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The three figures were none other than Ivankov, Ginny, and Bartholomew Kuma, who had previously gotten lost deep in the forest and accidentally approached the center of the battlefield.
"Hihah! Kuma, Ginny, look over there! So many incredible big shots!"
Ivankov lowered his voice, his tone filled with astonishment and excitement.
Kuma cautiously parted the branches and leaves in front of him. When his gaze swept over the distant group—especially landing on the ashen-faced Saint Saturn, who was being supported—his small body suddenly stiffened!
The fear buried deep in his memories stabbed into his heart like an icy blade, causing him to tremble violently and his face to turn deathly pale.
"Buccaneer brat, either choose submission or choose death!"
Saint Saturn's voice echoed in Kuma's mind. Kuma began to gasp for air, cold sweat pouring down.
"Kuma dear!"
Ginny immediately noticed Kuma's abnormality. Without hesitation, she reached out and tightly grasped his ice-cold little hand, trying to convey a bit of warmth and strength.
"Don't be afraid, we're right here!"
Just as Ginny was comforting Kuma, two Roger Pirates crew members searching nearby approached, rummaging while complaining: "Seriously, after a battle in this damn place, not even a single fruit can be found…
The little ones must be starving!
The sudden approaching voices and figures startled the three children.
Ivankov and the others instinctively wanted to hide, but when they heard the others were anxiously searching for food—and especially when they caught the sound of a baby's cries in the distance…
Kuma suddenly thought of something. With a trembling hand, he reached toward the bulging backpack sewn from rags on his back.
Inside were some white bread and pastries he had secretly collected from the discarded table of the Celestial Dragons while in the treasure vault earlier.
For Kuma, who had suffered greatly since childhood and deeply understood the taste of hunger, food was something incomparably precious.
Kuma looked at little Shanks in the distance, whose face was red from crying, then at little Teach in Eris's arms, who was also fussing.
And at Shamrock in Shakky's arms—quiet but clearly also in need of food.
Kuma bit his lip. In those eyes that always carried vigilance and premature melancholy flashed a resolute kindness.
"Hey!"
With all his strength, Kuma hurled the food-filled backpack fiercely toward where Roger and the others were!
The cloth bag traced an arc through the air and landed with a "thud" on the ground not far from Roger.
"Who's there?!"
This sudden disturbance immediately put everyone on high alert!
The two searching crew members also quickly spotted the three children hiding behind the bushes.
"Boss! Three kids over here!"
One crew member eyed Ivankov and the others warily while shouting toward Roger.
Roger's and everyone's attention was drawn over, though they didn't quite catch the crew member's words at first.
After a momentary stunned pause, Roger quickly walked to the cloth bag, picked it up, opened it—and his eyes immediately lit up: "Bread! It's bread! Great! We've got food!"
Roger treated it like a treasure. As he pulled out the bread, he complexly handed a relatively intact piece to Rocks: "Hey, Rocks, for your son!"
Though Rocks's son would later be the one who framed his own son, Whitebeard was right—right now, he was just a child.
Rocks took the bread, nodded toward Roger, then handed it to Eris. His expression softened considerably.
"No snatching—there's enough for everyone!"
Roger carefully divided the remaining bread among little Shanks and Shamrock.
Little Shanks immediately clutched the bread and devoured it ravenously.
The bread eaten by the World Nobles was no ordinary bread—it was rich with milky fragrance, chewy in texture—and little Shanks ate until stars sparkled in his eyes.
At that moment, the two Roger Pirates crew members had already brought Ivankov, Kuma, and Ginny before Roger.
The three children, surrounded by a group of powerfully imposing adults, appeared especially small and fragile.
Ivankov was still struggling futilely: "Let me go! You rotten pirate bastards!"
Kuma kept his lips tightly pressed, standing protectively in front of Ginny. Though afraid, he did not attack proactively.
He could sense that these pirates, despite looking fierce, seemed… not to intend to harm them immediately.
When the figures of these three children clearly appeared in everyone's view, several gazes instantly sharpened abnormally!
Saint Saturn (who had returned to human form but remained weak) saw Kuma's face—his ashen complexion suddenly changed, his eyes flashing with barely suppressible shock, rage, and killing intent!
He recognized this child—the one among the God Valley slaves he had paid special "attention" to, the one with a special bloodline!
On the other side, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido's gazes also fell on Kuma and Ivankov, their faces showing clear surprise.
They naturally remembered this child too. Back in the treasure vault, it was this silent little brat who had eaten the Paw-Paw Fruit on the spot!
That decisiveness and the unexpected outcome had left a deep impression on both of them.
Roger squatted down, carefully examining Ivankov and Kuma who had been brought before him. His brows furrowed tightly, eyes filled with confusion: "Hm? Strange… Why do I feel like… I've seen these two kids somewhere before?
Especially this curly-haired kid and this big guy who looks kinda dazed…" Roger scratched his head, trying hard to recall.
It wasn't just Roger—Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion Shiki, even Rayleigh—vaguely felt the faces of these two children seemed somewhat familiar…
As if they had seen them not long ago in the "future."
Scopper Gaban reacted the fastest. He stared at Ivankov's highly distinctive face and Kuma's tall, silent figure for a few seconds, then suddenly clapped his hands:
"I remember now! They're… future Revolutionary Army cadres! They appeared in the Marineford War scene! That one who can use weird hormone abilities, known as the 'Okama King' Emporio Ivankov…
And… the one who later became a Warlord of the Sea but then served as a 'mount' for the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise—Bartholomew Kuma!"
Scopper Gaban's words instantly brought realization to everyone: future Revolutionary Army cadres, Warlord of the Sea…
Yet right now, they were just three helpless slaves in God Valley!
The dislocation of time, the entanglement of fate—on this island filled with secrets and bloodshed—revealed itself once again in a dazzling, bewildering way.
And the sudden appearance of these three children, especially their connection to important future figures, undoubtedly added unpredictable variables to the already extremely complicated situation in God Valley.
The killing intent in Saint Saturn's eyes, Big Mom and Kaido's thoughtful looks, the Roger Pirates' astonishment, Rocks's scrutiny…
Countless gazes intertwined on these three innocent yet special children.
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