_________________
Fish-Man Island:
"It seems their journey to this place will be anything but smooth…"
Despite saying that, Fisher Tiger was smiling the entire time. After all, he was confident that, in the end, the Straw Hat crew would safely arrive at Fish-Man Island.
"It seems like it, Nyuu~"
Spoke Hatchan from the side, who was paying close attention to every tiny detail in this arc, one that was particularly special to him—and to all the Fish-Men in general.
"This arc will be the official stage for my star to shine!"
At that moment, a tiny starfish spoke. If he hadn't spoken, no one would have noticed his presence—for he was incredibly small. Nevertheless, his presence was just as unique. After all, this little starfish was a recognizable figure on Fish-Man Island: Pappag, Camie's pet in the manga, who had already appeared before the time skip.
"Hehe~ This arc is a stage for all of us to shine. But only the strong will play a role here."
Hearing Pappag's words, Hody Jones—the shark-like figure—let out a sarcastic laugh.
They were all eagerly anticipating the Straw Hat crew's arrival on their island, watching the scenes unfold in sequence. The details, drawn with such accuracy in the manga, were absolutely captivating for them as readers above all.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Chapter's Events:
— — — — — — — — — — — —
"Originally, Hatchi had volunteered to guide us on our voyage to Fish-Man Island, but he was wounded on Sabaody, and had to return to Fish-Man Island early…!!"
Franky paused for a moment before continuing, making sure to credit everyone involved.
"He was injured for the same reason as Duval…!!!"
"That is, while defending the Thousand Sunny from attackers! Around a year ago now…"
"The Sunny's location was discovered by the Marines, and things turned violent. Both of them were taken out during that struggle."
Usopp was shocked to hear this and asked in disbelief:
"What?! But then… how has the ship remained safe all this time since then?"
Franky replied immediately:
"Because it had one more guardian… the very man who tore our crew apart two years ago… A member of the Royal Shichibukai, Bartholomew Kuma!!"
Hearing that, every crew member—including Luffy—was stunned. But Franky continued to share what he knew:
"A few days ago… when I first returned to the Sunny, I couldn't believe my eyes…!!!"
Franky recalled the image of Bartholomew Kuma, almost destroyed, weapons embedded in his body and smoke rising from the damaged parts of his metallic frame. Kuma had said to him:
("I've been waiting for you…")
Franky immediately prepared to attack, for this man had always been considered an enemy in his eyes.
"What the hell are you doing here?!!!"
"Mission… complete…"
Those were Kuma's final words as he got up and left—his body nearly destroyed.
"There wasn't a single scratch on the Sunny."
"And when I later asked Rayleigh about it… he told me what Kuma had told him back during that battle…"
("I am one of the leading members of the Revolutionary Army. I have my reasons for wanting to help this crew escape this place.")
Franky echoed Kuma's words to Rayleigh from that time, then declared firmly:
"I think all of you might have figured it out to some degree… but that man saved our lives back there!!"
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Sorbet Kingdom:
This scene—where the crew learned the truth—filled the hearts of Sorbet Kingdom's people with warmth. Some even shed tears of joy.
Finally seeing justice for their king in the manga made them feel deeply happy.
The same went for Kuma himself, who smiled while watching the scene.
"I always thought the crew would see me as an enemy for a long time… to think this misunderstanding would be cleared up so quickly… Sigh~"
"Amazing! Dad, your counterpart did something unbelievable! Protecting the Thousand Sunny for a whole year after it was discovered by the Marines, without it getting a single scratch… That's… rebellion! Incredible strength! Unmatched loyalty!"
Bonney praised him endlessly. She was overjoyed.
(Author's Note: Please remember, this version of Bonney is entirely imagined by Rob and is not Ginny's biological daughter…)
"I assume this mission… was the last thing you chose to do of your own free will… before dying, wasn't it?"
Dragon said this with a grim expression.
Kuma nodded in response.
"Seems like it…"
Kuma didn't understand the full reason behind his self-sacrifice and transformation into a weapon for the World Government, despite being a leader in the Revolutionary Army in secret. But he was certain of one thing: he didn't regret it.
"What a heartwarming scene… helping the crew escape their crisis before the two-year time skip, and then protecting their ship while they trained and evolved… It seems the most impactful person for Luffy's crew so far is undoubtedly your counterpart."
Ivankov spoke affirmatively, expressing exactly what he felt—and what the vast majority of One Piece readers agreed with.
"An enemy who was an ally all along… What a plot twist."
Even Crocodile felt deep appreciation for the incredible help Kuma had provided the Straw Hats.
"One day, my grandson will repay this help many times over to your counterpart—I'm sure of it. After all, my grandson never forgets those who help him."
Garp was pleased with the immense help Bartholomew Kuma had given to Luffy and his crew, even if he was also saddened by Kuma's dark and unclear fate.
Kuma's story in the manga seemed wrapped in mist. After all, how did the World Government manage to control someone as powerful as Kuma, making him follow orders—and even turn him into a cold war machine?
...
Ohara:
"I'm curious to know the reason Kuma sacrificed himself and allowed his counterpart to turn him into a full cyborg… a weapon for the World Government."
Vegapunk had always felt sad about this. No matter the reason, the result was the same: if Kuma died, it meant his counterpart would be the killer.
That was an undeniable truth.
"To think Kuma protected the ship so fiercely after saving us from Kizaru two years ago… This is no longer just a single favor—it's far more than that… My heart feels warm, even though I don't have a heart, Yohohohoho! Wait? I do have a heart… inside the art shop!"
Even Brook's "temporary" heart was moved. He looked at the scene where Franky described Kuma's actions with deep appreciation in his also "temporary" eyes.
"Kuma is one of the best characters in the manga so far. I look forward to seeing his past—it's bound to be emotional."
Said Saul with a smile. He had always liked Kuma's character—especially after the scene where Kuma tested Zoro's resolve. That powerful moment was still etched in his memory.
...
Marigoa:
Inside the Hall of Power, the Five Elders were silently focused on the current scene.
"Bartholomew Kuma's gradual modification as an experimental subject… this must be your doing, Saturn. After all, you're the Warrior God of Science and Defense."
Saint Mars said, eyeing Saturn with interest.
"Having full control over one of the key Shichibukai under the World Government's command is what I enjoy… It's not strange," Saturn confirmed.
"But it seems your work wasn't perfect. Saving the crew and protecting their ship… Isn't that a massive programming error on your part? This shouldn't have happened—but it did."
It seemed that Saint Nasjuro was mocking Saturn's counterpart at this point.
"This is that bastard Vegapunk's doing! Isn't that obvious?" Saturn defended himself against Nasjuro's mockery.
"Vegapunk is also under your jurisdiction. Seems like your counterpart can't fully control his section either. In fact, if not for your negligence, Vegapunk wouldn't have sided with the enemy."
Even Saint Ju Peter seemed to be blaming Saturn.
Saturn's brow twitched. He felt something was off—like everyone was ganging up on him today for no reason.
"Well, it's not like your counterpart's mistake means you should be blamed, right, Saturn?"
Saint Warcury stepped in to ease the situation, expressing a more sympathetic stance toward Saturn, which helped lighten his mood a bit.
"Well, it seems that the credit for the crew's fateful turning point goes to Bartholomew Kuma… Damn him!"
On the Empty Throne, Imu was seething. After all, seeing a chess piece act outside its assigned role was never a pleasant feeling.
"A chess piece must be a winning piece—or what's the point of its existence? Saturn, your counterpart… is pathetic."
Imu's cold tone caused Saturn's back to break out in sweat.
He immediately knelt and agreed with every word their lord had spoken.
"Utterly pathetic, my lord! Indeed! This is regrettable! It seems I must work harder from now on, to avoid being as pathetic as my counterpart!"
_________________
Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
_________________
Chapter 910: Life as a Pirate Is So Exciting!
Chapter 911: The Strongest Trio!
Chapter 912: Into the Depths of the Ocean!
_________________
BlackStar_BH:
Join my Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/BlackStar_BH
To support me and unlock advanced chapters. Get ahead with up to 30 chapters in advance:
- 5 advanced chapters for $5
- 10 advanced chapters for $10
- 15 advanced chapters for $15
- 20 advanced chapters for $20
- 30 advanced chapters for $30
_______
New! With the addition of the shop feature to Patreon, you can now purchase chapters without needing a monthly subscription! For the curious individuals who like the idea of buying just one or two chapters, you can now control the number of advanced chapters you want to read. I have ensured to set the lowest permissible price on the platform for the advanced chapters! Enjoy!
_______
Hey everyone!
I'm excited to announce that I'm now on Ko-fi. If you enjoy my content and want to support my work, you can now buy me a coffee! Every contribution helps me keep creating and sharing more with you all.
Check out my Ko-fi page here:
https://ko-fi.com/blackstar_bh
There are 30 chapters available there ahead of Webnovel.
The membership tiers on Ko-fi:
- 5 advanced chapters for $5
- 10 advanced chapters for $10
- 20 advanced chapters for $20
- 30 advanced chapters for $30