Chapter 1097

Chapter 1097 is titled "Ginny".

Cover Page
Cover Page Request: "Bartholomew Kuma catching salmon in the river." by PN Takashi.

Short Summary
Kuma and Ginny lived in Sorbet Kingdom with Kuma working as a pastor until the king changed the laws by pay the Heavenly Tribute to the World Nobles. They were freed by the Freedom Fighters and joined them which later became the Revolutionary Army. Eight years later, Ginny was kidnapped by an unknown assailant.

Long Summary
Eight years pass following the God Valley Incident, and Kuma, now seventeen years old, has continued to live peacefully in Sorbet Kingdom, serving to use his powers to push people’s pain out of their bodies, which has earned him much respect from the old folk. They ask if he can do this for them on weekdays, but Ginny, now twenty-one, strictly states that he can only do this for them on Sundays. She is also annoyed that these people treat the church like a camp or a hospital and don’t even pay for his services. The old folk, however, laugh at her stinginess and muse that her foul-mouth hasn’t stopped many men from professing their love for her, as she is quite the beauty. Some other people drop by asking for Kuma, saying that his face calms them, which Kuma is touched by, though Ginny retorts he pampers these people way too much. One of the old folk states that they would pay if they could, but the Heavenly Tribute is making it difficult for them to make ends meet.

It turns out that Sorbet Kingdom received a new king named Bekori, and he is reputed to be a cold-blooded tyrant who sends sick people that can't pay the tribute to a terrible prison where they’ll eventually die of starvation because he refuses to feed them. In short, the people consider him caring more for what the World Nobles say than the voices of the people he is supposed to protect. Kuma tells his patients that he will continue to treat them for light pain and sickness, so they can come every week, which they deeply appreciate.

At night, once all the people leave, Kuma takes the bubble of pain and sickness he removes from the people and takes it into his own body, causing him great discomfort and deeply saddening Ginny. As Ginny treats him, she tearfully tells him that no one knows that he’s doing this to himself. Kuma says that he has no choice because if someone doesn’t take in that bubble of pain, it will eventually return to the person it came from. But it makes people happy, and that is more than enough for him. He apologizes to her for making her worry and the two eat together.

Five years later, Ginny proposes to Kuma, but he rejects her, much to her annoyance as she believes she can make him happy. Kuma states, though, that he already is, but in reality he fears that because of his Buccaneer blood, she may suffer the same way he and his mother did. He shifts topics to discuss the Freedom Fighters and the protests they have been starting in every kingdom, and now the World Government has finally issued a warrant for them. Kuma takes notice of Monkey D. Dragon and states he views him as a cool person, and that someday, he’ll set out to sea and spend his life helping others. He then goes to receive some fish brought to Ginny by some other would-be suitors, much to her annoyance.

Three years later, Kuma demands that the kingdom’s soldiers return all of the people they kidnapped, but they refuse, saying that the law says they can use them however they see fit, which enrages Kuma to the point he attacks them, causing him to be called a traitor. It turns out that King Bekori has split Sorbet Kingdom in two; the northern half of the island is the “true” kingdom for people who can pay the Heavenly Tribute, while everyone else that makes too little is cut off and resides in the “Lawless Area.” As a result of Kuma’s defiance, he gets imprisoned, and Ginny and several others who tried to help him follow suit. Kuma knew that if this policy continued this kingdom will discriminate against others, and Ginny says that if they fight against the king, who is under the World Nobles’ thumb, it’s the equivalent of fighting against the entire World Government.

However, the Freedom Fighters invade Sorbet and depose Bekori, abolishing the slave policy and freeing the kingdom from the oppressive government. Dragon and Ivankov then find Kuma locked up and the latter invites him to join and change their world for the better. Together, Dragon, Ivankov, and Kuma would go on to reform the Freedom Fighters as the Revolutionary Army following the Ohara Incident, turning their small bouts of protesting into a full scale rebellion. Due to lacking funds, they became mercenaries lending their services to other rebellions against their oppressors, and Dragon offered to train anyone who decides to join up. Kuma is surprised that Dragon knows how to use weapons, and he states he once served the Marines, but quit because he saw no “justice” there. Ivankov comments that Dragon just wants to help people, and Kuma proclaims his loyalty to him, which Dragon accepts.

Eight years later, Ginny, who also had joined the army and serves as a Captain, expresses happiness at meeting up with Kuma’s division. Unfortunately, she gets captured by an unexpected enemy, and Dragon is quickly notified of this distress.

Chapter Notes

 * More information about Kuma's life is given.
 * At 17 years old, Kuma became a priest in the Sorbet Kingdom, repelling pain from old people and absorbing it into himself every week.
 * Kuma confirms that if the pain repelled by his powers is not absorbed by someone, it will eventually return to its original source.
 * At 22 years old, Kuma refused to marry Ginny out of fear for what happened to his mother.
 * Kuma became aware of Dragon and his Freedom Fighters through the newspaper around this time.
 * At 25 years old, Kuma was thrown in jail for attacking Sorbet Kingdom's soldiers in protest for the enslavement of the elders he cared for.
 * This incident was a consequence of the policies instilled by Sorbet's King, Bekori, who had segregated the southern portion of the country from national jurisdiction (turning it into a lawless land in the process) in order to reduce the population-dependent Heavenly Tribute that the Sorbet Kingdom owed to the World Government.
 * Ginny, Gyogyo and other friends of Kuma were arrested as well for protesting his imprisonment.
 * Dragon and Ivankov eventually attacked the Sorbet Kingdom, overthrowing Bekori's rule.
 * Kuma and Ginny joined the Freedom Fighters right after being freed by Dragon and Ivankov.
 * Dragon reveals that he was once in the Marines but left due to differences in views about Justice.
 * Ginny was once the Revolutionary Army's East Army commander, before Belo Betty.
 * 14 years ago, Ginny was abducted by an unknown assailant.