Upon hearing this, Bartholomew Kuma's face immediately showed hesitation.
The latter condition was acceptable. For Bonney, he was willing to sacrifice even his own life; merely following Leo was nothing. But the former...
Nowadays, whenever Leo was mentioned on the seas, certain labels came to everyone's mind. They might vary slightly, but there was one absolute common denominator.
Womanizer.
Kuma refused to believe that Leo kept a crew of over a dozen beautiful women just to admire their aesthetics. If Bonney were an adult, and Leo had cured her, it would be natural for her to follow him out of gratitude for saving her life.
The problem was, the real Bonney was only nine years old. Just a child. Her current appearance was merely an illusion created by her Age-Age Fruit ability.
Thinking this, Kuma found himself in a difficult position, his expression growing increasingly conflicted.
"Kuma, think it over carefully. This is a one-time offer," Leo said, crossing his legs and speaking unhurriedly. The initiative was firmly in his hands; he wasn't anxious at all.
Kuma turned to look at Bonney, and his mind flashed back to the image of Ginny succumbing to her illness. He gritted his teeth, the last vestiges of his hesitation vanishing. The absolute priority was curing Bonney's terminal disease. Everything else could be dealt with later.
"Fine. As long as you cure Bonney, I accept your terms," Kuma's voice was resolute and firm.
Hearing this, Leo nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Bonney. "And you? Are you willing to follow me from now on?"
At this, the usually brash Bonney showed a rare glimpse of her true childish nature, fidgeting and twisting the hem of her shirt. She stole a glance at Kuma before nodding silently.
Leo smiled slightly. "A wise choice."
He then walked over to Bonney and channeled his healing power into her body.
Kuma stared intently at Bonney, observing every minute change. Under the influence of the healing energy, it took only a few breaths for the Sapphire Scale disease within Bonney to be completely eradicated.
"That's it?!" Kuma stared, dumbfounded, at Leo, who had already returned to his seat.
"What else? How long did you want it to take?" Leo shrugged in response.
Kuma's face was a picture of confusion. He had even activated his Observation Haki to catch the details, and it was over in seconds?!
"Bonney!"
Snapping back to reality, Kuma hurriedly stood and went to Bonney's side. "It's gone... it's really gone." Seeing the crystalline scales had vanished from Bonney's face, Kuma wept with joy, holding his daughter and crying uncontrollably. His joy wasn't just because Bonney was cured. Another important reason was that he could finally give an account to Ginny, who was waiting for him in the afterlife.
Bonney touched her own face, feeling dazed. Those gem-like crystals were truly gone. Her Sapphire Scale disease... was just cured like that?! An incurable illness that had stumped countless famous doctors was so easily resolved by Leo?!
"F-Father... I'm really better," a now-aware Bonney embraced Kuma tightly, her tears flowing freely.
For the next half hour, Kuma repeatedly confirmed that Bonney's disease was truly gone, and then he and Bonney shared a deeply moving father-daughter moment. Leo watched quietly from the side, not interrupting.
Finally, Kuma wiped his tears, composed himself, and looked at Leo. "Cap-Captain... On behalf of Bonney, I thank you for saving her life!" As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Leo.
"No need for such formality. We had conditions," Leo waved his hand dismissively. "From now on, you don't need to go to Marine Headquarters. You don't need to participate in the execution of Ace."
"Yes, Captain," Kuma immediately responded. His cooperation with the Marines had been entirely because of Bonney. Now that her illness was cured, the Marines could go to hell!
"Captain, about the Revolutionary Army..." Kuma hesitated for a moment before speaking. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionaries, had treated him well. Even though he was now joining Leo's crew, Kuma felt he should inform Dragon, to part on good terms.
"I killed Luffy. It's a fight to the death between me and Dragon now. I trust I don't need to explain your choice?" Leo looked at Kuma, his tone flat.
"Captain, you... you killed Luffy?!" Upon hearing this, Kuma's face fell, and he could only let out a helpless sigh in the end. Luffy was Dragon's only son. His death saddened Kuma. But weighed against Bonney, he knew which was more important.
Discarding the last of his conflicting thoughts, Kuma's gaze became firm again. "Captain, just tell me, what should I do from now on?!"
Leo studied Kuma, his mind racing. Keeping him on the main crew wasn't feasible. Amazon Lily wasn't suitable either.
Got it!
"I'll send you to Thriller Bark. You'll live there from now on. I'll contact you if I need you." Leo quickly thought of the best place for Kuma.
"Thhriller Bark?! Gecko Moria's territory?!" Kuma frowned, then suddenly understood. It went without saying that Gecko Moria had also joined Leo's crew.
"Alright, I'll follow your orders, Captain." Kuma naturally had no objections. Now that he had no more worries, he would do whatever Leo said.
After a brief farewell with Bonney, Leo took Kuma and teleported directly to Moria's domain.
The current Thriller Bark was basically an empty shell. Gecko Moria had already answered the Marine summons and gone to Marine Headquarters. Only one of the Three Mysterious Gentlemen, Dr. Hogback, and a few scattered zombies remained.
After leaving Kuma with a manual on Haki training, Leo prepared to leave. He'd let Kuma explain things to Hogback himself.
"Captain—"
Just as Leo was about to teleport, Kuma's hesitant voice came from behind.
"What is it now?" Leo asked, frowning.
Kuma looked at Leo with a strange expression, hesitated for a moment, and then reminded him, "Captain... Bonney is only nine years old this year." Having said his piece, Kuma immediately flashed away. He believed Leo would understand.
Back on the Maxim
Once back on the airship, facing Leo alone, Bonney was visibly nervous and ill at ease.
Leo looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, feeling a headache coming on. Nine years old? That was too young. Not even double digits.
Sigh.
With no other choice, Leo could only place his mark on Bonney and claim the reward first. As for Bonney... she could grow up a few years first.
[Congratulations, Host, on successfully recruiting crew member Bonney. Ready to receive the reward?]
"Receive." Leo's mood wasn't particularly jubilant this time.
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining the item reward: Eternal Pose to Sleepy Town.]
Sleepy Town?!
Leo's eyes lit up. If he remembered correctly, the Batto Batto no Mi, Model: Vampire (Zoan-type, Mythical Beast model) was hidden in Sleepy Town. This Devil Fruit was a top-tier item, even among the Mythical Zoans. In the original story, after the Summit War, the escaped "Red Count" found this fruit in Sleepy Town. But now, Leo naturally wouldn't let it fall into anyone else's hands!
Satisfied, Leo put away the Eternal Pose. He then took out a Den Den Mushi and called Hancock.
Sabaody Archipelago
With the intervention of Vice Admiral Tsuru and the other Marine Vice Admirals, all the Supernovas—except for Bonney—had been subdued and captured! The Supernovas were fitted with Seastone shackles and hauled onto the Marine warship.
Simultaneously, an informant reported to Tsuru that Leo had been spotted in Grove 1, where he had clashed with the Straw Hat Pirates.
By the time Tsuru arrived with her team, the site of the battle was already surrounded by a dense crowd, everyone buzzing with discussion. Tsuru had her Marines disperse the onlookers and began inspecting the scene.
Leo and Kuma were long gone. All that remained were the unconscious Straw Hat crew... and the corpse of their captain, Monkey D. Luffy.
When Tsuru saw Luffy's body, her face turned ashen. After securing the scene, she immediately led her team back to Marine Headquarters and reported the news to Sengoku.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
Fleet Admiral's Office
Sengoku stared fixedly at Tsuru. "Are you absolutely certain it was Straw Hat Luffy who was killed?!" he asked in a low voice.
Tsuru nodded, her expression grave.
"We're finished." Sengoku palmed his forehead, a look of despair on his face.
"What should we tell Garp? He'll be back soon!" Tsuru's voice was full of concern. Even the usually resourceful Tsuru was at a loss. The news of Luffy's death had already begun to spread on Sabaody. The accompanying soldiers and Vice Admirants had all seen it; there was no way to keep it a secret.
As part of the former "iron triangle," Sengoku and Tsuru were among the few who knew the true identities of both Ace and Luffy. They were both Garp's grandsons. Luffy, in particular, was Garp's biological grandson. Ace was about to be publicly executed, and Garp was already heartbroken. Now, his biological grandson had been killed by Leo. If Garp found out... he would go insane.
Sengoku rubbed his temples, his head throbbing. "I warned him back then. I told him to warn Luffy not to become a pirate, not to become a pirate... And now look..."
"Sengoku," Tsuru cut him off softly, shaking her head.
Just as they fell silent, Garp walked in through the door, his face dark, the grief and sorrow from his visit to Impel Down still evident.
"Sengoku, what did you need?" Garp's voice was low and heavy. He had just returned from Impel Down when he received Sengoku's call. Had the Whitebeard Pirates made a move?
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged looks, each urging the other to speak, but both hesitating.
Garp frowned, a bad feeling settling in his gut. "What happened?" he demanded, his tone hardening.
"Garp, whatever you hear next, I order you to remain calm," Sengoku commanded, using his authority as Fleet Admiral.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Garp let out a heavy breath. "Go on," he said coldly. "With Ace's execution so close, what else could I possibly not be able to handle?"
Sengoku took a deep breath, his gaze serious. "Just now, I sent Tsuru to Sabaody Archipelago to capture the Supernovas."
Hearing this, Garp's pupils constricted violently.
Luffy?!
"You captured Luffy?!" Garp's brow furrowed deeply.
Sengoku opened his mouth but found he couldn't continue.
Tsuru let out a helpless sigh and took over. "Garp, we did capture most of the Supernovas. But Luffy wasn't among them."
Before Garp could feel any relief, Tsuru continued, "He... he was killed by Leo. His body is in the morgue."
BOOM!
As soon as the words left Tsuru's mouth, an unprecedented, terrifying aura erupted from Garp. Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki burst forth simultaneously. A turbulent, black-and-red intertwined torrent of energy surged out like a tsunami, instantly obliterating the entire conference room in a crushing wave and rapidly enveloping the whole of Marine Headquarters.
ROAR! ROAR! ROOM!
The dual-colored energy shot into the sky, lightning crackling like maddened serpents, tearing the very heavens apart. The once clear sky was quickly shrouded in dark clouds, presenting a scene of apocalyptic dissonance.
"Holy shit, what's going on?!"
"It's Vice Admiral Garp! Vice Admiral Garp has lost it!"
"Heavens, what happened?!"
Countless Marine soldiers looked up in terror, breaking out in a cold sweat from the horrifying spectacle.
"GARP!" The moment Garp erupted, Sengoku instantly transformed into his golden Daibutsu (Great Buddha) form, radiating brilliant light.
"Tsuru! You... say that again! Who's dead?!" Garp's eyes were bloodshot, his face a mask of murderous fury, each word grinding out between clenched teeth. At this moment, Garp was like a rabid beast. Ace was to be executed in a few days, and now they were telling him his own grandson was dead too?!
"Garp, calm down!!" The golden Daibutsu swung a massive palm, clamping down on Garp's shoulder, trying to restrain him. But a Garp who had lost his sanity was not so easily controlled.
"LEO!!!"
BOOM!
The golden Daibutsu was violently thrown back!
"Stop!!"
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
Shouts came almost simultaneously from three directions. Admirals Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru had arrived, belatedly.
"Restrain Garp, now!" Sengoku roared, swinging his giant palm and closing in.
The three Admirals hurriedly followed suit.
Impel Down
The world's greatest prison, reputed to be impregnable. Those imprisoned here were all heinous criminals and pirates. The place was crawling with monstrous guards and surveillance Den Den Mushi. Since its construction, aside from the "Flying Pirate" Shiki, no one had ever escaped alive.
Due to Ace's presence, security at Impel Down had been exceptionally tight these past few days, with alert levels maxed out.
Impel Down, Level 4: Blazing Hell... The Restroom.
Warden Magellan had a headache. On a normal day, the side effects of his Doku Doku no Mi (Venom-Venom Fruit) meant he spent nearly ten hours a day suffering from diarrhea. These last few days, he'd been run off his feet with the Ace situation. And now, the Pirate Empress had to choose this exact time to want to visit Ace. He couldn't fathom what she was really thinking.
Gurgle... Gurgle...
Gurgle... Gurgle...
His stomach churned again. Unable to figure out Hancock's motives, Magellan could only focus on the task at hand.
Blazing Hell, Break Room.
"Mmm~~~"
Sadi, the Chief Guard, with her head of curly hair, wearing a peach-colored, midriff-baring leather catsuit and flared leather pants, let out a pleasurable moan. She had just finished her day's work, having whipped a dozen pirates until they howled. As a sadistic dominatrix, Sadi felt an extraordinary thrill, an exciting tremor she couldn't extricate herself from, whenever she heard the prisoners' screams.
Her burning gaze was fixed on several bounty posters on the table, her slender fingers tapping the surface rhythmically.
"Leo~"
Looking at the photo of Leo, Sadi felt her entire body tingle with anticipation. Although they spent most of their time in Impel Down with little outside contact, Marine Headquarters sent newspapers to the prison promptly, allowing them to keep up with outside events.
Sadi had taken notice of Leo a long time ago. At first, she hadn't paid him much mind. But after Leo killed Crocodile, destroyed Enies Lobby, and kidnapped a Celestial Dragon, Sadi found herself thinking about him more and more.
Don't misunderstand. Sadi hadn't fallen for Leo. Rather, she couldn't resist the urge to break him, to lay her whip fiercely across his body and hear his agonized wails. Sadi was certain that Leo's screams would be the most exquisite sound in the world. Only by taming a pirate of Leo's caliber could the S-side of her nature achieve its ultimate satisfaction.
"Mmm~~"
Looking at the photo before her, Sadi's eyes grew hazy, and she couldn't help but lick her crimson lips.
"Leo... when will you finally fall into my hands?!"
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T/N :
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