"Anyway, that concludes today's meeting."
After what felt like ages, Dragon wearily announced the meeting's end.
The other officers unanimously agreed.
With so many trivial matters piling up, even Michael felt mentally drained.
Sometimes, having near-limitless stamina wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
This state of peak physical condition coupled with mental exhaustion... was truly uncomfortable.
He was about to call over Jack and Yamato when he noticed the two had already fallen asleep in the back.
Their identical sleeping postures, both with horns on their heads—anyone might mistake them for siblings.
Just as Michael stood up to wake them...
He noticed the chair beside him wobbling unsteadily...
Then floating upward.
Suddenly, his Revolutionary Army paperwork-clogged brain kicked into gear.
Bonney, who'd been sitting in his lap earlier, was gone!
The food was all eaten!
Which meant...
The little girl had gone foraging for snacks!
His gaze instinctively shot to the Float-Float Fruit he'd left nearby...
The rainbow-hued durian-shaped Devil Fruit was now just an empty shell on the floor.
And Bonney was nowhere to be seen.
"Wait, where's Bonney?"
The moment Michael spoke, others noticed too...
Because objects around them had begun levitating midair.
After a frantic search, they found Bonney under the conference table, munching snacks while flipping through a picture book.
Every now and then, she'd giggle with the exact same laugh as Ginny.
Seeing the child hadn't wandered off, Michael sighed in relief.
Then he looked up at Ginny, who wore a slightly panicked expression.
"You and Kuma are in for it with this one!" He crouched down and called out.
"Bonney! The meeting's over! Come on out!"
Hearing this, Bonney whipped her head around and cheerfully scampered out, clutching her snacks and book...
Yes, scampered.
After all, she was just a knee-high toddler.
"Uncle Michael! You're finally done!"
"Tell me, did you eat something really yucky earlier?"
"Σ(°△°|||)︴ Huh? How did you know?!" Bonney's face was the picture of shock.
"Uncle knows everything! And Uncle also knows you still haven't eaten your fill!" Michael rubbed little Bonney's head.
"Tell me, after eating it, did you notice any changes in your body?"
"Changes..." Bonney looked slightly confused at Michael's words.
"Bonney is a floaty person... what does floaty person mean?"
"It means... from now on, you'll need to train hard with the power you've gained. That way, you can help Uncle and your parents."
"Why am I, her mother, being mentioned after you?" Ginny grumbled as she snatched Bonney from Michael's arms.
"You little rascal, don't you think about what you should or shouldn't eat!?"
"Now, now, what does a child know?"
"But this was the precious Float-Float Fruit!" Ginny looked up. "It could have immediately boosted the Revolutionary Army's combat power..."
Michael waved his hand dismissively.
Never mind how much other Revolutionary Army members could develop the fruit's abilities.
The main point was that the Revolutionary Army currently didn't lack one more uncertain new fighter.
Instead, letting young Bonney eat the Float-Float Fruit was a good thing.
After all... Bonney was now firmly among the top three in natural talent.
In the original story, when she had a bounty of 140 million Berries, becoming one of the eleven Supernovas known as the "Worst Generation," she was only ten years old.
And two years later, entering the New World at just twelve, she already had a bounty of 320 million Berries.
Aside from her setback against Blackbeard...
She basically won every fight.
She even directly participated in battles against the Five Elders—and wasn't just there for show.
Though there were serious doubts about whether Oda remembered Bonney was a twelve-year-old girl...
But given her actual feats and performance, it proved Bonney truly had that level of talent.
Originally, Michael had considered whether to let Ace or Sabo eat the Float-Float Fruit...
But compared to Bonney...
At twelve, they were still wrestling tigers in the mountains.
And from the original story's portrayal, Bonney's combat strength mainly came from her fruit development.
Her Haki might have been limited due to her age—present, but not much.
"You might not realize it, but Bonney... is absolutely a one-in-a-million genius." Michael shook his head, looking at Ginny's disbelieving face.
"Don't doubt me—I'd even bet on this."
"No need for bets..." Ginny sighed, then turned to Bonney. "In that case, starting today, you'll begin training to become a proper warrior!"
Seeing the fire in Ginny's eyes, Michael Shuzoddered slightly and leaned toward Dragon, whispering:
"I never realized Ginny was such a tiger mom..."
"As a mother, it's natural to worry about whether your child can survive in this vast ocean," Dragon said, shaking his head.
"After all... she was born into this world."
"So, the goal of our Revolutionary Army is to ensure that all mothers across the seas no longer have to worry about their children living in constant peril..." Michael's tone grew solemn.
"However... Bonney should really be put through her paces by Ginny... Eating so much as a child, she might as well work it off through training."
"To be honest, while Bonney's appetite seems inherited from Ginny... it's quite similar to Luffy's."
Michael glanced at Dragon with a knowing smile.
Of course it's similar!
Because in the One Piece World, such a voracious appetite is the ultimate manifestation of innate talent...
Representing the natural mastery of Life Return.
No matter how severe the injury, as long as they gorge themselves and get a good night's sleep, they'll recover almost completely.
"But... judging by your words, you've visited Luffy quite often, haven't you?" Michael raised an eyebrow.
"You're really bold... Luffy isn't in Windmill Village but at Marine Headquarters."
"Yet at the same time, no one would ever expect the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon, to appear directly at Marine Headquarters... What's that called again?"
"...Hiding in plain sight."
"Exactly, hiding in plain sight... Though it's not always perfect. I've been caught by the old man a few times."
"...No wonder the tattoos on your face have darkened a bit."
"Can we not talk about that?"
Dragon turned to Michael with a strained smile.
"Let's stay good friends and drop the subject."