Listening to the voice from the Den Den Mushi, Garp thought to himself, like hell I want to deal with you bunch of trash.
But he wasn't completely oblivious to the situation, so he stayed silent and didn't say anything further.
Valthior also didn't add anything, signaling Kong to continue his arrangements and ignore him.
Seeing this, Admiral Kong finally relaxed a little, then said to Garp, "Garp, there's been a major development on our end. You need to end your leave immediately and head to God Valley at once."
"Huh?" Garp sounded surprised, then said very unwillingly, "No thanks, I'm not going. Sounds like a pain…"
"The Roger Pirates are heading toward God Valley at full speed!" Kong cut in decisively, clearly knowing exactly how to handle him.
On the other end, Garp instantly perked up. He sprang up from his lounge chair, eyes turning toward the dog-headed warship docked at the harbor in the distance, a grin spreading across his face.
"That bastard Roger is going too? Now that sounds lively. Got it—I'll head to God Valley as fast as I can!"
With Valthior standing nearby, Kong was terrified that Garp might say something outrageous again. After giving a couple more instructions, he quickly hung up the call.
Turning back with an awkward smile, Kong said, "My apologies for the embarrassment, Saint Valthior."
"I already said—it doesn't matter," Valthior waved it off.
With Kong's arrangements more or less complete, the rest was up to fate.
Valthior then added, "Speaking of which, Admiral—you're one of the top powerhouses on the seas. I've run into some confusion in my training recently. Would it be convenient for you to give me some guidance?"
"I wouldn't dare presume, Saint Valthior. If there is anything you require, I will hold nothing back," Kong replied respectfully.
But truthfully, he now had a completely new impression of Valthior.
Previously, he only knew that the young man was favored by one of the Five Elders, Saint Saturn. As for his personality or character, he had no idea.
But from this brief interaction, Kong had clearly seen that Valthior was fundamentally different from other Celestial Dragons.
At the very least, in terms of composure and breadth of mind, he was extraordinary.
In all his years as a Marine Admiral, Kong had never seen a Celestial Dragon who didn't order an execution after being insulted.
...
Early the next morning, when Valthior opened his eyes, he saw Bartholomew Kuma standing quietly by the bedroom door, acting as a guard.
"You didn't rest again last night?" Valthior sat up, yawning as he asked.
"Don't worry, Master. I slept for three hours," Kuma replied with a bright, sunny smile.
"Three hours isn't enough. You're still growing, and you train so hard every day—you need proper rest," Valthior said in a concerned tone.
In that filthy Holy Land, without someone normal to interact with, a person would inevitably become twisted.
In Valthior's eyes, Kuma—who was naturally kind, even overly so—was one of the rare presences in Mary Geoise that could soothe the bouts of irritation he sometimes felt.
He had never truly regarded Kuma as just a slave or a thug he could easily win over with favors.
Though he had never said it out loud, he already considered Kuma a friend.
"This is my first time going out to sea like this. I've heard the ocean is dangerous… I was worried about you, Master…" Kuma said hesitantly.
It was obvious how much he cared about Valthior's safety.
"There's a Marine Admiral on this ship. He's far stronger than you, so there's no need to worry," Valthior said with a warm smile.
After a brief pause, Valthior suddenly asked, "By the way, I remember you once told me that your hometown—where you and your parents came from—is the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue, right?"
"Huh?" Kuma seemed puzzled at the sudden question, but quickly nodded. "Yes. My memories of it are a bit vague, but my father always said we used to live there. He was a pastor… though I've already forgotten what the church looked like…"
"I see…" Valthior murmured softly, his expression turning slightly unnatural.
Kuma's words stirred something within him—something unfamiliar, or perhaps simply long suppressed. Yet years of life in Mary Geoise had taught him to bury such reactions.
In that place, pity was not merely absent—it was scorned, dismissed as weakness, as shame. The Holy Land had no use for such emotions.
For a fleeting moment, he found himself unsure of what expression he ought to wear.
But the hesitation passed quickly. Regaining control of his composure was second nature to him now; emotional restraint had been a necessary discipline, one he had practiced relentlessly. Without it, he might long ago have been driven to madness by the suffocating atmosphere of that gilded cage.
And yet, he despised that very discipline.
Perhaps, deep down, his desire to leave Mary Geoise was not driven solely by curiosity about the Void Century.
There was something else.
A quiet, growing fear—that one day, he might become like the others who lived there.
Not because he believed himself especially noble or virtuous, but because he could see the paths laid out before him with chilling clarity: to become either a loyal hound to Imu… or one of those grotesque, hollow Celestial Dragons, steeped in arrogance and rot.
There was no third path within Mary Geoise. Only a narrowing cage that tightened as one grew older.
And it was in that realization that the word freedom began to shine with irresistible allure.
To think… countless people would give anything to be born a Celestial Dragon, and yet here I am, still wanting more.
A faint, self-mocking thought crossed his mind. How greedy of me.
But then again—wasn't greed, and the pursuit of freedom, precisely what defined pirates?
Perhaps it suited him perfectly.
He exhaled softly, letting the thought fade, before looking back at Kuma with a gentler expression.
"There's something I forgot to tell you," he said. "Before we left Mary Geoise, I had Alfred arrange for your parents to be sent back to the Sorbet Kingdom and properly settled there. Once this event is over, I plan to give you a long break. You should return home—spend some time with them, live peacefully for a while."
It was clear that Valthior had no intention of bringing Kuma along into the uncertain future he envisioned for himself.
Kuma was still too young. Though keeping him close would have been more convenient—allowing their bond and loyalty to deepen—Valthior could not ignore the boy's hardships. Insofar as it lay within his power, he wanted Kuma to experience at least a brief span of happiness, free from burdens, together with his family.
Perhaps this was one of the rare moments in which "Saint Valthior " allowed himself to be kind.
"Ah…?" Kuma stared at him, completely unprepared for such words, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and confusion.
After a moment, he hurriedly said, "Master, I—"
"That's enough, Kuma. No need to say more. Treat it as an assignment from your master—this is an order," Valthior raised a hand to stop him.
Then, looking at him with trust, he added, "When the time is right, and I need your strength in the future, I will call for you. When that time comes, you'll come to my side—right?"
Without hesitation, Kuma answered in a firm, resolute voice:
"Bartholomew Kuma will always be loyal to you, Saint Jaygarcia Valthior! No matter when or where, if you need me, I will become the blade in your hand and the shield before you—I will serve you until death!"
"Hahaha! Where did you learn to talk like that? You sound like a knight swearing fealty," Valthior laughed, clearly in a good mood.
Scratching his head sheepishly, Kuma replied, "I saw it during a performance at the palace theater last time…"
Though it sounded like something learned from a play, Valthior had no doubt about the sincerity behind Kuma's words.
At that moment, a Marine knocked on the door and said respectfully:
"Saint Valthior, pardon the interruption—the destination of our voyage… God Valley has been reached."