated with a barrage of air bubbles in the form of paw pads which destroyed the projectiles. Now and then, the direction of the projectiles randomly shifted forcing Kuma to constantly move, which weakened his solid defensive stance, as he did his best to keep up with the ongoing assault. Due to their sheer number and small size, he failed to destroy all the projectiles, as quite a few got past his defences, nicking different parts of his body.

Suddenly, Kuma's eyes widened as he noticed a large tree trunk flying at him with incredible speed. Bracing himself, Kuma caught the large object but was forced back quite a few feet, his feet carving a path through the ground as he was forced back. By the time he finally came to a stop, Kuma failed to notice the assassin emerge from the forest, jumping up onto the large trunk Kuma was holding and running on it towards him.

"KUMACHI!" Ginny yelled out to warn him. However, by the time Kuma looked up and noticed what was happening, he was too late to stop his attacker from landing a powerful kick to the face. The force of the blow caused Kuma to drop the trunk and tumble backwards while his opponent landed in front of him. Shrugging off the worst of the blow, Kuma quickly recovered his bearings and tried to attack his enemy with another signature palm strike.

However, as the attack came towards him, the masked figure dodged the attack and then grabbed Kuma's outstretched arm. After ensuring he had a solid stance, the masked man, with surprising strength, used the momentum of Kuma's attack against him and flipped the much larger man over his shoulder, slamming him down with enough force to shake the earth and leave a small indent of Kuma's body in the ground with cracks forming around him.

"DAMN, YOU" Ginny yelled as she charged at him, her knife raised in an overhead blow. The assassin raised his hand and caught Ginny's arm, but just as he did, she let go of the knife, letting it fall into her other hand and then tried to stab him, forcing him to let go and back away from the path of the weapon.

He struck back with his knife, while Ginny, instead of blocking, read her opponent's movements and with very precise and subtle movements, deviated the flow of his attacks causing them to miss her by mere inches.

However, while she was holding her own, Ginny had few opportunities to strike back due to being forced on the defensive. While she had speed and flexibility, she lacked the offensive power needed to harm her opponent. Fortunately, she did not need to attack. She just needed to buy time.

While her enemy was attacking her, he failed to notice the downed Kuma raise his arms into the air before bringing them down hard on either side of his body, palms first. This action produced a loud explosion which sent Kuma high into the air.

As his momentum slowed down, Kuma flipped in mid-air, now facing down toward the spot where Ginny and the assassin were fighting. Narrowing his eyes, Kuma aimed his arms behind him and tapped the air, sending him flying back to the ground.

As for Ginny, she easily figured out what Kuma was trying to do. So, when he started falling towards them, she waited for the right moment to strike her opponent in the throat with a powerful jab, before unleashing a powerful roundhouse kick, the tip of her leg coated in haki for good measure, sending him flying back. The assassin landed on his back but before he could get back up, Kuma crashed down on him with a devastating impact. When the dust cleared, the assassin could be seen groaning in pain as Kuma stood over him, his palms ready to strike him down at a moment's notice.

Despite his position, the assassin remained determined to launch one final attack. However, before he could make his move, he felt something fly over Kuma and land behind him. Then he paused when he heard the clicking sound that comes with a gun being primed to fire. Leaning his head back from his position, he saw Ginny wearing a serious expression as she held in her hands the pistol he had knocked away earlier and was now aiming it right at his forehead.

As she brought the weapon closer, the assassin watched with wide eyes, as she pulled the trigger… followed by the sound of a loud click.

"Bang!" said Ginny as her serious expression morphed into a cocky grin. "You're dead!"

The assassin was silent for a while, but then finally relented and his body relaxed.

"Damn it, Ginny. Has anyone ever told you that you can be pretty damn scary when you want to?" the assassin said as Kuma got off of him and backed away with a smile.

"Constantly. But it's moments like this, where I feel you need a little reminder. Can't have you getting all arrogant on us after all." Ginny said while playfully teasing her would-be killer by rubbing his head. She walked off to the basket she had dropped at the start of the fight and shifted through its contents before handing the assassin and Kuma some canteens. As she tossed it to them, she could not help but notice that black stains covering her hands, causing her to grimace as she rubbed them against her cloak to clean some of it off.

"You know, it can't be good for your health to rub all that soot in your hair." Said Ginny as the man removed the bandages covering his face before pouring the water from his canteen over his hair. As he did so, the dark colour slowly faded away, replaced with silvery-white hair, further complimenting his unique appearance along with his tan skin and red eyes.

"Your concern is appreciated Ginny, but you don't need to worry about something like this affecting my health." The young man said as he turned to her with a grin.

Meanwhile, Ginny just sighed at his reaction. "It's less to do with your health and more to do with how gross and unsanitary it is. Seriously Big Bro Beli, what's wrong with just wearing a wig?" she asked.

"Considering how intense things get when I really go all out, a wig is more likely to fly off and expose my identity. Using soot to darken my hair, on the other hand, just seems more practical." Explained Morningstar D. Belindo as he drank the remains of his canteen.

"Uhh, you and your logic." Ginny groaned as she leaned against Kuma's side, who did not seem to mind as he smiled at his friends' interaction.

"By the way, Big Bro Bel, how did we do in our latest round of combat training?" Kuma asked with a big grin as he eagerly awaited the praise from his friend/instructor.

Belindo closed his eyes and placed his fingers on his chin, seemingly contemplating how to best explain the results of their latest skirmish.

"Well, it is clear that you are both a force to be reckoned with. Your teamwork is incredible, not to mention your respective physical strengths and agility have also improved." Said Belindo, causing his friends to grin.

"However,…" Belindo continued causing them to freeze. "You both have plenty of openings that are easy to exploit. Ginny, you tend to lower your guard a lot when you are relaxed. Sure, you managed to detect me that one time, but there were other times when you did not notice me that I could have easily exploited. As long as you are in enemy territory, you should always keep your guard up and your senses open for any potential threats."

Ginny frowned as she nodded while rubbing her arm out of embarrassment. Belindo then snapped his focus to Kuma, whose whole body went still.

"As for you Kuma, you're fighting stance is something to be feared, but there are times when you fail to maintain it. Like earlier, when I was bombarding you with projectiles from different locations. While you are on the move, your defences drastically weaken. The same applies even when you use your powers to move rapidly from one location to the next. With your size and fighting style, a solid stance is critical and makes you an even bigger threat to your enemies. But you should also learn how to maintain that defence while on the move."

Kuma did not say anything as he took Belindo's words to heart, though his earlier enthusiasm did seem to have diminished.

"… That being said." Belindo said causing the two to perk up. "It is still clear that compared to when we first started, you've both made remarkable improvements. As it stands, the two of you can easily take on some of the South Blue's most notorious threats." Belindo praised earning looks of admiration and contentment from his friends.

"You still have a long way to go before you can fight some of the stronger enemies out there, so your training is critical. I would also recommend sparring with each other as well. Cause as strong as you are together, there are times when you both depend on each other too much. There is no guarantee you will always be there to assist each other. By fighting one another, you'll get a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses, and you can grow even stronger." Said Belindo as both Ginny and Kuma devoted their undivided attention to Belindo's comments, carefully absorbing every bit of advice he was giving them.

"All in all, you have both exceeded my expectations." Said Belindo earning looks of admiration from his friends. "I expect great things from the both of you in the future."

"You got it, Bel!" Kuma cried out while pumping his arms in the air.

"Heck yeah! Bad guys better hope they don't cross paths with us or we'll mess them up!" said Ginny while thrusting one arm into the air.

Belindo could not help but laugh at his friend's enthusiasm. However, it soon gave way to a more melancholic look. Suddenly, a loud growling echoed around them. Belindo and Kuma blinked as they slowly turned to the source. A red-faced Ginny.

"Umm, yeah… all that fighting kind of made me a little hungry." Ginny said with a low voice, before another growl soon followed, making her blush even more. Both Belindo and Kuma could not help but laugh at their friend's embarrassed expression.

"In that case, how about we head home and I cook all of us a huge feast to celebrate our success today?" Kuma asked, causing stars to appear in Ginny's eyes.

"YESSS! Kumachi you are the best!" Ginny proclaimed as she hugged Kuma's side, causing him to jump back in shock with a bright blush on his face.

"C-calm down Ginny!" he yelled out in surprise.

All the while, Belindo could not help but smile at his friends' antics as they returned home.

"Oh man, that was soooo good!" Ginny exclaimed as she finished yet another plate of food in front of her. For the past few hours, she and her friends had indulged themselves with the feast Kuma had prepared. Naturally, being the glutton she is, Ginny had consumed far more than Belindo or Kuma. Ginny blinked as another plate of food was placed in front of her. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Belindo, who had eaten only about half of his portion.

"Are you really ok with giving me most of your share big bro?" asked Ginny, to which he nodded.

"Of course. You've earned it after all." said Belindo to which she hugged him and then eagerly dug into the food.

However, Kuma could not help but sense something was amiss. "Are you ok, Bel?" he asked getting both of their attention.

"I couldn't help but notice that you haven't eaten as much as you usually do." Kuma stated, causing Ginny to stop eating as she looked at Belindo with a concerned expression.

"What's up Big Bro Beli? You not feeling well?" Ginny asked.

Belindo did not say anything at first as he looked at his closest friends. Then he sighed as he looked at them both with a serious expression.

"I have something important to tell you both. Honestly, I was having trouble deciding how I should tell you, but I figure I shouldn't beat around the bush and just give it to you straight."

"Tell us what?" Ginny asked.

"To tell you both… that I will soon be heading out to sea." Belindo revealed.

Everything went silent as Ginny and Kuma processed what Belindo had just told them. The stunning silence was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then the silence came to an end as both Ginny and Kuma fully registered what Belindo had just told them.

"WHAAAAATTTTT?!" Their yells were so loud that they startled all the birds nesting outside the church and in the nearby trees, causing them to fly off into the sky in a panic.

"What do you mean, you're leaving?!" Ginny cried out as she stood abruptly, slamming her hands on the table, her appetite all but forgotten.

"Bel you can't be serious?!" Kuma cried out with a panicked look on his face.

Belindo remained calm as he looked at his friends with a serious expression. "It's no joke. I assure you that I'm completely serious. I've given it some thought for a while now, and after the latest round of fight training, I've decided it is time for me to leave."

Both Kuma and Ginny were surprised by his statement, though in the case of the latter, it was quickly replaced with anger and sadness.

"What you think we're too weak or something?" she asked while her shoulders shook with fury. "Is that it? Do you think we're burdens or something that you just want to get rid of?!" Ginny cried out with tears threatening to fall as she tried to charge Belindo but was held back by Kuma.

"Ginny please calm down! You know Big Bro would never think that." Kuma said as he carefully held back Ginny who was thrashing around to try and get out of his grip.

Belindo stood up and walked over to Ginny and before she could do anything she was surprised when Belindo embraced her with a strong, yet gentle hug.

"Ginny, I am not leaving because I think you're weak. On the contrary, I am leaving because I now know that you both are more than strong enough to survive on your own without me." Belindo explained in a calm voice.

"After escaping God Valley and setting here seven years ago, I couldn't just leave the two of you to fend for yourselves. So I decided that before I left, I would teach everything I knew to you guys, to ensure that even if I was gone, the two of you could survive on your own and deal with any threat that comes your way. And after our latest mock battle, I can honestly say that you both have exceeded my expectations… I guess that what I am trying to say is… you... you don't need me to protect you both anymore." said Belindo with a sad smile.

Kuma looked at his adopted brother sadly, while Ginny stopped struggling and was now shaking. Not from anger, but from sadness.

"… Bel… you realize what will happen if you leave this island right? Here you're able to live safely with us, but if you venture out into the world… you'll be targeted everywhere you go." Kuma said with a calm voice.

"Kumachi's right… you don't have to go out there, you can just stay here with us and we can all live happily together." Ginny sobbed as she hugged Belindo while crying into his chest.

Belindo was quiet as he contemplated what to tell his friends next. "… These past eight years living with both of you have been some of the happiest of my life. However, unlike both of you, I am still not free. When I venture outside this church, I'm forced to hide who and what I really am… I hide my face, my body, my wings, and everything else about myself that I am proud of... Like it is something to be ashamed of." said Belindo as he flexed his back muscles, allowing his wings to break through the back of his shirt and fully extend them. Compared to when he was a child, his wings had grown tremendously over the last several years, their total wingspan now far exceeding his height.

"It's like I'm living in a cage, trapped and unable to live how I want to. As long as I stay here, I can't risk showing who and what I am. To do so would mean endangering you guys along with all the southern residents we've befriended over the years. But as I get older, it's becoming harder to hide my true identity. If I continue to stay here, it will only be a matter of time before I get exposed and when that happens, they will come for me, which also means that they might come for both of you as well." Belindo explained with a sad expression as he clenched his fist. Kuma likewise frowned sadly as he understood the truth behind Belindo's words. After all, he had personally experienced a similar scenario when he and his parents were taken away years ago.

"That is one thing I cannot let happen. But to ensure that, I have to be able to spread my wings and fly. To venture out into the world, to challenge myself and grow so that I can finally become who I was meant to be." Belindo continued.

Ginny and Kuma looked at him with expressions of surprise and sympathy. They had never truly considered how living the way Belindo did had affected him. Then with a determined expression, Kuma walked up to Belindo and knelt in front of him.

"Bel… we had no idea you felt this way." Said Kuma. "Now that I think about it, you've always put our needs ahead of your own. The way you watched over us, shared your knowledge with us and even trained us to defend ourselves. You gave us so much, and yet we never once thought about how you felt or what you wanted."

Kuma gently placed his gloved hands on Belindo's shoulders and stared at him with a small smile on his face.

"So tell me brother… what is your dream? What is it that you want to achieve by going out into the world?" Kuma asked.

Belindo blinked as he processed Kuma's question.

'My dream?' Belindo thought with genuine curiosity. He narrowed his eyes as he pondered Kuma's question. For the longest time, his objective was to ensure Ginny and Kuma's safety. But now that this was done and he was going to leave, he needed a new purpose to fill the void. A purpose that had lied dormant for years now, waiting for the promised day it could return and guide him onto a new path.

'What is it that I want?... Obviously, I want to be free, but there's more to it than just than.' Belindo thought to himself as he closed his eyes and thought back to everything that had happened to him since he and his friends escaped from God Valley. As he looked back on his memories, bits and pieces came back to him. The days he spent helping Ginny and Kuma with chores, teaching them all about the world beyond their little island—both the good and the bad—as well as training them to fight. An activity which often produced hilarious, if slightly painful results.

Then his eyes widened as he thought back to the memory of his first night living in his new home. The memory of that special moment he and Kuma shared on the roof of the Church. As he focused on that memory, he started to see things a little more clearly. From that one moment, he could feel it connect with all the others that came after it and it soon became clear to him.

He opened his eyes and looked back at Kuma with a small smile of his own. He knew what his answer was.

"You asked me what my dream was. Remember that night all those years ago? That night on the roof?" Belindo asked to which Kuma nodded fervently.

"Well, finding Nika and helping him free this world is still my primary objective, but my real dream is what comes after." He said surprising Kuma and Ginny. "Once we liberate the world, it will take a while to fix all the damage that's been done by the World Government. From the ashes, I want to create a world where me and my people, both potential survivors as well as my future descendants, along with people from all races and tribes can live freely under the same sun without fear of facing prejudice and scorn simply because of who and what we are. But most importantly, once I accomplish this, we'll be able to live happily together once more." Belindo explained with an intense passion and beaming smile.

"It won't be easy, and I'll no doubt face huge obstacles along the way. But for the sake of my dream, I will overcome them. I'll grow stronger and stronger until I stand at the pinnacle of this world. Someone so powerful that no evil force would dare to harm the people I care about." Said Belindo as he tightly clenched his fist while pointing it toward the stained-glass windows of the church which were illuminated with bright colours from the setting sun. All the while, his friends gazed at him with looks of admiration.

"That's why I have to leave." Said Belindo. "And it's not like I'll be saying goodbye forever. I can still come back and visit now and then. Plus, knowing you two, you'll eventually head out into the world as well. So I have no doubt we'll cross paths out there in the future."

Kuma and Ginny looked at one another and an unspoken agreement was shared between the two. Suddenly, Belindo was embraced by Ginny before they were both embraced by Kuma.

"I don't like the idea of you going out there alone… but if this is what you want then we won't stop you big bro." said Ginny as she looked up at Belindo with tears in her eyes.

"I am not going to lie." Said Kuma catching Belindo's attention as he let go of his friends. "The idea of you going out there, into the world alone… it scares me. But I… we know we can't stop you. Just promise me that no matter what you may face, you will still come back to us."

Belindo nodded and then bumped fists with Kuma, sealing their deal, as Ginny smiled while wiping tears from her eyes.

"Now then, how long do we have before you leave?" Kuma asked.

"I was planning on leaving tomorrow night. With that asshat Bekori gaining more influence every day and sending more of his flunkies to harass and spy on people here in the South of Sorbet, it's too risky to fly during the day. But tomorrow night, there will be a new moon. That will be the best chance I have to leave without being noticed."

Ginny nodded in understanding while her signature smirk appeared on her face. "Well then, we'd better get started on getting you ready then. But before we do that…" said Ginny as she walked to the kitchen. After a while, she came back with some sake and three small sake cups.

"We gotta make a toast in your honour." Ginny said with glee as she poured the drink into each of the cups.

"Normally, I don't like the idea of drinking alcohol in a church, but I think we can make an exception for tonight." Said Kuma as he carefully took a cup Ginny offered him.

Belindo likewise accepted his own and stared at each of his friends. "Thank you both. I am truly blessed to have you in my life. You are more than just my friends, you're practically my family." He said causing them both to tear up with joy.

"So then, let's toast to a future filled with freedom!" exclaimed Belindo as he raised his cup into the air.

"To an amazing journey filled with fun and adventure under the sun!" said Kuma as he raised his cup.

"To your safe return and our happy reunion and future together!" cried out Ginny as she raised her cup.

And with that, the three clinked their cups together as they all smiled with glee.

"CHEEERS!"

The Next Night

The southern shores of the Sorbet Kingdom were silent, save for the sounds of the waves. From the darkness, three people walked to the shores, their arrival masked by the veil of darkness on this moonless and cloudy night.

"Wow, it's pitch black, you couldn't have asked for a better night to fly off undetected." Said Ginny as she walked onto the beach followed by Kuma, their only source of light being a lantern which he kept under his big cloak to minimize as much of the light's exposure as possible.

"Maybe so, but the moment, I transform and let my flames out, the odds of us being noticed increase. So, we'll have to make this quick." Said Belindo.

Kuma walked in from behind Ginny and handed Belindo a larger-than-normal bag. "This is filled with enough food and essentials for at least a few days. Maybe a week if you ration it. It should help with keeping you going without coming into contact with towns, at least for a short time." Said Kuma to which Belindo happily accepted.

"Thank you, Kuma." Said Belindo.

For a while, all three were silent as they savoured what would be their final moment together for a long while.

"Wow… I guess this is it then." Said Ginny as she shuffled nervously. "You really are going to leave."

Belindo nodded as he approached Ginny and gave her a final farewell hug. "It's just bye for now Ginny. We will see each other again someday."

Ginny slowly nodded, but still could not help but shed a few tears.

As they parted, Belindo looked up at Kuma who looked expectantly at the man he considered a brother.

"You're man of the house now, Kuma. It's all up to you to watch out for Ginny and keep our home and the people here safe." Belindo said with a serious expression, which Kuma mirrored as he nodded.

"You got it, Bel. You can count on me to keep everyone safe and happy." Said Kuma.

Belindo nodded one last time before he tightly secured his bag as the big moment finally arrived.

"All right then, here we go." Belindo said as he held the bag firmly in his grip. "You both might want to stand back."

Kuma and Ginny immediately understood and jogged a fair distance away as Belindo prepared to transform. Belindo closed his eyes and took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling with a slow and steady rhythm. As he did so, the flame on his back ignited, growing and shrinking in size with each breath.

'This is it. The time has finally come to spread my wings.' Said Belindo as his eyes transformed into red slits with black sclera. With his enhanced vision, Belindo could make out his friends in the darkness, every last detail. He smiled happily, as he thought about all of the memories he had forged with them these last several years.

'Thank you for everything, my friends.' Thought Belindo as red scales started to emerge on his skin. Suddenly, his whole body erupted into flames before growing to gargantuan size.

Compared to six years ago, Belindo's dragon form had grown tremendously. From the size of a small house, he now easily dwarfed most pirate ships. As he extended his neck upward and reached his full height, while also fully extending his wings, Ginny and Kuma looked up at his form with awe, his dragon body glowing faintly like a miniature red sun.

"TIME TO FLY!" Belindo roared and with a mighty wingbeat, he took off, unleashing a large burst of wind that would have sent Ginny flying had Kuma not securely grabbed her. As their cloaks flailed in the wind, they watched silently, smiling with their eyes filled with tears as their closest friend and brother flew off into the sky, his form growing smaller and smaller, until he disappeared over the horizon.

As he flew through the air, Belindo marvelled at the sensation he was feeling. For the first time, in years, he was flying freely through the air, without a care in the world as the wind rushed over his entire being.

After a few hours of flying freely through the air and performing all manner of aerial maneuvers, that joy soon gave way to realization and eventually acceptance.

'This is it. I am finally heading out to see. To explore the world and accomplish my goal.' Thought Belindo.

He was no fool, he knew that to accomplish this goal, he would no longer be able to hide himself from the world. In doing so, practically the entire world will be hunting for him.

'From here on out… I'll be flying straight into hell itself.' Belindo suddenly grinned. 'Looks like I've got one hell of a battle ahead of me.'

As he thought this, the sun started rising over the horizon, banishing the darkness of night. As he flew through the sky, Belindo noticed birds of all sizes flying right next to him. Including a hawk, which flew right next to his eyes.

From within his gut, Belindo's entire body rumbled with laughter, spooking the birds and causing them all to fly off in different directions.

As for Belindo, he flapped his wings, soaring even faster towards the horizon, towards the rising sun, while unleashing a powerful roar that echoed through the air, almost like a challenge to the world itself.

Two years later – somewhere in the Grandline

A pirate ship sailed over the treacherous waters of the Grandline, cutting through the surging waves like a knife through butter as powerful winds propelled their ship forward.

At the top of a crow's nest, a pirate yawned out of boredom as he looked out into the horizon with a pair of binoculars scanning for signs of… well anything, be it land or foes.

As he looked around, his vision stopped after he caught sight of an island. But he was soon alarmed when he caught sight of large plumes of smoke rising into the air from a part of the island where he noticed a large fire was dying out.

"CAPTAIN!" the man called out below. "I SPOTTED AN ISLAND IN THE DISTANCE! IT LOOKS LIKE A FIRE HAPPENED THERE RECENTLY."

From below, a man relaxing on a chair stood up, his red captain's cloak hanging off his shoulders as he yelled back in response to the barrelman in the crow's nest.

"Did it consume the whole island?" He called out.

"DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT! IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS CONTAINED TO ONLY TO A SMALL PART OF IT. THE REST IS UNTOUCHED." The man answered back.

"Well, we are short of food and other supplies." Another voice entered the conversation as a man with clean-cut strawberry blond hair wearing a dark-purple long coat and a cutlass at his side, walked up to his captain. "If the rest of the island is fine, it could be a good opportunity to stock up. Then again, there's always a chance the fire could always flare up again. So what do you think, Captain?" the man asked as he stroked his chin, which featured facial hair in an unusual striped pattern.

The captain of the ship turned around to face his comrade, a wide grin appearing on his face as he stroked his impressive mustache.

"Why isn't it obvious, old friend?" he asked. "Something's gone down on that island and my gut tells me that it will probably lead to an interesting adventure!" He cried out, causing the blond man to chuckle as he passed a hand through his blonde hair.

"My that's a bold claim. It could just be a natural forest fire, you know." The blond-haired man smirked.

"Naw, I can feel it in my bones, Rayleigh. Something is waiting for us on that island! I've got no clue what it could be, but whatever it is, it's gonna be big" the pirate captain exclaimed.

"Alright then, sounds like you've made your decision. Your gut hasn't led us astray yet, Roger." The blond man, Rayleigh said as the captain laughed.

"Oi! You hear that everyone!" Roger yelled as he pointed straight ahead to the island in the distance. "Set sail for that island over there!"

After a series of aye-ayes, the crew got to work on making the ship head towards the island while Roger and his right hand stared ahead with anticipation.

A strong wind burst forth from behind the ship, propelling the ship faster towards the island where a certain meeting would take place.

A meeting that would forever change the world and shake it to its core.

And that's a wrap!

While not much action, this chapter serves as a great setup for even greater events to come. Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to writing the next chapter. If all goes well, I am hoping to have it ready by the end of December or early January.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and be sure to show your appreciation by favouriting and/or following this story. Also don't forget to leave a review, as well as spread the word about this story. The more reception it gets, the more motivated I get to write it!

Until next time, Happy Holidays everyone!