Grimm did not turn around, but continued speaking with his back facing Bartholomew Kuma. "Following this pattern, am I supposed to accept a challenge from a Supernova as well?"
At this time, Kuma had not yet developed the habit of carrying a Bible everywhere, but his attire was already quite similar to what he would wear during his time as a Warlord of the Sea in the future, save for the fact that he was not yet wearing glasses.
He walked over to the beach on Grimm's right side. Instead of launching an attack immediately, he pointed toward a direction straight across the ocean. "Are you the one the Leader spoke of, our ally? But you destroyed my homeland!"
"Oh?"
Hearing the words Leader and ally, Grimm did not look surprised. Monkey D. Dragon was indeed one of the participants he and Roger had selected to be part of their final plan, though the two men had never actually met in person.
And this Kuma, it seemed, had likely run off on his own out of dissatisfaction and disagreement.
After a moment of thought, Kuma continued, "Though perhaps that isn't quite right. You killed every soldier from both my kingdom and the opposing nations, forcing the war to come to an abrupt end. But in its wake, pirates ran rampant, and there was no one left to keep them in check!"
Kuma's expression remained completely blank. "As a result, the people live in constant fear every single day!"
"Had the kingdom's military retained even a fraction of its strength at that time… though that was never really possible, was it? The King was a man obsessed with war, and never spared a thought for the towns and villages along the borders."
Kuma himself could not quite tell whether he resented Grimm's actions or actually agreed with them.
He had just claimed that Grimm had destroyed his homeland, yet here he was, contradicting his own words. To put it more clearly: while it was true that Grimm's actions had indirectly left his home vulnerable to pirate attacks, it was also possible that things would have turned out just as badly regardless.
The kingdoms had been at war for so long that the people's lives were already filled with hardship, and there had never really been any meaningful difference between the royal armies and the pirates.
Kuma had set sail and joined the Revolutionary Army only a month prior. Before that, he had unleashed all his anger and hatred upon pirates, dealing with them in such brutal and merciless ways that his cruelty rivalled even that of Grimm or Shiki—this was exactly how he had earned his title as the "Tyrant."
Yet after joining the Revolutionary Army, he had heard from their Leader that this same infamous mass murderer was actually one of the guiding figures of their "righteous" cause. Naturally, the young and headstrong Kuma had found this impossible to accept.
He had overcome many obstacles and difficulties just to meet Grimm, yet he found himself unable to determine whether the man standing before him was truly his enemy. This was the root of his conflicting and tangled emotions.
"Is there really any need to be this conflicted, Lord Kuma? After all, you yourself are also a pirate… now, at least." Grimm felt a faint urge to laugh. Was he going to play the victim while acting the part of the villain?
Or better yet—if you wanted to come seeking revenge, then just do it! Standing over seven metres tall, why was he acting as sentimental and indecisive as a woman?
Kuma slowly raised his hands and pulled off the gloves he was wearing, one finger at a time. "Perhaps… I will find my answer in battle!"
"So it really does come down to fighting one of the Supernovas, doesn't it? Is this simply the natural law of this world? Even as someone who came from another world, I can't seem to escape it… ah, what a nuisance!"
Grimm remained seated on the rock formation. Kuma, who was already standing quite close to him, lowered his body slightly and swung his palm toward Grimm, the air around it humming with power. "Ursus Shock!"
The shockwave created by the power of Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit passed straight through Grimm's abdomen, shattering the surrounding rocks and reducing every tree within a hundred-metre radius to splinters and debris.
Grimm placed one hand gently over the spot where he had been struck. His completely calm and unperturbed expression caused Kuma's eyes to widen slightly, his lips parting just enough to reveal a glimpse of his white teeth.
Was… was he unharmed?
No one had ever been able to take that attack head-on and walk away unscathed.
Grimm lowered his hand from his stomach and spoke in a flat, even tone. "To take what most people would consider a useless Devil Fruit and develop its power to such an extent… you are truly exceptional among all ability users. However, an attack of this level isn't even enough to take one of my lives away, Lord Kuma. Tell me… do you believe in the Holy Light?"
"The Holy Light…" Kuma murmured softly. "I do believe that a God exists."
With that said, he launched another identical attack, striking Grimm directly in the abdomen once more. The power behind it was indeed impressive, but as long as it did not land directly on his head, it could never be enough to end Grimm's life in a single blow.
"The Eternal Pope… Grimm."
Kuma silently repeated Grimm's title to himself. Suddenly, he lowered his body into a stance like a martial artist preparing to strike, and began thrusting both hands forward in rapid succession, sending wave after wave of compressed air surging toward his opponent.
"Ursus Shock!"
In the very next instant, Grimm vanished from where he had been sitting. At the exact moment he disappeared, Kuma lifted his gaze toward the sky, simultaneously raising both hands and redirecting his attacks upward.
Immediately, wave after wave of concentrated air pressure struck Grimm directly as he hung in the air. The sheer force of the impact sent him flying backward, slamming hard into the trunk of a distant tree and smashing through several large trees in quick succession before he finally came to a halt.
"The Eternal Grimm… surely you cannot be this weak!" Kuma spoke with great caution as he began walking toward Grimm. He saw Grimm lying with his head pointed downward, making it impossible to read the expression on his face.
The moment Kuma stepped within range, the pads on his palms began to hum and vibrate violently. He swung his hand down with full force, aiming to strike his target directly.
However, just as Kuma's palm was about to make contact and send his opponent flying away, Grimm's entire body was suddenly enveloped in brilliant golden light. When the light faded, what stood in his place was a figure in the form of an angel, with two magnificent golden wings spread wide!
"That isn't him!"
Shock surged through Kuma's mind, but it was already too late to stop the attack. He brought his hand down with full force, sending the figure flying.
Swoosh!
A blade of golden light sliced through the air, flashing past the right side of Kuma's waist. The blade Ashbringer in Grimm's hand was now stained bright red with Kuma's blood.
Grimm glanced casually at the blood on his blade. "Oh… I'd almost forgotten. You aren't a machine yet, are you?"
"Urgh…"
Kuma let out a low groan and dropped down onto one knee. Grimm slid his sword back into its sheath. "A single moment of carelessness is all it takes to decide the outcome of a battle. It seems you don't even possess the qualifications needed to take one of my lives, Lord Kuma!"
Grimm did not press his advantage or deliver a finishing blow. Instead, he simply leaned against the nearest tree trunk and spoke calmly. "Do you wish to continue, Lord Kuma?"
Kuma remained silent. He pressed his hand firmly against his wound, and as the bleeding gradually stopped and the injury slowly healed itself, he forced himself back up onto his feet with great difficulty. "I cannot win."
His face remained as expressionless as ever, giving no hint as to what thoughts were running through his mind.
"Kuma, you said just now that you believe in the existence of God. Then do you place your faith in the Holy Light?"
"The Holy Light… what exactly is that?" Kuma asked, his voice filled with confusion.
"The Holy Light is the power that saves all living beings. Just like this!"
With those words, Grimm held up the Silver Hand, instantly sending forth a blinding stream of golden light. He stretched out his hand, and the radiance of the Holy Light washed over Kuma's entire body.
"Huh?!"
Kuma let out a sound of surprise and astonishment. He could clearly feel that every trace of exhaustion and fatigue had vanished from his body, and even the wound he had just sustained had healed completely without a single scar remaining.
"The Holy Light saves all who are worthy, just as it has saved you. But it also brings punishment upon those who have sinned. And you, Kuma… you have done nothing wrong." Grimm spread his arms wide as he spoke.
"The world needs you, Lord Kuma. Place your faith in the Holy Light. The Bible cannot save you, nor can it save the people of this world—but the Holy Light can redeem every soul and cleanse away all sin!"
As Grimm spoke these words, he watched as Kuma slowly tightened his fist.
"You are right… those soldiers from the royal kingdoms were never good people to begin with." Kuma said at last. "But… what am I supposed to do? Am I meant to overthrow the tyrannical rule of this world, just as Mister Dragon has said?"
Ding! Bartholomew Kuma's favourability toward the Host has increased greatly. He is now eligible for Devil Fruit modification.
Ding! Detected: Paramecia-type Paw-Paw Fruit. No matching DNF class found. By spending an additional 5,000 Holy Light Points, you may restructure his abilities based on his personality and transform him into the DNF class: Avenger!
Hearing the system's notifications, Grimm felt no surprise. After all, for Kuma to have joined the Revolutionary Army, he must have already possessed a strong sense of purpose and justice. Moreover, the reason he had come to find Grimm was driven only by his inner conflict and unresolved feelings—not by blind hatred or a genuine desire to kill for revenge.
He glanced over at Kuma, who had fallen deep into thought. "Do you wish to become a Judge and Executioner of the Holy Light?"
Kuma blinked. "Hm?"
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