Bartholomew Kuma: I Will Serve You Until Death, Master!

Garp listened to the voice from the Den Den Mushi, thinking, Like hell I want anything to do with you trash.

But he was not so tactless as to ignore the situation, so he remained silent.

Vikengam did not say much either. He gestured for Admiral Kong to continue coordinating and not mind him.

Seeing this, Admiral Kong relaxed slightly before saying to Garp, "Garp, a major development has occurred here. You need to end your leave immediately and rush to God Valley."

"Huh?" Garp was briefly taken aback, then said with extreme reluctance, "No way. I'm not going. What a pain..."

"The Roger Pirates are heading for God Valley at full speed!" Admiral Kong clearly knew exactly how to handle Garp and wasted no words.

The moment Garp heard that through the Den Den Mushi, he perked up. He shot up from his sun lounger and looked toward the dog-headed warship docked at the distant harbor. With a grin, he said, "That bastard Roger is heading there too? This is getting lively. Got it. I'll head to God Valley as fast as I can!"

Because Vikengam was beside him, Steel Bone was terrified that Garp might say something else outrageous. After giving him a few more reminders, he hurriedly ended the call.

Turning to Vikengam with an awkward smile, Steel Bone said apologetically, "My apologies for the spectacle, Saint Vikengam."

"I told you, there's no need to mind it." Vikengam waved a hand.

With Admiral Kong's arrangements more or less complete, all that remained was to do what they could and leave the rest to fate.

Only then did Vikengam say, "Speaking of which, Admiral, you are one of the sea's foremost experts as well. I have had quite a few doubts regarding my training lately. Would it be convenient for you to enlighten me?"

"You flatter me. If Saint Vikengam has any need, I will hold nothing back," Admiral Kong replied respectfully.

But honestly, he had gained an entirely new impression of Saint Vikengam.

Previously, he had only known that Saint Saturn of the Five Elders favored him. As for what kind of person he was or what his temperament was like, Steel Bone had known nothing at all.

Though their exchange this time had been brief, it had indeed shown him that Saint Vikengam possessed an aspect utterly unlike that of other Celestial Dragons. If nothing else, Saint Vikengam was no ordinary man when it came to breadth of mind and bearing.

After serving as a Marine admiral for so many years, he had truly never seen a Celestial Dragon who did not kill someone after being insulted.

Early the next morning, the moment Vikengam opened his eyes, he saw Bartholomew Kuma standing quietly by the door to his bedroom, acting as his guard.

"Did you not rest again last night?" Vikengam asked as he sat up and yawned.

"Rest assured, Master. I slept for three hours," Bartholomew Kuma answered with a bright smile.

"How could three hours be enough? You are still growing, and you train so diligently every day. You must make sure to get plenty of rest," Vikengam said with concern.

In that filthy holy land, without someone normal to talk to, one would inevitably become twisted to some degree.

And in Vikengam's eyes, Bartholomew Kuma, who was naturally kind to the point of being almost excessively so, was one of the few people in Mary Geoise capable of soothing the irritation that sometimes welled up within him.

He had never truly regarded Bartholomew Kuma as a slave or thug who could be brought under his command with a few casual favors.

Though he had never said so, he had somewhat come to regard Bartholomew Kuma as his friend.

"This is my first time going out to sea like this. I heard the sea is dangerous, and I was afraid that you..." Bartholomew Kuma could not help saying.

It was clear that he truly cared about Vikengam's safety.

"There is a Marine admiral stationed on this warship. He is far stronger than you, so there is no need to worry." Vikengam felt warmth in his heart and smiled.

After a brief pause, Vikengam suddenly said, "By the way, I remember you once told me that the hometown of you and your parents was the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue, correct?"

"Huh?" Bartholomew Kuma found it strange that his master had suddenly brought this up, but he immediately nodded. "That's right. My memories of that place are somewhat vague, but Father always said we used to live there. He was even a missionary... I've already forgotten what the church looked like, though..."

"Is that so?" Vikengam murmured softly, his expression becoming slightly unnatural.

Hearing Bartholomew Kuma's words stirred something within him, but years of life experience had left him unsure what expression would be appropriate at a time like this.

After all, as a Celestial Dragon, pity was the least likely emotion to appear. It was often viewed as shameful and weak. Mary Geoise, that holy land, had no need for such expressions.

However, Vikengam quickly composed himself. Controlling his emotions was a compulsory lesson for him in Mary Geoise. Otherwise, he would have long since angered himself into illness.

But truthfully, he hated this "basic skill" immensely. Perhaps his desire to escape Mary Geoise stemmed from more than mere curiosity about the blank history.

To some extent, he truly feared that he would become like those "compatriots" of his in Mary Geoise. It was not that he considered his character noble or saintly, but he did not want to end up either as Imu's dog or as an ordinary Celestial Dragon—stupid and disgusting.

Those were the two outcomes he would inevitably face if he remained in Mary Geoise. Like a cage, they would only grow tighter as he grew older.

It was at times like this that the word freedom seemed so alluring.

Being a Celestial Dragon is an identity countless people dream of, yet I still want to ask for more... Thinking about it that way, I really am quite greedy.

But then again, were greed and freedom not precisely the qualities pirates pursued? It suited him perfectly!

"I forgot to tell you earlier. Before we left Mary Geoise, I had already instructed Ah Fu to send your parents to the Sorbet Kingdom and settle them there. So after this event is over, I intend to give you a long vacation. Go back to your hometown, spend some time living there happily with your parents," Vikengam said to Bartholomew Kuma with a smile.

Clearly, Vikengam had no intention of bringing him along to join the Roger Pirates. Bartholomew Kuma was also still far too young. Keeping him by his side would be better and more convenient for binding him to himself and fostering affection and loyalty.

But what could he say? Vikengam felt that Kuma had already suffered enough in life. Within his means, he hoped Kuma could spend some happy, carefree time with his parents.

Perhaps this was the rare kindness of "Saint Vikengam."

"Huh?" Bartholomew Kuma had clearly never expected his master to suddenly say something like this, and for a moment, he did not know what to do.

A moment later, he hurriedly said, "Master, I..."

"That is enough, Kuma. Say no more. Treat it as your master's task. This is an order." Vikengam raised a hand to interrupt Bartholomew Kuma, then looked at him with trust in his eyes. "When the time is right and I need your strength in the future, I will summon you. When that time comes, you will surely come to my side, right?"

Upon hearing this, Bartholomew Kuma answered without hesitation in an exceedingly resolute tone, "Bartholomew Kuma will forever be loyal to you, Saint Jaygarcia Vikingum! No matter when or where, as long as you need me, Master, I will become the sharp blade and sturdy shield in your hand. I will serve you until death!"

"Hahaha, where did you learn that way of speaking? It sounds as though you have become my dependable knight, Kuma," Vikengam said with a cheerful laugh.

Only then did Bartholomew Kuma scratch his head sheepishly and say, "I saw it during the last performance at the palace theater."

Though it was merely dramatic dialogue learned from a theater, Vikengam did not doubt the sincerity of Bartholomew Kuma's words.

Just then, a Marine knocked on the door and said respectfully, "Saint Vikengam, pardon the interruption. We have arrived at our destination, God Valley."