"Bonney, maybe your father is simply too busy with work and hasn't had time to send letters yet," Jojo suggested gently. "Or perhaps the News Coo is still on its way. Just wait a little longer."
Jojo and Duz, both wearing cowboy hats with stubble on their weathered faces, stood behind the young girl offering what comfort they could. As Bonney's longtime friends and protectors, they had witnessed her daily disappointment for months.
Little Bonney puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "But I've been back here for more than half a year, and Dad still hasn't sent me a single letter. He promised he wouldn't lie to me."
Just as Jojo and Duz were struggling to find more reassuring words, a cheerful voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Haha! You must be Bonney, right? Well, Kuma certainly didn't lie to you—he sends out an average of ten letters per month."
Both men tensed immediately, spinning around toward the unexpected voice behind them. "Who are you?!" they demanded in stern, protective tones.
The newcomer wore a hooded short coat with a fishing rod strapped to his back and carried a bag in one hand. He stood casually about three meters away, looking around with obvious interest rather than any hostile intent.
This was Jerry, who had quietly separated from his crewmates according to Skull's earlier strategic suggestion. While the rest of his crew had entered town in obvious groups—shopping, eating, and generally making themselves visible to attract public and intelligence attention—Jerry had taken a more covert approach.
He didn't mind potentially exposing his presence, but understood that using his true identity to deliver letters to Bonney could easily create misunderstandings and implicate innocent people. Although Kuma had instructed him to find Queen Dowager Connie directly, visiting the royal palace would definitely expose his whereabouts.
Since Kuma had mentioned that Bonney always stayed at the church, Jerry had decided to seek her out directly. He had changed his appearance slightly, avoided crowded areas, asked for directions discreetly, and made his way here through back streets.
"Eh?! Have you actually met my dad?" Little Bonney immediately rushed forward, grabbing Jojo and Duz's arms to prevent them from taking aggressive action.
She opened her bright eyes wide and looked at Jerry with desperate hope.
Jerry nodded slightly. "Kuma and I have met several times and shared meals together. We can definitely be considered friends."
"Bonney, don't trust strangers so easily," Jojo whispered, gently restraining the eager girl and asking her to maintain distance.
Little Bonney looked between Jojo and Jerry, her expression torn between caution and desperate longing. "But..."
Jerry smiled warmly and pulled out a sealed letter, tossing it gently toward her. "I understand your suspicion. This was written by Kuma himself—take a look."
Little Bonney caught the letter, her eyes immediately drawn to the three unmistakable words "To Bonney" written in familiar handwriting on the envelope. Her small hands moved frantically as she tore it open with barely contained excitement.
"Wow! It's Dad's handwriting and drawings!" she exclaimed with pure joy.
Jojo and Duz exchanged meaningful glances, their doubts evaporating instantly. They knew there was no way Bonney could mistake Kuma's distinctive writing style. The warmth radiating from the letter carried his characteristic caring tone—impossible to fake convincingly.
Besides, they couldn't imagine what benefit anyone would gain from spending such effort deceiving a young girl.
After reaching this conclusion, both men relaxed their defensive stances and nodded apologetically toward Jerry.
"Dad says he sent many letters before, and this time he just happened to meet you, so he asked you to deliver this one personally," Little Bonney explained after reading, pointing at Jerry with excitement.
Then she placed her hands on her hips with indignant anger. "Hmph! It must be that awful woman's fault! She always claims there are only newspapers, never any letters!"
Jerry silently guessed she was referring to the CP organization member supposedly caring for her.
Seeing her spirited expression, Jerry pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box from his bag and handed it to her with amusement. "Here are some additional letters from Kuma, plus a birthday present he prepared for you in advance."
"Wow! This is incredible! A gift from Dad! And more letters!" Little Bonney took the gift box with ecstatic joy, raising it high above her head and spinning around several times on the spot.
"Ahem, Bonney, did you receive a letter from Kuma?" A kind elderly woman with a gentle smile appeared at the church entrance.
"Grandma Connie!" Little Bonney continued her celebration, then shook the gift box enthusiastically. "Look! This is what Dad sent me!"
"Well then, you should examine it properly," Queen Dowager Connie suggested with warm approval.
Little Bonney nodded eagerly and carefully opened the gift box, retrieving another letter from inside to read thoroughly.
"Hello, thank you for helping deliver these items," Grandma Connie said to Jerry before asking curiously, "Are you also part of the pirate crew that landed this morning?"
Jerry didn't attempt to deny it. "Hello, you must be Queen Dowager Connie, correct? Kuma originally asked me to find you directly, but since I didn't know your location, I decided to come straight to the church instead."
The group chatted casually about various topics for several minutes before Little Bonney called out with a beaming smile: "Grandma Connie! Jojo! Duz! Look at the birthday gift Dad asked Big Brother Jerry to bring in advance! Isn't it beautiful?"
Little Bonney was now wearing an adorable hat covered with tiny spots and decorated with two imitation bear ears on top. The design clearly mimicked Kuma's signature style while adding playful, childlike charm.
Seeing this thoughtful outfit, Connie and the others couldn't help but smile knowingly, nodding their approval. "Of course it looks wonderful."
"Also, Dad says I'm actually completely cured now!" Little Bonney announced with excitement, her voice full of pure happiness. However, her expression then shifted to disappointment as she continued sadly:
"But he said it would be best if I waited here for him to return... though I really want to go see him."
Little Bonney's words reflected exactly the conclusion Kuma had reached after consulting with Dr. Kureha. According to their calculations, more than six months had passed since her return to the Sorbet Kingdom.
Now, only barely visible traces of the sapphire-colored marks remained on her face. However, she remained unaware of this improvement and still feared the disease recurring or spreading, so she continued avoiding sunlight exposure.
"Kuma is currently traveling without any fixed residence," Jerry explained gently. "It would probably be very difficult for you to find him, and..." He paused, considering his words carefully.
When Jerry stopped speaking mid-sentence, everyone looked confused and expectant.
Little Bonney spoke up directly, asking with obvious curiosity: "And what?"
Jerry pondered for a long moment before slowly continuing: "Well... I suppose it's acceptable to tell you. I believe that in order to help cure your illness, Kuma reached some kind of agreement with the World Government. I'm afraid one of the terms of that agreement forbids him from meeting with you."
Bonney was visibly startled, then immediately began muttering angrily: "What?! No wonder Dad said such confusing things and smiled so strangely when we said goodbye!"
The revelation cast a shadow over what had been a joyful reunion, but at least now Bonney understood why her father's letters had been mysteriously absent, and why their separation felt so different from a normal voyage. The truth was painful, but it also confirmed that Kuma's love for her had never wavered.