Cover Page: Cover Page Request: "Tanukis fixing up Oden's hair." by P.N Match and Takeshi.

Kuma is able to drive Bekori away. Shortly afterwards Bonney had unexpectedly aged due to unknowingly eating a Devil Fruit. Bekori is able to get the support of the World Government, and by fighting them off Kuma officially became a wanted criminal. Kuma then travels around looking to cure Bonney of the Sapphire Scales, and Dragon directs him to Vegapunk at his new laboratory. Vegapunk agrees to cure her, in exchange for Kuma donating his blood to create clone soldiers based off him.

Kuma saves as many people as he can from Bekori’s cruel actions despite everyone else fearful for his own life. As the fire rages from afar, Bekori says that he took inspiration from a kingdom in the East which did something similar to curry favor with the World Nobles. He also says that the only way a kingdom can become rich and powerful is if someone is willing to do the devil’s work. He is met with opposition from the people, but Bekori simply says they are not seeing the bigger picture, so he orders some of them killed. Kuma, however, finally arrives at the castle and completely demolishes it despite Bekori’s warning of the potential consequences. As a result, this night would go down in history as Sorbet’s “Solo Revolution”.

In the Holy Land, Saturn is informed of Sorbet receiving a new king. The king is said to be Kuma himself as the people desperately wanted him and he did so… but only in name. In reality, the kingdom is being ruled by the previous king before Bekori, Bulldog, who the people were very fond of. Kuma still resided in his church healing the elderly with his powers, though the people would still call him their king.

One day, Kuma and several others see a grown up Bonney running around, which shocks everyone as she is supposed to be ten years old. Bonney says she was trying to build up her stamina so she can sail with her father, but even she was unaware of her current condition. When she looks in the mirror, her own shock causes her to change back into a little girl, and Gyogyo realizes Bonney has eaten a Devil Fruit, which they learn is the Toshi Toshi no Mi. Bonney tries practicing making herself look old, but Kuma does not want her to overexert herself. That is when Bulldog appears in the church requesting an audience with Kuma. At the same time, he brought his mother, the Queen dowager Conney, whom Gyogyo mistakenly thinks is Bonney that successfully made herself an old woman.

The reason for Bulldog meeting Kuma was to inform him that Bekori is plotting another comeback based on this demonizing propaganda going around claiming Kuma is an evil tyrant by taking the throne by force and setting fires himself. The people are outraged by Bekori’s depravity and Bulldog says that Bekori still has the backing of the World Government, and with them he will most likely make a play to reclaim the throne by force. The people tell Kuma they do not want Bekori back, which he reciprocates, and he says he will fight back even though it means he will not be able to stay in the country because the government will brand him a criminal. With that said, Kuma asks Bulldog to become Sorbet’s official king and to take Bonney in for her safety, all of which Bulldog accepts. Kuma then parts ways with Bonney saying he’ll be back as soon as he can.

Sure enough, Bekori returned with an armada of Marine ships, all of which Kuma sunk. After that, he set to sea and became a pirate, with his incredible power leading him to acquire a bounty. As he sailed around the world, he would visit places he would later send the Straw Hat Pirates to, such as Torino Kingdom, Kuraigana Island (where he was attacked by Abdullah and Jeet who tried to claim his bounty and failed miserably), Karakuri Island, Weatheria, and the Boin Archipelago, where he tried to gain some clue to save Bonney, but his attempts fail.

Eventually Kuma crosses paths with the Revolutionary Army and he reunites with Dragon who he catches up with. Kuma is asked by Belo Betty if she could become the commander of the East Army, as Dragon would not let anyone else be the commander without Kuma’s blessing, which he does. Dragon tells Kuma that Sabo and Koala have come a long way since he last met them and it would be nice if he saw it himself, and Kuma admits he would love to return to the Revolutionary Army one day. That is when Dragon tells Kuma about Dr. Vegapunk, who most recently had to leave Punk Hazard due to Caesar's actions, so security might be lax around him. Kuma immediately heads for him and thanks Dragon for telling him, who tells him to let the winds of fate carry him wherever.

Kuma returns home and reunites with Bonney, who has learned to fight. The two go to the Marines Science Division: Lab 8 (the future Egghead), where Dr. Vegapunk tells Kuma that he can cure Bonney using a technique that has never been used until now, which is stem cell transplant. He does a check up on Kuma and learns he is a Buccaneer, which causes him to ask Kuma to be the template for his clone soldiers, saying it will be the price paid for Bonney’s cure. Kuma accepts but asks what the clones will do, and Dr. Vegapunk tells him that they will have bodies so sturdy they can deflect bullets, and will be so powerful that they can subjugate pirates and protect the weak and helpless. Kuma is touched by this and agrees to the offer (though he knew Dragon himself would not be happy with this arrangement) as long as Bonney can live, and Dr. Vegapunk calls him a saint. Kuma corrects him saying he is a pacifist who wants peace, which leads to Dr. Vegapunk dubbing the soldiers “Pacifista”.

However, in the Holy Land, Saturn says that Dr. Vegapunk is a fool for not doing more with the project as in his eyes, the soldiers are supposed to be weapons, and the more people they can kill, the more potent they are. As such, he says he has his own plans going forward for the project.

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