Chapter 73: The Arrival of Kuma and Bonney
Ace got the answer he wanted, and Kain's ship welcomed new guests.
Two bubbles, one large and one small, broke through the clouds and flew straight towards the Windmill Village pier.
A red glow flashed in Kain's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile: "Let's go greet our friends."
The bubbles burst.
Two cloaked figures landed steadily on the deck of the Raikougo.
"Welcome, Kuma, Bonney."
Kain went to meet them.
After several days, Kuma and Bonney finally arrived, crossing the distant South Blue.
This was thanks to the Paw-Paw Berry's incredible long-distance teleportation ability; otherwise, this journey would have taken at least several months.
Kuma pulled down his hood, revealing a gentle and honest face.
Bonney held her father's hand tightly, her small face mostly hidden by the hood, but she didn't appear timid. Instead, she opened her curious big eyes, observing Kain and his diverse companions behind him.
"Are you doctors?"
"No, the doctor is in the New World."
Kain replied gently, then turned to Kuma: "We need to stay in Windmill Village for one day."
"We apologize for the intrusion," Kuma bowed slightly.
Compared to the hope of healing Bonney, what was a few more days of waiting?
On the other side, Yamato and the others had already started chatting with Bonney.
"Wow! So cool! Are those gems on your face?" Yamato leaned closer to Bonney, her eyes sparkling.
Bonney touched the gem-like crystals on her face, somewhat at a loss.
This was the first time she had heard anyone other than her father praise the stones on her face.
"Thank you, but if I could, I'd rather not have these gems."
Bonney's voice dropped, and she kicked at the ground with her toes: "I'm sick, you see. I don't want my father to worry about me."
"Move aside."
Sanji appeared on the deck like a whirlwind, holding a tray, which he presented to Bonney.
"Lovely young lady, please taste it!"
Sanji raised an eyebrow proudly: "My masterpiece of the day, cream chiffon cake."
The soft, golden cake base was covered with a thick layer of sweet, snowy white cream.
On the surface of the cream, Sanji had ingeniously used various fruits to carve and assemble a beautiful butterfly.
Bonney had never seen such an exquisite and beautiful cake. Her small mouth slightly open, she couldn't help but swallow.
But she immediately looked at Kuma: "Father, can I eat it?"
"Eat it," Kain replied with a smile on her behalf, "This is my companion's kind gesture."
Seeing this, Kuma nodded gently.
With permission, Bonney's eyes instantly lit up.
She picked up the small dessert knife next to the tray and didn't rush to eat it. Instead, she carefully and evenly cut the cake according to the number of people present, then cautiously took her portion and began to taste it in small bites.
"Mmm! So—so delicious!"
The moment the cake entered her mouth, Bonney's eyes widened. The sweet taste instantly captivated her taste buds.
"Father, you eat too!"
Bonney picked up another piece of cake and, standing on her tiptoes, offered it to Kuma.
"Thank you, Bonney." Kuma did not refuse his daughter's kindness and, after tasting it, praised, "Hmm, it's really delicious."
"Right?" Bonney's smile was radiant.
"Go play."
Kuma said with a smile.
Kain, however, saw an unresolvable worry in his eyes.
"Don't worry, there's definitely a way to cure Bonney's illness," Kain comforted her.
Not far away, under the sympathetic care of Yamato and the others, the lively Bonney quickly relaxed.
Yamato gesticulated wildly as she told her interesting stories from Wano Country. Although they were always about fighting and killing, somewhat unsuitable for children, Bonney seemed to really enjoy them.
She was a violent girl at heart, too.
Kozuki Hiyori, meanwhile, held a shamisen, serving as the atmosphere creator.
"No matter the outcome, I want to thank you."
Kuma said sincerely: "I haven't seen Bonney this happy in a long time."
One could say that Heavenly Disaster Kain and his companions had completely subverted his perception of the Beasts Pirates.
Before coming, he had expected to encounter a group of vicious criminals.
He had even conceived a scenario of enduring humiliation.
Once Bonney was well, he would send her back to the Sorbet Kingdom to be cared for, while he would stay and work for Kain.
Now it seemed that Bonney staying here was not out of the question.
However, it was still a bit too early to talk about these things.
The next day.
Windmill Village pier.
Kain saw Ace, who was carrying a huge backpack, as expected.
"Please let me join you."
Ace's expression was solemn.
What else could Kain say?
"Welcome, Ace."
Kuma's gaze, however, fell on the black-haired boy following Ace.
"Is that Dragon's son?"
He thought to himself.
As one of the important figures in the Revolutionary Army, Kuma was well aware of Dragon's special attention to Windmill Village.
That wasn't attention to his hometown; the only explanation he could think of was that there was someone very important to him in Windmill Village.
Now seeing Luffy, who bore some resemblance to Dragon, Kuma felt the mystery might be solved.
But Kuma felt no surprise, only wishing to quietly forget about it.
Dragon's existence would only be an obstacle in this child's future life.
Gorp Mountain, Bandit's House.
"Boss, are we really not going to see Ace off?" a bandit asked.
"No," Dadan snorted, "It's hard enough to get rid of this burden; I'm too busy celebrating."
The bandits exchanged winks, knowing that their big sister was being stubborn again.
Before Ace left, she had clearly prepared a huge package for him, as if she wanted to pack the entire Bandit's House inside.
"But this might be the last time we see Ace..."
"Yeah, yeah, the sea is full of storms, and Ace is so young, who knows when he'll die?"
The bandits deliberately sighed in low voices.
Sure enough.
"You bunch of idiots! What kind of stupid things are you saying?! How could that kid die so easily?!"
Dadan cursed, picking up a wine bottle beside her as if to smash it, but her body honestly stood up.
"Hmph! No matter what, that kid was raised by us, so we still have to see him off."
"Yes, Big Sister!"
The bandits responded with laughter.
On the other side, Windmill Village pier.
"Ace! Don't forget our promise!"
Luffy waved and shouted.
"Don't worry, I won't die until you become an excellent pirate!"
Ace turned back and shouted loudly.
What a flag.
Kain silently complained in his heart.
At the pier, besides Luffy, there was a large crowd seeing Ace off.
Makino and some other villagers.
Although Ace used to be mischievous, troublesome, and impolite, after years of living together, they had long grown accustomed to this energetic young man.
"Little Ace, have a Tail Wind!" Everyone waved goodbye.
"I've caused you all trouble these past years." Ace bowed deeply, tears welling up in his eyes.
Ace bid farewell to the crowd one by one, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the direction of Gorp Mountain, unwilling to move for a long time.
After a long silence, Ace finally turned and boarded the ship.
"Aren't you going to wait a little longer?" Kain asked.
"No need," Ace feigned nonchalance: "I already said a good goodbye before coming."
However, his gaze still couldn't help but glance towards the mountain road.
"But someone still seems reluctant to let you go."
Kain's Observation Haki had already detected the movement in the distance, and the corners of his mouth lifted.
"A—ce—"
Dust billowed from the direction of Gorp Mountain, as the bandits led by Dadan stumbled and crawled, running with all their might, shouting Ace's name in unison as they ran.
"Dadan! And everyone!"
Ace's tears instantly burst forth.
In the blink of an eye, the bandits breathlessly rushed to the pier. Dadan took a deep breath and roared with all her strength: "You brat! Stay safe and sound for this old woman! Do you hear me?!"
The other bandits tacitly remained silent, simply waving their hands vigorously, leaving the final farewell moment to Dadan and Ace.
"I will!"
Tears blurred his vision, but Ace squeezed out a brilliant smile: "Thank you for taking care of me all these years!"
"You scoundrel! Why say such things right before you leave?!"
Dadan could no longer hold back and burst into loud sobs.
"Ace, you have a good Mama," Kain sighed.
"A good Mama?"
Ace gazed deeply at Dadan's figure, as if to engrave her in his mind.
In this world, there were also many people who cared about him.
"Alright, lads, set sail!"
Kain turned and gave the order.
But then, a thunderous roar like a clap of lightning rang out,
"Ace! Luffy! I'm back!!"