South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom.
The country did not seem prosperous. Crushing taxes weighed heavily on its people's lives. Still, it had not yet been split apart under the tremendous pressure of the Heavenly Tribute.
In a town in the southern region, Ortoren, wearing the Marines' cloak of justice, held a map in hand. He occasionally glanced at the surrounding buildings, confirming his bearings.
After turning through two streets, he finally found what he was looking for—a somewhat old but neatly kept church.
Indeed, this world held many religions.
There was Sister Carmel, deeply connected to Charlotte Linlin, who outwardly appeared merciful and kind, yet in truth was a human trafficker.
There was also Urouge, one of the later Supernovas, a devout Buddhist.
And though he had never been there himself, Ortoren had learned in cultural studies about the Kano Country of the West Blue, with its tradition of Taoist faith.
But none of these religious powers were particularly strong, nor worth much mention.
Soon, Ortoren folded away his newspaper and approached the church. Its doors were open, and inside were many people, most of them elderly.
From a distance, he noticed a tall figure in the church courtyard. That figure was using his ability to help the old and frail ease their illnesses.
Though towering, his face still held a trace of youth. He looked no older than his early twenties.
It was Bartholomew Kuma. If Ortoren remembered correctly, he should be twenty-two this year.
In Ortoren's impression, Bartholomew Kuma had always carried a solemn expression, rarely smiling, with an overwhelming dignity about him.
Yet here, the young Kuma had a gentle, approachable smile. With his ability, he tapped away the fatigue, backaches, and lingering pains of the elders, quietly absorbing them himself.
He wore a patched priest's robe that carried a sense of poverty, but his face showed no trace of hardship—only a smile filled with hope for the future.
Seeing this, Ortoren felt a pang of sorrow. This world was beautiful and captivating, yet for many unfortunate people, it was cruel and unforgiving from the very start.
Gion had once said that Rosinante was absurdly kind, like a saint. Ortoren had never wanted to comment on that, but if one were to speak of true kindness, he found himself admiring Bartholomew Kuma more.
Ortoren did not step inside. He simply stood across the street, silently watching the warm scene unfold.
Five or six minutes later, Bartholomew Kuma wiped the sweat from his brow, saw an elder off, and happened to glance back. That was when he noticed Ortoren, who had been watching him all along.
The sudden sight of a strange Marine officer startled Kuma, almost making him rise to his feet. But seeing that Ortoren only wore a faint smile and made no move to approach, he quickly calmed himself again.
Forcing himself not to think too much of it, Kuma continued to draw away the pain of the next elder. In this way, more than two hours passed before he finally sent off the last person who had come to the church for blessings.
Afterward, he stood at the church entrance, gazing across the street at Ortoren with a puzzled look.
Only then did Ortoren step forward. Crossing the street, he reached the church doors. Peering into the courtyard, he asked:
"Do you do this every day? Drawing the elders' pain out of their bodies and taking it on yourself?"
Bartholomew Kuma seemed to recognize him. He was in the habit of reading the papers, and Ortoren had made headlines not long ago.
Listening to Ortoren's question, Bartholomew Kuma scratched the back of his head with a simple, honest look.
"Pretty much. But today there are a lot of people—it's not usually like this..."
"Is that so?" Ortoren let out a soft sigh. "Doesn't doing this make you feel uncomfortable?"
"Not at all." Kuma's face lit up with a contented smile. "Helping others within my ability—shouldn't that be something to be happy about?"
Ortoren paused for a moment before smiling. "You're absolutely right."
"Are you here to arrest me?" Kuma asked, his voice carrying a trace of tension. After a short pause, he added, "If so, could you wait until the day after tomorrow? An old man scheduled me for treatment tomorrow. He can't get out of bed, so I need to visit his home..."
Hearing this, Ortoren was at a loss for words.
Just then, a woman suddenly rushed out of the church, holding a long-barreled musket. Her short, cropped hair gave her a sharp, aggressive presence. Compared to Kuma's gentle demeanor, she radiated boldness and defiance.
Ortoren recognized her instantly—Ginny, another soul scarred by misfortune, just like Bartholomew Kuma.
"You bastard Marine! What do you want with Kuma? Get out of this church! You're not welcome here!" Ginny leveled her gun at Ortoren, shouting.
Ortoren smiled and raised his hands. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not here to arrest you."
At those simple words, Kuma's face relaxed into a smile. "That's great! So you're not here to arrest us? I'm relieved..."
Ginny, however, kicked Kuma's ankle in frustration. "Kuma, you're way too trusting! Who knows what he's really here for? Don't let your guard down!"
"Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself," Ortoren said with a smile. "I'm Benn Ortoren, Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters. I'm just passing through on a different mission that has nothing to do with you, so there's no need to be so tense."
Ginny, sensing no malice from him, reluctantly lowered her gun but muttered coldly, "We don't welcome Marines—or any lackeys of the World Government—here."
Kuma opened his mouth, wanting to remind her that words like that could be hurtful. But seeing the unhappiness written across Ginny's face, he held back.
Ortoren shrugged and sighed. "Alright, no need to get so worked up. I'll leave."
In truth, he had never planned to cause trouble. Part of the reason he came was simply because it was on his way. The other was to catch a glimpse of Bartholomew Kuma and Ginny while they still had this fleeting happiness.
The time they spent in this church might be the happiest period of their lives. So not disturbing them—not interfering—was the greatest kindness Ortoren could show.
Taking two steps back, Ortoren suddenly grew serious.
"Despite being treated cruelly by the world, you still choose to face it with kindness and hope. I deeply respect that. Both of you possess truly noble character and genuine goodness—qualities I admire. So please remember my name: Benn Ortoren."
"To many, including the two of you, Marines may not seem like good people. I won't deny that. The Marines do face many difficult problems. But there's one thing I want to set straight: I am not a lackey of the World Government. If either of you ever needs help in the future, I'll gladly offer it."
With those words, Ortoren smiled warmly at them. Lightning flickered beneath his feet, and in an instant, he vanished from sight.
Ginny stared after him in confusion. "What was that about?"
"No idea. When I first noticed him, he was across the street, smiling kindly and just watching me..." Kuma replied, just as puzzled.
"What a strange Marine... Still, at least he wasn't here to arrest us. You recognized him, right? That guy... he's the one they hyped in the papers—the really strong Marine!" Ginny said quickly.
"Yeah, yeah, I recognized him!" Kuma nodded earnestly.
Then, after a pause, he smiled softly. "I don't know why, but he said he respects us. Isn't this the first time anyone's ever said they respect us? I'm so happy, Ginny!"
"Respect...?" Ginny's eyes flickered with a complicated look. As former slaves, that was a feeling they had rarely experienced.
But she quickly pushed the thought aside and kicked Kuma's leg with a scowl. "You big idiot! Don't go trusting people's words so easily. If you keep this up, one day you'll pay for it!"
Kuma rubbed his leg with a pout, muttering softly, "But without trust, how can people ever understand each other?"
Ginny froze, momentarily unable to argue back. After a beat, she stomped her foot angrily.
"Fine! But don't come crying to me for comfort when you get tricked, you idiot!"
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(50 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake