## One Piece Chapter 1097: Ginny - Chapter: 1097 - Pages: 0-12 - Characters: Kuma, Bartholomew Kuma, Sorbet Kingdom Residents, Ginny, King Becori, Celestial Dragons, Monkey D. Dragon, Emporio Ivankov, Freedom Fighters, Royal Army, Revolutionary Army ### Summary Page 0: Cover request page. Chapter 1097: Ginny. The printed caption says: "Cover request by Takashi: Kuma catching salmon in a river." Kuma stands at a riverbank with a fishing net while a large salmon splashes in the water, and two startled onlookers react nearby. This is a reader-request cover illustration connected to Kuma visually but separate from the chapter's flashback narrative. Page 2: Eight years after the God Valley incident, thirty years ago, Kuma lives in the Kingdom of Sorbet in the South Blue as Pastor Bartholomew Kuma, now seventeen years old. Days and months pass as villagers come to his church begging, "Please help me, Kumachi!" Kuma has stayed there since around age nine, after Ginny disappeared on him, and the townspeople are comforted to see him grow into a sweet boy. His miracle hands remove pains and mild illnesses, and people shout with relief that their hips and arms feel better, blessing his hands while crowding him for help. Kuma warns that there are hardly any young people left in the country and that the days are getting poorer and poorer, so he limits the healings to Sundays only, even as the villagers beg for another chance. Page 3: Ginny, now twenty-one, storms into the church and scolds the old women for freeloading, telling them to quit asking for even more help and reminding them that the place is not a nursing home. The elders tease that they have gotten the attention of Little Miss Cheapskate and joke about the many suitors knocking at her door. Kuma quietly says she is too kind, and the others agree that none of the old women have a chance with Kumachi because they only look at his calm face for comfort. Ginny admits that they would love to donate more and support Kuma, but everyone has been struggling just to meet the Celestial Tribute recently. She then asks whether Kuma has heard about their new king. Page 4: The villagers say King Becori is a cold-hearted monster, hell-bent on paying the Celestial Tribute, without caring whether the old or sick are too poor to contribute. One acquaintance of theirs starved to death in jail, and the people fear that if they cannot pay, they will be locked up too. Ginny calls the king worse than a cheapskate, saying he will not even feed his prisoners and is happy to bend over backward for the Celestial Dragons. Kuma says he can remove any pain or mild illness they need him to, as long as they visit every week. He uses his Paw-Paw power to draw their suffering from their bodies, and a huge bubble of accumulated pain appears inside the church while people outside thank Kumachi. Page 5: Once Kuma has removed everyone's pain, he takes the burden into himself. He grabs the paw-shaped mass and endures it alone, screaming as the accumulated suffering floods through his body. Outside, the church shakes and Ginny hears him cry out, realizing that the pain does not simply disappear. The villagers say Kuma keeps doing this week after week, even though he has no idea how much pain he is taking on. Ginny stands with tears in her eyes, and Kuma later tells her it cannot be helped: if someone does not shoulder their burdens, that pain and suffering will not just vanish. More than anything, he is glad he can do something to help them feel happier. Page 6: Kuma apologizes to Ginny for putting her through the worry, promising he will get tougher so she will not have to be concerned. Ginny says that is not the point, but dinner soon softens the mood as she announces they have a little food as thanks and tells everyone to eat up. Years pass. Twenty-five years ago, when Kuma is twenty-two, Ginny stands outside the church and loudly proposes: "Hey, Kumachi, let's get married!!" Kuma panics, saying they cannot, and Ginny snaps that he loves her and should just admit it. He thinks about marriage and answers that he is sure he would be happy, but he does not want to make her unhappy. Page 7: Kuma explains why he refuses Ginny's proposal: he is the one with Buccaneer blood, and he does not want Ginny or a future child to suffer because of him. Ginny urges him to take her instead if danger comes, saying she is normal and begging him to let her and her son go in his imagined scenario, but Kuma cannot bear the thought of making her unhappy. He says he wants to head out to sea one day and dedicate his life to saving people too. Ginny recognizes the source of his dream when he speaks of Dragon. Kuma says Dragon is cool, like a hero. Elsewhere, after many countries riot because of an article about freedom fighters, the group led by Dragon and Ivankov becomes a growing symbol of resistance. Ginny later comes home with food, and Kuma happily thanks a fishmonger. Page 8: Twenty-two years ago, when Kuma is t...