Sabo, Koala, and Morley all felt a pang of loss after hearing Kuma's words.
Kuma wasn't just gentle—he was responsible, dependable, and wielded an incredible Devil Fruit ability that could heal wounds and instantly transport others across vast distances. His combat power was immense. Without him, it felt as though the Revolutionary Army had lost one of its strongest limbs.
"Hey! Don't act so pitiful. Our Kiryuu Pirates are just as famous as the Revolutionary Army! Our captain, Souta Kiryuu, killed a Celestial Dragon—his bounty's already up to a staggering one billion Berries!"
Standing proudly on Kuma's shoulder, Jewelry Bonney crossed her arms and shouted with smug pride.
Her father's bounty was only 296 million, but Souta's was astronomical. To her, her "big brother Souta" was strong, cool, and unbeatable.
She wanted her own bounty too—something in the hundreds of millions.
Recently, she'd been training hard. In her adult transformation mode, she could already spar against Lafitte without being outclassed. Her current goal? Defeat Capone Bege, the impenetrable Castle-Man.
If she could surpass the mafia godfather of the West Blue, that meant she'd already surpassed most pirates in that sea. Which, of course, meant she had all the makings of a future Supernova.
And now, hearing Kuma praise the young Sabo, Bonney added him to her personal "rivals list." One day, she'd beat him too—this boy who was always getting her father's compliments.
As Souta Kiryuu and Dragon's clash escalated, Enel couldn't hold back his own fighting spirit.
"Oi, long-beaked crow! How about a match?!"
He shouted at Karasu, the North Army commander, whose sharp gaze and suffocating presence marked him as a terrifying opponent—likely no weaker than Kuma himself.
"Fifty million Berries per day," Karasu replied flatly, his body swirling into a cloud of ash that shaped into flocks of jet-black crows, each seemingly hardened with Armament Haki. They fluttered toward Enel, daring him to take the challenge.
Everyone blinked in surprise—Karasu, the cold and stoic commander, was apparently just as eager to fleece these rich pirates as Dragon was.
"I don't know what fifty million Berries even means. Take this gold instead!"
Enel scowled, using his lightning to forge a lump of pure gold nearly ten pounds heavy. He hurled it toward the Revolutionaries.
"Yoh-ho! That's easily worth tens of millions," Lindbergh, the Southern Army commander, said with a grin, scrambling to collect it. Even he hadn't expected Karasu to know how to bait someone into paying like that.
As the Revolutionaries pocketed the gold, Enel wasted no time. He exploded into lightning and launched himself at Karasu, the two Logia powers colliding in a violent storm of thunder and ash.
Their fight was spectacular—but still a step below the overwhelming duel between Souta and Dragon.
Watching the sparks of combat, Belo Betty's eyes lit up.
If this was how easy it was to make money today, then leaving without squeezing these fat cats would be a crime.
Her gaze swept over the Kiryuu Pirates, searching for more opportunities.
Law, with his sharp, scheming aura. Lafitte, sly and manipulative. Bege, the old fox of the mafia. None of them would fall for something as transparent as a "paid sparring match." They'd fight without a second thought if they wanted to.
But then Betty smiled wickedly.
"Morley, why don't you spar with Kuma? Same price—fifty million Berries."
She turned her head. "Kuma, you don't want to see the Revolutionaries poor, do you?"
"And Sabo, why don't you spar with Bonney? Teach her a little. Five million Berries should be enough."
Her smirk widened. "Kuma, I can see how much you dote on Bonney. Surely you won't deny her this."
The East Army commander had a gift for finding her targets' soft spots. She wasn't leaving without pocketing something.
The Revolutionary Army was just too poor—every scrap of fleece mattered.
Capone Bege glared at Betty like she was the worst kind of swindler.
Who the hell charges for a fight?!
It made sense if Souta wanted to pay to learn Conqueror's Haki infusion. But the rest of them? Ridiculous. If you wanted to fight, you just fought.
Even Kuma looked at her with exasperation. This was the same woman he had once vouched for, the reason she had succeeded Ginny as East Army commander.
But then he saw Bonney's eager face, and Betty's exaggerated look of pitiful desperation. He sighed and surrendered his personal savings. It wasn't like he needed money on Skypiea anyway.
Seeing him nod, Bonney squealed with excitement, while Betty's sly smile deepened. Only Bege and Law stood stone-faced, black lines forming across their foreheads.
Bonney charged at Sabo with fiery determination, while Kuma and Morley half-heartedly exchanged blows, showing off their power without going all out.
"Bonney-chan, even if you're a girl, I won't hold back!"
Sabo cracked his fists with a smile. He adored Kuma's daughter, but when it came to combat, he never pulled punches.
That earned him a sharp smack on the head from Koala, who leapt up and whacked him hard enough to make him yelp.
"Be gentle with her, idiot! Especially with one of our own! Don't you dare go full force on Bonney-chan!"
Her red eyes flashed like a tigress's as she scolded him, utterly fed up with his thick-headedness. Did he really plan to thrash their mentor's beloved daughter?
"I got it, I got it!!" Sabo groaned, clutching the lump on his head.
"I don't need anyone going easy on me!!"
Bonney shouted defiantly. In an instant, she transformed into her adult form, her arm swelling into a massive giant's fist. She drove it into Sabo with a thunderous blow that sent him flying.
Koala's jaw dropped as the petite girl suddenly shifted forms, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"Heh-heh! Told you—I'm really strong!" Bonney crowed proudly. She was determined to become someone worth a bounty in the hundreds of millions.
"If you're that strong, then I don't need to hold back either!"
Sabo climbed out of the crater, smiling seriously. His right hand sharpened into the three-fingered Dragon Claw as he lunged at her again.
The two of them clashed with unrestrained energy, while Kuma, still sparring lightly with Morley, kept a watchful eye on them to prevent accidents.
"Ke-ke-ke… Capone Bege, how about we fight? One billion Berries, winner takes all."
Belo Betty grinned, this time framing it as a bet rather than a sparring fee. Whoever won would walk away richer.
"Boring," Bege shot back instantly, refusing without hesitation. Such fights were pointless.
But then another voice cut in.
"I'll do it."
Trafalgar Law slung his great blade over his shoulder and stepped forward. He wanted to test himself against the East Army commander. If he won, he'd earn a fortune. If he lost, well—he had the money to cover it.
That was the Kiryuu Pirates for you: filthy rich to the bone.
"Whatever you want." Bege shrugged, puffing on his cigar. He admitted Law was stronger than him, and with the surgical powers of the Ope Ope no Mi, he might even pull off a win.
"Oho? Handsome boy, don't hold back too much."
Belo Betty hefted her crimson battle flag with a toothy grin, confident she could handle the young pirate surgeon.