"Gear Second!!"
Knowing there was no way out, a look of grim determination flashed in Luffy's eyes as he prepared for a final, desperate struggle. He sank into a low stance, his left hand braced on his thigh, his right fist pounding the ground, steam billowing from his entire body.
"Gomu Gomu no... Gatling Gun!!!"
With a gritted roar, Luffy's elongated arms shot forward, a rapid-fire barrage aimed at Leo.
"Too slow." Leo sidestepped with minimal effort, avoiding the attacks while launching a flying slash. The green arc of energy crossed the hundred-meter distance in an instant, striking Luffy square in the chest right as his pupils dilated in shock.
"AGH!!"
Luffy cried out in pain, his body sent flying like a discarded puppet. Due to his rubber properties, Luffy was immune to most blunt attacks, but slashing attacks were his bane. A gruesome, terrifying wound instantly opened on his chest. Blood gushed out as if it were free, staining the earth crimson.
Leo shook his head in disappointment. Even now, there was no sign of Luffy powering up. What was missing?
Hundreds of meters away, Luffy lay in the grass, his breathing growing weak, his vision blurring. He struggled to get up, but even the slightest movement exacerbated his agony, making breathing a luxury.
"Everyone..." Luffy murmured, tears of helplessness welling in his eyes. The gap in power between him and Leo was just too vast. Even going all out, he couldn't budge him an inch.
Suddenly, Leo's figure was reflected in his pupils once more.
Leo looked down dispassionately at Luffy on the ground, his interest completely gone. There were no signs of a fifth gear awakening, no surge of Conqueror's Haki. Continuing this was pointless.
Cough... cough... "Leo... you... you..."
Shlick~
Leo wasted no more words. He drove the Shichiseiken through Luffy's body.
The dark power within the sacred sword flooded into Luffy, running rampant through his system.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!!"
Luffy's face contorted in agony, his body convulsing violently, his mouth issuing a blood-curdling scream. Simultaneously, his body visibly withered at a rapid pace. In moments, the Shichiseiken had absorbed every last drop of Luffy's blood, the blade erupting with an unprecedented, sinister light.
With the loss of that final drop, Luffy's life force was utterly extinguished.
Sea Circle Calendar Year 1520, three days before the public execution of Fire Fist Ace. Grove 1, Sabaody Archipelago.
The future Sun God... was dead.
Leo sheathed the Shichiseiken and immediately produced a blank Devil Fruit from his system inventory. It looked like an ordinary, unassuming piece of fruit. The moment it appeared, a mysterious force seemed to prevent the dispersed energy of the Nika fruit from vanishing.
Then, something miraculous happened.
The surface of the blank fruit gradually developed the unique spiral pattern of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Its color shifted from plain white to a vibrant, swirling mix of white and red.
The Nika fruit had been reborn in Leo's hands.
Leo examined the fruit closely. On the surface, it gave nothing away. Finding no immediate insights, he tossed it into his system storage with diminished interest. Like the blueprints for the ancient weapon Pluton gathering dust there, some things he didn't necessarily need to use, but they absolutely had to be under his control. He had no intention of eating it himself or giving it to any of his women. For anyone other than Luffy or someone 'chosen' by it, it would just be a regular Gomu Gomu no Mi.
With that done, Leo teleported to Kuma's side. The various精密元器件 (intricate components) inside the cyborg were almost completely destroyed. His red eyes flickered intermittently, as if about to go dark for good.
Letting out a soft sigh, Leo grabbed Kuma's shoulder and teleported once more.
The Maxim, Main Lounge.
"Delicious! So, so good!!"
"Sister Caramel! Your cooking is amazing! A hundred times better than anything I've ever had!!"
"Is there more? I want more!!"
Bonney, her manners completely forgotten, shoveled food into her mouth while mumbling praises between bites. After receiving a stern "lesson in love" from Zala, any thoughts of rebellion or escape had been thoroughly quashed. Add to that the insistent protests of her growling stomach, and Bonney had decided to adopt a 'since I'm here, I might as well eat' attitude.
The result: she was instantly conquered by Caramel's culinary skills. Her discerning palate was utterly and completely satisfied.
Makino, Vivi, Kaya, and the other women sat around the table, propping their chins in their hands, watching Bonney with astonishment. They had seen people with big appetites before, but never one like this. Especially not from such a pretty girl. She was a true bottomless pit!
In the kitchen, Caramel and Nojiko were working at a frenzied pace, their spatulas nearly sparking from the speed.
"Bonney, slow down, you'll choke," Makino said gently, using a napkin to carefully wipe grease from the corner of Bonney's mouth.
Bonney paused for a moment, a strange glint in her eyes, before diving back into her feast.
It's all an act, it has to be, she thought. Once she was full, she'd find a chance to use her powers, turn all these women into old hags, and make her escape. As she ate, her mind raced. She wasn't one to sit around waiting for fate, and she didn't have time to waste here.
"Enjoying the meal?"
Just as Bonney was inwardly congratulating herself on her perfect plan, a light, familiar chuckle sounded abruptly in the lounge. Hearing it, Bonney froze mid-bite, her heart sinking. The next second, Leo materialized before them.
Before the women could even greet him, their attention was captured by the large figure Leo had brought with him.
When Bonney's eyes fell on the man Leo was supporting, her brain short-circuited, her mind going completely blank. The food in her hand dropped to the floor, unnoticed.
"F... Father?!!" Bonney stared, dumbfounded, at the grievously wounded Kuma, her lips trembling.
The other women,敏锐地察觉到 (sharply picking up on) Bonney's strange reaction, looked back and forth between the two with puzzled expressions.
"Brother Leo, what is this?!" Kaya, the doctor, was the first to react, carefully taking Kuma from Leo and propping him against a wall.
"FATHER!!" Bonney suddenly screamed, rushing to Kuma's side. "Father! Your... your body!! Who did this to you?!" Seeing the mechanical components inside him, her pupils contracted violently. Before she could even process her confusion at his cybernetics, the sight of his broken form made her emotions spiral out of control. Tears flowed like a burst dam as she clung to Kuma, sobbing uncontrollably. All of Bonney's defenses and pretenses crumbled to nothing before the heartbreaking state of her father.
"Captain, Kuma is Bonney's father?!" The other women were shocked. Leo had educated them about all the Warlords long ago, so they recognized Bartholomew Kuma. But Bonney being his daughter was beyond anything they had expected.
"Kuma is Bonney's adoptive father," Leo explained patiently from the side.
"Leo! Why is my father like this?! Was it you?! First you capture me, then you hurt my father?!" Bonney whirled around, her(sanity) completely gone. She had endured countless hardships and traveled a great distance to find her father. Seeing the man she yearned for reduced to this state, she could no longer control her emotions.
Ignoring the vast difference in their power, Bonney charged at Leo like an enraged bull.
"Cloud Bind."
Leo uttered the command softly. Two slender, white chains materialized out of thin air, restraining Bonney.
"Bonney, it's true I injured Kuma. But this situation isn't as simple as you think."
"Bastard! So it was you!!" Bonney's eyes were bloodshot as she screamed hysterically, her arms straining against the bonds until red marks appeared.
The next moment, to the astonishment of the onlookers, Bonney's body rapidly shrank. In the space of two breaths, she was a little girl. She easily slipped free of the cloud bindings and instantly returned to her normal age.
"I'll fight you to the death! Aging Impact!!" Bonney activated her Devil Fruit power, charging at Leo without a trace of fear.
Leo sighed in exasperation and simply teleported next to Kuma. "Bonney, calm down. I haven't finished speaking."
Her target gone, Bonney spun around. When she saw the Shichiseiken resting against Kuma's neck, she skidded to an immediate halt. Her body trembled as she choked out, "N... no! Leo, please, don't hurt my father." Even if she didn't understand why his body was full of machinery, she knew Kuma was hanging on by a thread, likely to die at any moment. If Leo struck now, it would be certain death.
"Bonney, don't worry. Brother Leo won't hurt your father," Kaya said softly, stepping to Bonney's side to comfort her.
Bonney's face was pale as a sheet. She wanted to argue but didn't dare.
Seeing Bonney had regained a sliver of reason, Leo put away the Shichiseiken and channeled his healing power directly into Kuma's body.
"Leo, you—!" Bonney's face fell, and she moved to rush forward again.
But the next second, she froze in place, staring at her father, her eyes filled with utter disbelief.
Under the influence of the healing energy, the mechanical components filling Kuma's body were gradually replaced by fresh flesh and blood. The cold hum of machinery faded away. Soon, Kuma's internal organs were restored, defying all logic. Then, the external wounds closed up.
As the last injury healed, Kuma's eyes snapped open. The former crimson orbs were now normal, dark pupils.
Kuma looked around in confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings. When his gaze fell on Bonney, he instantly flashed to her side. "Bonney! What are you doing here?! And what is this pl— Leo!!"
Kuma immediately went on high alert, a terrifying aura erupting from him.
"Father, no—!" Seeing Kuma about to attack Leo, Bonney quickly spread her arms, shielding him.
"Bonney, don't stop me! You don't know how dangerous this man is!"
"Leo! What did you do to Luffy?!" Kuma glared furiously at Leo. His memory was still stuck from over ten minutes ago. Luffy was his leader's only son. If Luffy died here, the responsibility would be his.
"FATHER!!" Bonney's voice rose sharply by several octaves.
Kuma raised an eyebrow, looking at his daughter.
Bonney swallowed hard and pointed at Kuma's body.
Frowning slightly, Kuma instinctively looked down. Realization dawned, and his pupils shrank to pinpricks. He stood there, completely stunned.
His injuries... were completely healed?! Not just that, but the parts of his body and mind that Vegapunk had modified... they were restored to their original state?!
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Kuma's head snapped up, his face a mask of shock as he stared at Leo.
Meeting Kuma's astonished gaze, Leo smiled slightly. "Can we sit down and have a proper talk now?"
Kuma was taken aback, then reined in his intimidating aura, his expression becoming complex.
As the tense atmosphere dissipated, the wary women relaxed, brewing tea for Leo, Kuma, and Bonney before tactfully leaving the lounge.
"Relax. If I really wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it this far," Leo said, taking a sip of Darjeeling tea and looking calmly at Kuma.
Kuma looked troubled, hesitating for a long moment before speaking slowly. "Leo... I don't know how you did it, but... thank you."
"And you?" Leo accepted the thanks gracefully, then turned a teasing look on Bonney.
Bonney's face flushed bright red, and she hung her head in embarrassment. Just moments ago, she wanted to kill him, and now he had healed her father.
"Th... thank you," she whispered, her voice so faint it was barely audible.
Ahem, ahem. Kuma cleared his throat lightly, covering for Bonney while shaking his head with a sigh. "Leo, I am deeply grateful you saved me. But... you shouldn't have."
His voice was heavy with unspoken weight.
"Father, what are you saying?! You were about to die!!" Bonney, unaware of the full story, looked at him in confusion. What kind of logic was that?!
Kuma looked at Bonney with deep affection, remaining silent. He was both happy and sad. Happy to see his daughter again. Sad because his body was back to its original state. He had been one step away from Vegapunk fulfilling their agreement and curing Bonney's Sapphire Scale disease. But now, with his recovery, all their previous efforts were wasted. Everything had to start from scratch. He had to return to Vegapunk and complete the final stage of the modification plan as soon as possible, so Vegapunk would honor his promise and cure Bonney.
Thinking this, Kuma stopped hesitating and stood up. "Leo, I must take Bonney and leave. Immediately."
Leo took another unhurried sip of tea. "Do you truly believe Vegapunk can cure Bonney's illness?"
Kuma was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I'm not sure. But other than Vegapunk, it's even more impossible for anyone else..." As he spoke, he seemed to realize something. His bear-like eyes widened, fixing intently on Leo, his gaze gradually growing intense.
Leo looked at Kuma with mild exasperation. Was he really this slow? Only now did it click?!
Vegapunk had mutilated his body to that extent, and Leo had restored him completely. A little thing like Sapphire Scale disease? Whether through his Heal-Heal Fruit powers or the substance known as Pure Gold, it was easily manageable.
The realization hitting him, Kuma strode quickly to stand before Leo, his gaze burning. "Leo... you... can you cure Bonney's Sapphire Scale disease?!" His voice was hoarse, trembling with a mixture of excitement and desperate hope.
"I can," Leo nodded slightly, his tone calm.
Thud!
Without a moment's hesitation, Kuma dropped to his knees before Leo, pressing his forehead to the floor. "Leo, I beg you, save Bonney. I will pay any price."
Kuma clung to this lifeline, his plea utterly sincere. To find a cure for Bonney, he had traveled across many seas, visiting famous doctors in countless kingdoms, but the conclusion from all of them was eerily the same: once afflicted with Sapphire Scale disease, one could only await death in prolonged agony. Just like Bonney's mother, Ginny. But Kuma never gave up his search across the seas, until he found Vegapunk and they reached an agreement. But even Vegapunk had said he couldn't guarantee a 100% success rate. The fact that Leo could completely cure Bonney... how could he not be overcome with emotion?!
Kuma didn't doubt Leo's ability for a second. His own miraculous recovery was living proof.
Leo looked at Bonney and smiled faintly. "I can save her. But from now on, Bonney stays by my side." He then turned his gaze back to the kneeling giant. "And of course, you will follow me as well."
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T/N :
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