Storm stepped into the void, employing the Moon Walk technique to reach the naval warship at the fastest speed.
On the deck of the warship, the massive shell of the "Clay Figure Bear" was trembling incessantly.
Clearly, the Great Bear wrapped inside the clay was unwilling to accept defeat and was struggling fiercely.
Compared to the others on the warship, the Great Bear's strength was terrifyingly powerful.
Not to mention, his Paw-Paw Fruit possessed the miraculous ability to bounce everything away!
At the moment Storm arrived on the warship.
Crack, crack—
The palm of the "Clay Figure Bear" suddenly sprouted countless cracks.
In the next instant, the palm of the "Clay Figure Bear" exploded, shards of clay scattering like hidden weapons.
With the external clay shell gone, the Great Bear's uniquely shaped "Paw Pad Bear Palm" was revealed.
Storm reached into his chest, pulling out the Sea Stone Baton and giving it a gentle flick.
The Sea Stone Baton, meticulously crafted by the naval equipment department, was launched like a javelin.
The Sea Stone Baton flew like an arrow, precisely landing on the "target"—
The Great Bear's palm! The moment it touched the tip of the Sea Stone Baton.
The Great Bear, who had been struggling just moments ago, became docile once again.
Storm manipulated the clay, revealing the Great Bear's head.
'Sea Stone…'
The Great Bear's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the Sea Stone Baton, and with his experience, he immediately recognized its nature.
As a user of the Paw-Paw Fruit, he could not escape the fatal weakness of all Devil Fruit users—
A mere touch of Sea Stone would directly "seal" his abilities! The Great Bear realized he could not escape from this strange "angel" in front of him...
"Bartholomew Kuma."
Storm strolled up to the "Clay Figure Bear" and asked calmly.
"Do you believe in 'gravity'?"
"Gravity?"
The Great Bear frowned at the man in front of him who suddenly spoke such strange words.
"I believe in religion."
"…Huh?"
Storm nearly doubled over from the unexpected answer.
What he had just prepared to say—
"There exists 'gravity' between people!"
"Our encounter is guided by fate!"
—Words meant to entice the Great Bear were left unspoken, dying before they could be born.
Storm fell silent for a moment.
He was truly not skilled at persuading with reason.
Then he would have to "persuade with strength"!
Storm raised his right hand, the dark and profound Armament Haki wrapping around his fist.
Armament-Iron Body! Not long after.
A brand new Grand Prize Trophy appeared before Storm.
Diamond Trophy: Bartholomew Kuma
Trophy Star Rating: ★★★★★★
'The Great Bear's trophy is only six stars? That's one level weaker than I expected…'
Storm frowned at the Grand Prize Trophy that materialized in the void.
'I thought the Great Bear would have seven-star strength, but it turns out he is on the same level as the Queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, Ivankov.'
Looking at the Great Bear, who had been knocked unconscious, Storm shook his head.
He looked up at the sky, and the Blue-Eyed White Dragon responded to his call, flying down toward the three naval warships.
As the distance between the Blue-Eyed White Dragon and the three warships closed, it suddenly hovered in mid-air.
The two individuals on the dragon's back were immediately thrown off by this movement, landing with a thud on the deck of the naval warship.
Thud! Thud! With the sound of two impacts.
Kid and Killer tumbled like rolling gourds on the deck of the naval warship.
Fortunately, the softness of the clay was strong enough that neither of them was harmed.
Without needing to be reminded, Kid and Killer immediately scrambled to their feet.
Having just witnessed the battle between Storm and the Tyrant Bear along with the three naval warships, their awe for this new "BOSS" reached its peak.
"Boss!"
"Boss!"
…Boss?
Storm glanced at Kid and Killer, saying nothing, and once again controlled the clay on the warship.
White clay, like chains, flew out from the naval warship, wrapping around the Blue-Eyed White Dragon.
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon pulled the three naval warships closer to the nearby Sorbet Kingdom.
On the coastline of the island where the Sorbet Kingdom was located, a group of elderly men had gathered.
At the forefront was a short, weathered old man.
He was the former king of the Sorbet Kingdom and the current ruler—Burdog.
After the "One-Man Revolution" incident erupted.
The man who was slandered as a "tyrant" by King Bekley and the newspapers was elected by the citizens as the new king.
But Bartholomew Kuma did not concern himself with politics.
The true management of the Sorbet Kingdom still lay with the former king, Burdog.
Burdog was well aware of what kind of person his successor, King Bekley, truly was.
To reduce the tribute paid to the Celestial Dragons, King Bekley had divided the entire country in two, even willingly abandoning half of the kingdom's territory and its people!
Over a decade ago, the "Volunteer Army" (then the Revolutionary Army) overthrew King Bekley's rule and drove him out of the country.
But this year, King Bekley returned, reclaiming control over the nation with an even more brutal approach than before! This time, King Bekley even intended to send troops to kill the innocent people living in the abandoned half of the kingdom.
The Great Bear had initiated the "One-Man Revolution" to protect these innocent people, driving King Bekley away once more.
However, today.
King Bekley returned with three naval warships to the Sorbet Kingdom.
If the Great Bear were to falter.
The rule of the Sorbet Kingdom would fall back into King Bekley's hands. At that point, Burdog could only wonder how many more heinous acts King Bekley would commit.
"Great Bear King..."
Burdog gazed out at the sea, murmuring softly.
"You must win..."
Just then.
Burdog suddenly spotted the silhouettes of three ships appearing on the sea.
However, these three warships did not resemble the iron-gray ships that the former king had in mind.
What was even more peculiar was that in front of these three white ships, there was an enormous creature pulling the vessels...
"What is that?"
Burdog couldn't help but rub his eyes.
"With wings, it looks like... a dragon???"
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon dragged the three naval warships all the way to the shore before coming to a stop.
Storm manipulated the clay, transferring all the living beings from the warships onto the shore.
Among them were Bartholomew Kuma.
As well as King Bekley and the naval soldiers.
Storm was the last to leave the naval warship.
As soon as he disembarked, he noticed a group of elderly men standing on the shore.
"Boss!"
Kid and Killer stood beside an elderly man with gray hair, guarding him on either side.
"This old man is the current king of the Sorbet Kingdom!"
"I am not the king."
Burdog, sandwiched between the two young men, calmly explained.
"I am the regent of the kingdom, Burdog."
"What regent? If you manage this country, and you're not the king, then who is the king?"
"Bartholomew Kuma is the king of the Sorbet Kingdom."
Burdog said solemnly.
"At least, he is still the king of this country for now."
"Alright, Kid, Killer, go check the supplies on the warships."
Storm waved his hand at the red-haired hedgehog and the golden-haired waver, then approached Burdog.
"Regent, may I ask where the Great Bear King's 'palace' is?"
Burdog's eyes focused on the smiling Storm, his peripheral vision catching the "Clay Figure Bear" beside him.
Whether it was an illusion or not.
Burdog felt that this Great Bear looked very familiar...
"Who are you?"
"I'm Vongola Storm, a 'pirate captain' who wants to invite the Great Bear to set sail, but has not yet succeeded."
"Pirate captain? Pirate?"
Burdog raised his gray-white eyebrows, looking at Storm with curiosity.
"You don't look like a pirate..."
"Old man, isn't there a saying that goes, 'You can know a person by their face, but not by their heart'?"
Storm glanced at the "Clay Figure Bear," instantly stripping away its outer layer of clay.
"Look at this 'tyrant,' he looks quite fierce and strong, but in reality, he's just a wishy-washy man."
"Great Bear King!"
Seeing the unconscious Bartholomew Kuma, Burdog was instantly taken aback.
"Pirate! What have you done to him?"
"Old man, your change of tone is a bit too fast, isn't it..."
Storm's lips twitched.
"Rest assured, I merely tested the 'tyrant's' strength lightly; I didn't go hard on him. He should wake up soon."
Burdog was unwilling to take Storm's word for it.
He leaned on his cane and hurried to the Great Bear's side, leaning down to listen to his heartbeat.
After hearing that the Great Bear's heartbeat was still steady and strong.
Burdog finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned to Storm, his expression even more peculiar.
"You, are you really a pirate?"
"Although I currently have no fame, no flag, no ship, and no subordinates..."
Storm declared earnestly.
"I am indeed a pirate!"
"…I increasingly find this world incomprehensible."
Burdog fell silent for a moment, exhaling a breath of frustration.
"So, what does a young pirate like you want in the Sorbet Kingdom?"
"Recruiting subordinates."
Storm said generously.
"And by the way, plundering."
Burdog's pupils slightly constricted, and he feigned calmness as he replied.
"The Sorbet Kingdom is very poor..."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Storm pointed at the three naval warships on the sea.
"Do you see those three ships?"
"I see them."
"Old man, do you know how much it costs to build a large warship?"