The Sorbet Kingdom. The homeland of Bartholomew Kuma, and a perfectly ordinary, mundane nation located in the South Blue affiliated with the World Government.
Over a decade ago, the kingdom's corrupt and tyrannical ruler, King Bekori, enacted a sickening policy. In a desperate bid to reduce the kingdom's exorbitant Heavenly Tribute to the Celestial Dragons, he officially divided the nation in half. The wealthy northern half retained the kingdom's absolute protection and resources, while the impoverished southern half was legally declared a 'lawless zone'. The citizens in the south were completely abandoned, left to starve and die without any government aid or protection.
Bartholomew Kuma and a young girl named Ginny lived in that exact lawless southern zone. Operating as a humble pastor in a dilapidated church, Kuma frequently used his Paw-Paw Fruit powers to extract the agonizing pain and fatigue from the sick and elderly villagers... only to violently absorb and endure that unimaginable suffering himself.
How to describe Kuma? He was a man who was simply far too kind for his own good. Given his terrifying combat strength, he could have easily ventured out to the sea, captured a bunch of murderous pirate scum, and forced them to absorb the pain bubble. Yet, he stubbornly refused to inflict suffering on anyone else, choosing to bear the agony himself.
Because of his bottomless kindness, when he actively defied King Bekori's oppressive orders to protect the innocent, he didn't violently retaliate. He peacefully surrendered and was imprisoned.
Fortunately, at that exact time, Monkey D. Dragon and Emporio Ivankov arrived, leading the 'Freedom Fighters'—the predecessor to the modern Revolutionary Army. They launched a decisive attack on the Sorbet Kingdom, forcing King Bekori to abolish the horrific policy and successfully rescuing Kuma and Ginny.
Inspired by the cause, Kuma and Ginny officially joined the Freedom Fighters. When the organization later evolved into the Revolutionary Army, both of them rose through the ranks to become respected Army Commanders. Following their departure, Kuma and Ginny rarely returned to the Sorbet Kingdom.
When Bardock and his crew finally arrived at the Sorbet Kingdom, Kuma wasn't there. But Bardock knew for a fact that the gentle giant would be returning very, very soon.
According to the original timeline, this was the exact year that Ginny—who had been abducted and held captive by a Celestial Dragon for two agonizing years—would finally escape and return to the Sorbet Kingdom. Suffering from the terminal, incurable disease known as 'Sapphire Scales', she would use her final moments to contact Kuma via Den Den Mushi, leaving behind her newborn daughter, Jewelry Bonney, before tragically passing away.
Since this was their final scheduled stop in the South Blue, Bardock wasn't in any rush. He ordered Enel to cast his Mantra over the entire island and maintain a continuous, twenty-four-hour surveillance specifically listening for the name 'Ginny'.
In the meantime, the crew rested and trained relentlessly. Under Bardock's brutal, unforgiving tutelage, the three rookies—Galdino, Kid, and Killer—suffered immensely, but their physical and martial progress was clearly visible to the naked eye.
Originally, these three men were completely self-taught, wild street brawlers with zero formal martial arts foundation or Haki guidance. However, after undergoing rigorous, systematic instruction from absolute monsters like Bardock, Sai, and Daz Bonez, their raw combat strength had multiplied exponentially in just a few short months.
One afternoon, while Bardock was sitting cross-legged on the deck meditating on his staff forms, Enel suddenly materialized next to him in a flash of lightning.
"Bardock," Enel said, his tone serious. "That woman you told me to listen for, Ginny? She just appeared."
"Where?!" Bardock instantly snapped his eyes open, jumping to his feet. "Is she at the port?!"
He needed to move fast. Ginny was currently dying from an agonizing, terminal illness, and he honestly didn't know if Mansherry's miraculous Heal-Heal Fruit could cure a disease that was genetically linked to sunlight exposure.
"No, she's in an old, run-down church in the southern district. If she hadn't bumped into an old acquaintance who specifically called her 'Ginny', I probably wouldn't have even noticed her," Enel explained, pulling out a detailed map of the island and pointing to the specific sector.
Without wasting a single second of hesitation, Bardock mobilized the entire crew and rushed out.
Shortly after, they arrived at the dilapidated church on the outskirts of the town. To avoid alerting the town's guards or the Revolutionary Army prematurely, Bardock had intentionally avoided visiting this specific location during their stay. It truly was just a modest, heavily weathered chapel.
"Who are you people?"
Inside the dim church, Ginny stood defensively near the altar. She was heavily swaddled in thick, dark bandages and cloaks, looking more thoroughly wrapped than a mummy. Not a single millimeter of her skin was exposed to the light. Despite the heavy clothing, it was obvious her movements were incredibly stiff and agonizing. Furthermore, if one looked closely, the distinct, swelling curve of her stomach was unmistakable; she was heavily pregnant, and Bonney's birth was likely imminent.
"Don't worry, we aren't enemies. Galdino, do it!" Bardock said reassuringly, instantly giving the signal.
"Understood, Captain! Candle House!"
Galdino stepped forward, the flame on his head flaring brilliantly. He slammed his hands onto the stone floor, melting his arms into a massive torrent of liquid wax. The wax rapidly crawled up the walls, completely sealing every single window, crack, and crevice in the church, instantly plunging the interior into absolute, pitch-black darkness. Every single ray of natural sunlight was completely blocked out.
Only the flickering flame on Galdino's head provided any illumination. Acting on Bardock's prior instructions, Kid quickly pulled several heavy-duty, portable battery-powered floodlights from his pack and flicked them on, bathing the church in harsh, artificial light.
Because Bardock wasn't entirely certain if the light emitted by Sky Island 'Lamp Dials' mathematically counted as 'natural sunlight' that triggered the Sapphire Scales disease, he had specifically ordered Kid to construct these battery-powered electrical lamps. Kid, possessing an incredible innate talent for mechanical engineering and circuitry, had slapped them together in a single afternoon. (It seemed the South Blue was truly a breeding ground for brilliant engineers.)
Throughout this entire bizarre, rapid process, Ginny simply stood completely still and watched them with dull, exhausted eyes. In her current, severely weakened physical state, she didn't have the strength to fight back or run even if she wanted to.