Punk Hazard – Vegapunk's Laboratory
Deep within the lab, the atmosphere was heavy, the only sound the low hum of machinery.
Roy slowly turned his head to face Kuma, his expression suddenly serious, as if he had finally made a long-planned decision. "Temporarily withdraw from the Revolutionary Army. I'll explain things to Dragon."
As he spoke, both Vegapunk and Kuma turned to him, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Withdraw from the Revolutionary Army?" Vegapunk frowned, clearly not understanding. "What do you mean?"
"I said 'temporarily' withdraw. You need a new identity—one that's safe enough, powerful enough, and 'legal' enough." He walked up to Kuma and slowly uttered a few words. "A Warlord of the Sea."
The air seemed to freeze.
Kuma's eyes widened, his voice a low rumble. "You want me... to become a Warlord?"
"That's right," Roy nodded, his gaze firm. "This status will not only provide cover for your cooperation with Vegapunk but also give you legitimate support from the World Government." His tone was unhurried but struck like a heavy hammer. "If the old king of the Sorbet Kingdom ever tries to return and cause trouble, you can intervene as a Warlord and suppress him directly."
"More importantly," Roy paused, "this identity provides a reasonable justification for Bonney's treatment. Who would question a father bowing to the World Government to save his daughter?"
Vegapunk nodded thoughtfully beside him. "That is indeed the most stable approach... Under the guise of a Warlord, he can move freely and also protect our research here. Even if the outside world knows he's here with me, it will be understood as 'official business,' which better conceals our real activities."
Kuma didn't answer immediately. He looked down at Bonney sleeping on the examination table, her features still so young, her breathing steady. She was his greatest weakness and his greatest strength.
After a long while, he spoke in a low voice. "I don't care about status, nor do I care what the world thinks of me." He sighed, his voice like a falling rock. "But if this status can help Bonney live, and allow me to stay by her side and watch her grow up..." He looked up at Roy, his gaze as steady as a mountain. "Then we'll do it your way."
Amidst the cold metal and flickering data, there was no ceremony, no oath. Just three men from different walks of life, each bearing a heavy conviction, making a decision that would shake the future.
A father named Kuma.
A secretive Navy strategist.
A scientific monster beyond his time.
In this laboratory, isolated from the world, a Warlord born "in the name of his daughter" quietly came into being.
The Next Day – Holy Land, Mary Geoise
In the grand and solemn "Room of Authority," under a misty sky, the Five Elders gathered at a long table. Morning light refracted through the glass dome, falling upon an urgently submitted document. On its cover, the signature was clear: "Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Roy."
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn was the first to speak, his voice steady and probing. "After the pirate suppression operation in the South Blue, Roy submitted a special recommendation to us... He proposes to fill the vacant Warlord position with... 'Bartholomew Kuma'!" As he slowly spoke the name, the atmosphere in the room tensed slightly.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter squinted, flipping through the file, his tone hesitant. "User of the Paw-Paw Fruit, combat ability assessed at 'Special S-Class,' lives in the 'Lawless Zone' of the Sorbet Kingdom... frequently relieves the pain and injuries of the common folk?"
"He does indeed have an extreme attitude towards 'pirates,' or more accurately, towards anyone who bullies the weak," Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro added, flipping through the intelligence. "He's driven out armed groups and suppressed black market smuggling, yet leaves no trace of personal gain. There's no sign of selfish desire at all."
Saint Topman Warcury snorted. "If Roy says his 'strength can be trusted,' it means this man would be a beast if he became an enemy."
Saint Marcus Mars slowly put down his file, tapping the table with his finger, and chuckled with a hint of sarcasm. "The Sorbet Kingdom... that bizarre country that pays half its Heavenly Tribute and lets the other half run wild?"
"That's the one," Saint Saturn confirmed. "To continue paying their tribute, they designated half their country as a 'Lawless Zone' to fend for itself. He lives there."
Saint Ju Peter turned to an appendix, his brow twitching. "According to the investigation, Kuma's reason for applying to be a Warlord is to get government support to treat his daughter's 'Sapphire Scale' disease..."
"So it's that disease from back then?" Saint Nusjuro mused. "But this way, he has a weakness, and his objective is clear. He won't easily cross the line."
Saint Mars nodded slowly, his eyes thoughtful. "He has a weakness, a motive, and is powerful enough... This is the most qualified candidate for a Warlord."
"A powerful man who can be controlled by name and won't cause trouble," Saint Warcury sighed. "Roy's judgment in choosing people is not to be underestimated."
"It's almost like... he's a clever Garp," Saint Ju Peter muttered, his tone not of blame, but of complex admiration.
A brief silence fell over the room as the five exchanged glances.
Finally, Saint Saturn looked around and nodded slowly. "It can be approved."
Saint Peter took over, his voice calm. "Allow him to join the Warlords and authorize Vegapunk to provide medical intervention for his daughter."
"On the condition that he is monitored at all times, and his movements never leave our control," Saint Nusjuro added coldly.
"Nominally, he will be a military power who 'exchanged his daughter's illness for government support'," Saint Mars concluded. "If he disobeys, he can be stripped of his title at any time."
"Agreed." The five low voices overlapped, sealing the decision.
The order was sealed in a crimson-gold scroll, marked with the authority of a "Special Emergency Appointment," and sent to Marine Headquarters and government branches at top speed. The world was unaware that a new piece had been placed on the Warlord chessboard. But this time, it was not the beginning of an ambition, but a father's lonely, silent gamble to protect his daughter.
Meanwhile, in the lab on Punk Hazard, Roy and Kuma stood silently before a glass pod. Inside, little Bonney slept peacefully. Vegapunk stood nearby, checking the data. "The virus's active phase has been suppressed. The inhibitors are working as expected. We just need to wait another thirteen days for the first-generation clone to be ready for the stem cell transplant. We'll aim to eradicate it completely before it can flare up."
Revolutionary Army Headquarters – Baltigo
The night wind whipped the red flag hanging on the cliff face. Below, the sea churned. Monkey D. Dragon stood alone by a window in the communications room, holding an encrypted message. It was a secret letter from Roy, brief but heavy with meaning: —"Bartholomew Kuma, to save his daughter from Sapphire Scale disease, has voluntarily withdrawn from the Revolutionary Army and, under my arrangement, joined the Warlords of the Sea."
Dragon was silent for a long time.
Behind him, other Revolutionary officers entered the room. Seeing the letter in Dragon's hand, their expressions changed.
"What... Kuma joined the Warlords?!" Morley's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Was he forced? Threatened?" Belo Betty gripped her flag pole, her eyes sharp as blades.
"Or... did he betray us?" Lindbergh's tone was more self-doubting than accusatory.
The atmosphere grew tense. But in the next second, the communications officer read the next line from the message aloud: "To cure his three-year-old daughter Bonney's illness, he had no other choice."
Everyone fell silent.
"...So it was for Bonney," Hack said softly, his voice full of sympathy.
"That guy..." Belo Betty's eyes reddened slightly, a bitter smile on her face. "That's just the kind of person he is. Unbelievably gentle."
Lindbergh sat back down, muttering, "I can just picture the look on his face, both pained and determined."
"We have to trust him. After all, he's 'Bartholomew Kuma'."
The mood gradually softened as trust was re-established in the silence.
Dragon gently placed the message on the table and turned to look out at the endless sea of stars. The wind ruffled his black cloak. His expression was as stern as ever, but held a rare contemplative look.
He muttered to himself, his voice low, "Roy... since this was your arrangement, then I trust he will be fine."
Outside, the stars shone brightly, and the night was silent.
-------
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