"Mr. Kuma!" Mansherry exclaimed in surprise.
Kuma's eyes were somewhat blank, but they quickly focused. He looked at Shano, his voice hoarse: "... Lord Shano?"
"It's me." Shano smiled slightly, "How do you feel?"
"I've almost completely recovered."
Kuma tried to sit up. Although he still felt a bit weak, he could move without much trouble. He glanced around, quickly understanding many things, and couldn't help but laugh along:
"It seems my luck isn't so hopeless after all. To encounter you under such dire circumstances is indeed a blessing."
He stood up, placed his right hand horizontally across his chest, and solemnly bowed to Shano, "Thank you for saving my life, my lord. I will remember your kindness forever."
In such a moment, stepping forward to help would seem insincere. Shano stood still, smiling as he graciously accepted the gesture.
Kuma then looked at Mansherry and smiled gently, "Thank you too, Mansherry."
"It's nothing, it's what I should do!"
Mansherry wiped the sweat from her brow, clinging tightly to Kuma's arm, striving to display a radiant smile—she had managed to shed tears so quickly because half of it was pinching herself, and the other half was due to the real distress Kuma's plight caused her.
Boo hoo, Kuma got hurt so much to protect me. If only I could be like Lord Shano and crush the Seastone shackles with a mere hand!
Clang clang!
A dull metallic clanging suddenly erupted, startling everyone.
"Alright, enough with the touching scene. If you keep thanking each other, this old man won't be able to handle it."
Zeff stood at the castle gate, tapping a saucepan lid with a ladle, and grumbled, "None of you have even finished breakfast, yet you're just standing around chatting? Hurry up and bring the guests inside, they must be starving by now!"
Such a fierce old man.
I'm not that hungry, so why make such a racket and scare everyone!
Mansherry unhappily covered her ears, just as she was about to protest, her stomach rumbled, and she hastily covered it, her face flushing a deep red.
Everyone burst into laughter, and Kuma also gently smiled, bending down to set Mansherry on his shoulder, and headed toward the dining room with her.
...
At the dining table.
Once everyone was nearly done eating, Kuma and Shano had almost finished their chat, during which Kuma also learned about Doflamingo's death.
This didn't come as a surprise.
Even leaving aside Shano's later reputation, Kuma had already regarded Shano as a superior force back when they met on Drum Island.
However, the fact that the Endgame Adventurer Group's Deputy Captain, Kuina, managed to hold her ground against Doflamingo left Kuma a bit amazed, prompting him to look at the young girl in a new light.
"What are your plans now?" Shano asked, "Are you taking Mansherry back to the South Sea?"
Kuma shook his head, "No, my lord, I don't plan on going back just yet."
"Eh?" Nami widened her eyes in confusion, "Weren't you always in a rush to get back and treat your daughter? Now, when you can finally make that wish come true, you're…?"
"Bonney's condition remains relatively stable. Compared to that, the situation in Dressrosa needs my attention more urgently."
Kuma stated solemnly, "Once the news of Doflamingo's death spreads, chaos will ensue. Will the citizens fall victim to vengeful reprisals from the unhinged Donquixote Family members? Will Mansherry's people—the Tontatta Dwarves Race—become targets of slaughter in their grief… All these stem from my actions. Before things spiral out of control, I must rush there and take responsibility."
This is so like the great Kuma, isn't it?
Shano sighed, finished his last sip of soup, and wiped his mouth.
Probably very few people in this world, after being on the brink of death and finally able to fulfill a long-held wish of healing their daughter, could remain so rational and still worry about the safety of strangers far away.
This man is truly admirable.
But at the same time, it's this very character trait that has cast unwarranted tragic shadows over Kuma's life.
"Then let's part ways here for now."
Shano said, "I initially planned to check out the situation in Dressrosa after reaching the New World, but that would be at least a month later. You going straight there will indeed be faster. Be careful of Sugar's ability; the rest of the remnant forces should be easy for you to handle."
"Yes, rest assured, Lord Shano."
Kuma nodded.
Without Doflamingo leading the Donquixote Family, it's a completely different scenario.
Those so-called top executives are mere jokes to him.
"Coming and going will take just over half a month."
He contemplated and looked at Shano, his gaze warm yet firm, "My lord, once Bonney's health is restored, I will seek you out again."
"Oh?"
Shano raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, spreading his hands with a chuckle, "Why, to repay your debt of gratitude to me?"
"Yes."
Kuma nodded seriously, "Even though you and your companions might not need my help considering your current strength, I still wish to contribute in any way I can. After all, from certain perspectives, aren't we kindred spirits, Lord Shano?"
Shano recalled what he once heard from Kuma, about Dragon intending to recruit him, and he nodded slightly without committing.
Dragon approaches from bottom to top, while he intends to take a top-down route.
Though the paths differ, as Kuma said, the goals are quite similar, aren't they?