Bepo

Looking at the talking polar bear in front of her, who kept apologizing non-stop, Perona was somewhat confused. This bear looked like it had been affected by a Hollow, just with a slightly delayed reaction.

But Perona was very clear; this wasn't the effect of her Hollow. Normally, when someone was affected by her Hollow, they would immediately enter a negative state. Those with the ability to resist wouldn't be affected at all, and there has never been any delayed onset.

Not to mention the delay, Setsuna and Zeraora could both ignore her Hollow. But this bear in front of her...

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm apologizing."

Watching the behavior of this bear mink, Perona seemed to understand why. The Hollow amplified the negativity within a person, thus inducing a negative state. However, if someone was already overwhelmingly negative, Hollow would be ineffective.

Because this person was too pessimistic, ultimately leading to the body developing resistance to pessimism.

"To think there would be such a weakness."

Seeing the bear mink still apologizing, Perona suddenly discovered a flaw in the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.

"Enough! Stop apologizing!"

"I'm sorry..."

"...."

Perona patted her head. This bear was making her feel uncomfortable. Indeed, a bear that couldn't speak is the only good bear. Nevertheless, she still asked about the main issue.

"Aren't you a Mink? Why aren't you on Zou Island? Why did you go out to sea?"

This bear mink didn't seem very large. Although she wasn't Mink herself, her adoptive mother was the new Duke of Zou Island. From this point of view, she could actually be considered the princess of Minks. After all, in the eyes of Mink, humans were just monkey minks with less hair.

Upon hearing the words "Zou Island" and "Mink," the bear mink almost cried. He was Bepo, the younger brother of Zepo who went missing years ago. Washed away by sea currents, he somehow ended up in the North Blue.

It was his luck that he didn't starve on the way or get eaten by a Sea King. However, he didn't know how to get back. People in the North Blue had never heard of Minks, and not everyone was as accepting as in Pleasure Town.

In the eyes of most people, he was just a talking monster. This perception, combined with his fragile personality, made him highly prone to low moods, low resistance to pressure, and poor psychological resilience, leading him to hide in the hole of the dead tree.

He didn't like the environment here because there wasn't even a female bear. Returning to Zou Island was his biggest dream. That's why he blushed slightly when he saw Bewear.

"You-you know about Zou Island?"

"Of course, my mother is the new Duke of Zou Island."

"That's great! Can you take me back to Zou Island? This place is boring. My name is Bepo. I accidentally left Zou Island and when I woke up, Zou Island was gone."

He didn't know why Zou Island had a new duke, and he didn't know if Perona was lying. Minks are always naive, let alone the current Bepo, who longed to quickly return home. So, he dusted himself off and walked towards Perona.

But to Bewear, he seemed like a strange and dangerous individual, so it waved its hand towards Bepo.

Bewear swung its arms vigorously, while Bepo, seeing another bear waving "friendly" at him, hastened his steps.

"Wait!"

Perona's "wait" was addressed to both Bepo and Bewear, but it was too late. Bewear's arms lit up with a glow, and the double Hammer Arm struck Bepo.

Watching the large crater on the ground, Perona knew it must be very painful.

Then, Perona slid down from Bewear's back and reached out to poke Bepo below. Based on the situation, it seemed this bear mink was still alive.

"Beweear~"

"I know, I know, this guy is too weird."

Bewear explained its actions, mainly pointing out that Bepo ignored the warning, which was inevitable. Due to their race' characteristics, Bewear's warning gestures were greetings for other species.

When you thought Bewear was welcoming you, its actual message was much simpler: if you dare to come closer, I'll smack you to death.

In Bewear's gathering place, many people get injured annually due to this misunderstanding. Though seemingly cute, they are extremely dangerous Pokémon. Only Trainers who have earned their trust are exempt from such incidents.

"Let's bring him back, but be gentle this time."

"Beweear~"

Then, Bewear carried the dead tree in its left hand, Bepo in its right hand, Perona on its head, and some dry firewood it had just gathered on its tail. Fully loaded, they walked back to their campsite.

By a stream, Setsuna had just finished preparing the fish she caught from the stream when she saw Bewear returning with all sorts of things.

"Why did you guys hunt a bear?"

She didn't mind others eating furry mammals, but at least they shouldn't do it in front of her. This was the minimum respect for Minks. She believed that Perona wouldn't make such a low-level mistake.

"No, Mom, this is a Mink. Just now, Bewear accidentally—"

"Beweear~"

Due to the power of Aura, Bewear's words were no different from ordinary humans to Setsuna, so she quickly understood what had happened.

"Did you say his name is Bepo?"

"Yeah, that's what he said."

"Zeraora, he seems to be Zepo's younger brother, do you still remember Pedro and other's number?"

Shortly after their wedding, Pedro and the others left Zou Island again. Being elite warriors, they didn't encounter much trouble over the years.

During their journey, they had been looking for Bepo, but without much success. This was because up until now, they were still sailing in the Grand Line, and they also never considered that Bepo had crossed the Calm Belt and reached North Blue.

Currently, Bepo is still unconscious. Bewear's attack is no joke, it might take him some time to wake up. Meanwhile, it's probably best to confirm with Pedro and the others.

Finally, a call reached Pedro, who was still sailing. After some comparison, they fully confirmed Bepo's identity.

Upon receiving the news of Bepo's safety, Zepo felt relieved. With Setsuna's promise to bring Bepo back, the Nox Expedition Team embarked on their new adventure.

Meanwhile, Perona also finished bandaging Bepo. Although he had no external injuries, the bandages were soaked in a special medicine that acted like a poultice, which was why she bandaged him.

However, Perona's way of bandaging was somewhat special. Not only did she wrap up his head, but also his mouth. As a result, when Bepo woke up, he could only make muffled sounds and couldn't speak at all.

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