"...Ginny?"
The lively, boisterous vibe in the room evaporated as if someone had tossed a bucket of murky water over it. Jack gradually lowered his tankard of rum, the silver rings on his fingers clinking against the pewter surface.
Every eye in the place turned toward the imposing figure of the Buccaneer.
Dragon's gaze was unwavering, locked onto his old friend. Next to him, Ivankov stared, his enormous, heavily made-up eyes wide with genuine disbelief.
Crocodile narrowed her eyes, a plume of cigar smoke drifting lazily past her golden hook. "You know her, Kuma?"
The giant man stayed silent for what felt like an eternity. His large, calloused hands tightened just a bit around the worn leather binding of the Bible tucked under his arm.
"...I once knew someone named Ginny," he finally said, his voice steady, "She... hailed from the Sorbet Kingdom."
Pffffft!
Gibbs suddenly sprayed a mouthful of top-shelf navy rum right across the table. Unfortunately for Crocodile, she was directly in the line of fire. The fine mist landed squarely on her pristine, dark fur coat.
A heavy, suffocating silence blanketed the room.
Crocodile slowly turned her head, her expression dark enough to conjure a storm. "...Gibbs."
The old pirate instantly raised his hands, backpedaling so quickly he nearly stumbled over a stray stool. "I can explain, mate! It was just an involuntary throat spasm, I swear!"
"You have exactly three seconds to pray to whatever god looks after fools," Crocodile hissed, her spada glowing intimidatingly.
"It was a total accident, by the powers!"
Jack quietly pushed his chair back a few inches, seemingly unfazed by the looming fate of his first mate.
Van Augur simply adjusted his glasses, his rifle resting casually on his shoulder. "I think Gibbs values his life, though his reflexes might suggest otherwise."
"I absolutely do! Very much!" Gibbs squeaked in protest.
It was only after Crocodile begrudgingly accepted a rag to clean her coat that the focus shifted back to the giant in the room.
Augur was the first to break the silence, his voice flat and matter-of-fact. "...The Ginny we ran into was also from the Sorbet Kingdom."
Kuma's gaze locked onto the marksman, intense and unwavering.
Jack took another leisurely sip of his rum, smacking his lips in satisfaction. "Aye, that's the one. Long blue hair, always flashing a grin that could light up the night. But to be honest, she's looking a bit under the weather these days. Wandering around with a little one in tow, and she talks a mile a minute when she's trying to mask her struggles."
Crocodile shot Jack a look, "What's with the accent? When did you start talking like a sailor?"
"It's part of the pirate life, darling." Jack winked at her, causing her eye to twitch in annoyance.
Every word seemed to hit Kuma like a barrage of cannon fire. The usually stoic giant's breathing grew ragged, his chest rising and falling heavily.
"Where..." Kuma locked eyes with Jack, his usual calm completely shattered. "...Where is she? Is she safe? Is she... is she okay?"
Uneasy glances were exchanged among the group. Ivankov had known Kuma for years, through thick and thin, and had never heard the man speak with such raw desperation.
Jack tilted his head, his dreadlocks swaying slightly. "We're on the lookout for a cure, mate. You know, for sapphire scales."
Dragon sat in heavy silence, watching his friend, while Ivankov's usually vibrant demeanor had dimmed completely.
"So..." Kuma whispered, breaking the stillness in the room. "It happened..."
Jack leaned in, a frown creasing his brow. "What happened? Spill it."
Kuma shut his eyes, lost in a flood of memories from a life that felt like it had slipped away. For what felt like an eternity, the silence hung thick in the air.
When he finally found his voice, it was soft, carrying the wistful tone of a sea shanty sung as the sun dipped below the horizon.
"We grew up together," Kuma said quietly. "In the dirt of the Sorbet Kingdom. She... she always had a smile. Always laughed, no matter how dark the future seemed. She had this incredible ability to befriend even the most troubled souls."
A faint, bittersweet smile crossed his lips. "She was loud, fiercely so. I was the quiet one. She used to say we balanced each other out like a well-tuned ship."
Ivankov let out a soft, watery laugh. "That sounds just like our Ginny-boy."
Kuma nodded slowly. "We toiled in the fields, lending a hand to the common folk. When I took my vows and became a pastor... she gave me a good scolding."
Jack blinked, clearly puzzled. "For getting close to the Almighty? That seems a bit much."
"No," Kuma replied, his smile widening just a bit. "For helping everyone but myself. She said I was too kind for this harsh world. That people would take advantage of my good nature." His smile faded. "And... she was right."
The room fell silent, no one daring to laugh.
"We joined the Freedom Fighters," Kuma continued, his large hand forming a tight fist. "We believed... we truly believed we could change the world. Shift the tides."
Dragon turned his gaze toward the grimy window, staring out with a distant look in his eyes.
"Eventually," Kuma's voice dropped to a harsh whisper, "she became the commander of the East Army. I was so proud. The entire fleet felt the same way. Then... she just vanished. Disappeared without a trace."
A heavy silence filled the air.
"We searched," Dragon finally broke the stillness, his deep voice slicing through the gloom. "We combed through every island, every port, every hidden cove from the East Blue to the Grand Line. There was no sign of her anywhere."
"It was like the sea had swallowed her whole," Ivankov chimed in, his usual flamboyance completely drained.
Kuma lowered his head again, the burden of years of sorrow weighing heavily on him. "One day... I came to terms with the harsh reality. I accepted that she had gone down with the ship. That she was gone."
The crew sat in an uncomfortable silence, unsure how to console a giant.
"That's quite the heart-wrenching story," Jack commented, taking a long, slow sip of his rum. "...Very tragic. A real tear-jerker."
Crocodile pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes. Leave it to a pirate like Jack to sum up a grand, emotional tragedy with a drink in hand.
Gibbs quietly rose from his chair, tapping Jack on the shoulder. "Captain."
Jack looked up, irritation flashing in his eyes. "What is it, Gibbs? I'm in the middle of mourning here."
"I need to speak with you, sir."
"Now? During such a grand revelation?"
"In private, Captain. If you would."
Jack let out a dramatic sigh, pushing himself up from the table. "Every time someone pulls me aside for a private chat, it ends up costing me either a chest of gold or a barrel of rum."
"It'll only cost you a minute of your drinking time, Captain," Gibbs replied, leading Jack toward the darkest corner of the room, right under a swinging lantern.
Dragon watched as they got up from the table, but he decided to keep his thoughts to himself. Ivankov leaned in closer to Kuma, resting a massive, sympathetic hand on his broad shoulder. "You holding up okay, Kuma-boy?" Kuma didn't respond, his gaze fixed blankly on the wooden floorboards.
Across the room, Gibbs lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Captain."
Jack crossed his arms, the beads in his hair jingling softly. "Go on then, spill it before I end up with a beard longer than yours."
"I think... I think we should have a word with Dragon. Maybe ask him for a bit of help."
Jack raised an eyebrow, his gold teeth catching the dim light. "And why, pray tell, would the world's most wanted revolutionary—a man who's currently evading the entire Marine fleet—decide to lend a hand to a humble crew of pirates like us?"
Gibbs rubbed his grizzled chin, a sly glint in his eye. "Think about it, Captain. Kuma has a deep connection with the lass. They're as thick as thieves. If Kuma puts in a good word with Dragon... Dragon won't turn him down. He's loyal to his crew."
Jack stayed quiet, gesturing for Gibbs to get to the point.
"And do you remember that incident at Ohara?" Gibbs pressed on. "The giant library, the burning trees?"
Jack frowned, trying to sift through his alcohol-soaked memories. "The library? Boring place. Full of books, no rum."
"No, not the books, Captain! The old bloke. The eccentric scientist."
Jack blinked, a spark of recognition lighting up his face. "...Ah! The fake Einstein? The one with the massive head?"
Gibbs nodded eagerly. "Vegapunk! They say he's the smartest man alive. If anyone on this earth—or in the Grand Line—can find a cure for this Sapphire Scales mess, it's him and his crazy inventions."
Jack rubbed his chin slowly, mulling it over. "Hmm. The fake Einstein... aye, he does come up with some remarkably odd contraptions. He probably has a potion or a magic lever for just this sort of thing."
Jack fixed his gaze on his first mate for a few moments of silence. Then, out of nowhere, he clapped his hands together with a loud smack!
Gibbs nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Gibbs!" Jack exclaimed, pointing a dramatic, ring-adorned finger right at the old sailor's nose. "That... is astonishingly, shockingly, and almost terrifyingly the smartest thing you've said all year!"
Gibbs felt a flush creep beneath his weathered, sun-kissed skin. "Well, thank you, Captain. I've got a few good ideas rattling around in this old noggin of mine. Not many, mind you, but every now and then, one manages to land."
The two pirates swaggered back to the table, where Crocodile shot them a suspicious, narrowed-eyed glare. "What devious scheme were you two hatching in the shadows?"
Jack completely brushed her off, as was his usual style. Instead, he leaned over the table, planting both hands down and focusing on Kuma. The massive Buccaneer slowly raised his sorrowful eyes to meet Jack's quirky gaze.
Jack flashed a roguish, knowing grin.
"Tell me, mate... how about a visit to Ginny and her daughter?"