Chapter 89: Bartholomew Kuma

Chapter 89: Bartholomew Kuma



The group found their way to the treasurer, which was guarded by a number of zombies that were easily dispatched.

"Alright, Nami, do your thing and we'll keep watch." Cherry said, gesturing towards the large lock on the door. Breaking it open was an option too, but why use force when finesse will work just fine?

"Yohohoho! I've found some thieves it would seem!" A vaguely familiar voice sounded out. They turned to see a samurai zombie approaching them.

*Smash*

Brook came flying through a closed window and made a graceful landing. If by graceful landing you meant uncontrollably tumbling finished off with a faceplant into the opposing wall.

"Oh dear, I must really watch where I'm going! Though I don't have eyes to watch with, Yohoho!" Brook said, picking himself up out of the broken glass.

"Good timing, Brook. Your shadow is just over there, inside that samurai zombie. You'll take care of him while we loot the place, yeah?" Cherry said, bemused.

"Hm? Oh, so he is. I've been training for 5 years to defeat you, I shan't lose to you this time!" Brook shouted and attacked the samurai zombie.

In the meantime, Nami got the lock open and went inside with Chopper, Merry, and Robin to grab the gold. Cherry stayed outside to watch the door, and more importantly to observe Brook's fight with the samurai zombie.

'He's not bad, but his insistence on defending that afro of his isn't making things easier on him. Though, by the looks of things, that samurai fellow is only toying with him.' Cherry thought.

"Brook, why are you defending your hair like it's your heart or something?! Isn't getting your shadow back more important than your vanity?!" Cherry called out.

"I can't grow it back because I'm a skeleton! Moreover, this afro of mine IS my heart! It's the only thing that has kept me going all these decades I've been alone!" Brook replied, fending off the samurai zombie.

Cherry felt there was more to his words than they seemed on the surface.

"I can grow your hair back as much as you like! How about that?! I've no reason to lie because I can kick that guy's rotten ass whenever I want!" Cherry shouted.

Brook didn't dare to look back at her, but he felt that she was speaking the truth. Though they've only known one another a short time, he felt the young woman was very mysterious.

'Wait a moment...' He thought.

"You can defeat him any time you like?! Then why aren't you doing just that?!" Brook asked.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Don't you want to defeat him yourself for the sake of your pride or something?!" Cherry asked in return.

"Screw that, I've got a promise to keep! Just kill him!" Brook replied.

Cabernet was lying on her back in the grass on the deck, looking up into the swirling fog to find unusual shapes to relieve her boredom.

She heard someone walking over to the ship on the dock.

She peered over the edge of the ship at the approaching figure.

A very tall man wearing a black shirt with paw prints and a large crosshair, white pants with spots, a white spotted cap with bear ears poking out, and gloves. He had long curly hair, a strong jaw, and blank white eyes. In his left hand he held a bible.

"Come no further, adorable bear man!" Cabernet called out.

Bartholomew Kuma stopped walking and looked up at her.

"'Blood Wine' Cabernet, bounty of 275 million Beri." He said simply. "If you were to go on vacation, where would you go?"

"I'll go wherever Cherry wants me to go. Though, I'd like to stay with the others..." Cabernet answered honestly.

Kuma observed her for a moment, then turned to go further into the island to complete her mission. He wouldn't act against the Straw Hats unless Gecko Moria asked him for help, which

would never happen.

'Savior this time you have together. The time of your separation may come sooner than you expect.' He thought to himself.

'I want to touch his ears...' Thought Cabernet.

...

Gecko Moria was an awfully slippery fellow for a man of his size.

Luffy chased him all over the place, but he almost always managed to slip away from him.

Almost because Luffy did get a few sneaky attacks in.

Luffy lost track of him when he switched places with his own shadow.

Cherry was watching the fight without much interest. Moria wasn't as strong as he was

cunning. She watched as he escaped into the forest below where he ran into a newcomer to

Thriller Bark.

"Who's this now?" Cherry wondered.