Punk Hazard – Vegapunk's Laboratory
After two days of recovery and conditioning in the nutrient pod, Bonney finally awoke. The tall medical pod opened slowly, a faint white mist escaping from the gap. The glow of the nutrient fluid illuminated her pink hair, which was half-dry and stuck to her rosy cheeks as she groggily opened her eyes.
"Ngh... Daddy Kuma?" Before she could even sit up, a massive figure rushed forward.
Kuma leaned down and, with trembling arms, lifted her into his embrace. His face, usually as steady as a mountain, was now red-eyed, his voice choked with emotion. "Bonney... thank goodness... you're finally awake..."
Vegapunk stood nearby, a tablet in his hand still scrolling with vital signs. His tone was as calm as ever, but held an undeniable hint of relief. "The spread of the toxin in her body has been suppressed. Now we just have to wait for the cloned stem cell tissue to mature, and then we can proceed with the transplant surgery."
As if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Kuma looked down at the little girl in his arms, tears streaming down his face and dripping onto her shoulder. "Thank you... thank you so much, Doctor..."
Bonney raised her small hand, looking both confused and concerned, and tried to wipe away Kuma's tears. "Why is Daddy Kuma crying...?" she said in her little voice. "Don't cry~ Bonney is all better now!"
Kuma laughed through his tears, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "These are happy tears, sweetie."
Roy, leaning against a piece of equipment nearby, smiled without a word. He walked over to Vegapunk and whispered with a sly grin, "Doctor~ Didn't I solve your little problem quite elegantly?"
Vegapunk shot him a look and snorted. "Cut the crap. You think I don't know what kind of scheme you're cooking up, you brat?"
"Hey, Doctor, that's hurtful~"
"...Shut up and follow me." Vegapunk threw out the words and turned, heading deeper into the lab.
Roy's eyes lit up, and he immediately followed. They passed through several encrypted doors and finally stopped in front of a high-security storage chamber. Inside a massive transparent glass container floated a dreamlike Devil Fruit.
—The Artificial Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Azure Dragon (Pink Version)!
Compared to the original eaten by Kaido, this fruit was a soft, warm pink. Its spiral patterns flowed with a biological luster, as if containing some unawakened power.
Vegapunk entered a command, and the barrier field slowly deactivated. The temperature in the room seemed to drop a degree. He carefully took out the fruit and handed it to Roy. "I will report to the World Government that it has been destroyed, and its serial number has been erased from the records. What you now hold is a 'non-existent failure'."
Roy took it with both hands, his eyes deep, excitement bubbling just beneath the surface. "Doctor, this fruit... its fidelity is even more perfect than I imagined!"
Vegapunk coolly pushed up his glasses. "Of course. Who do you think I am? After twenty years of research, how could it be a failure? I just needed an excuse to keep it, just in case."
Roy played with the pink dragon fruit, his eyes shining with ambition. "Kaido is incredibly strong, but there's no denying the help and enhancement the Azure Dragon Fruit gave him! This fruit, aside from its color, has the same potential."
Vegapunk paused, looking suspicious. "Who do you plan to give it to? A Mythical Zoan of this caliber is not something an ordinary person can handle."
Roy didn't answer, just smiled mysteriously. "Don't worry, I already have someone in mind. He will become the Navy's future 'Destroying Heavenly Dragon'!"
Vegapunk was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head helplessly. "That's something only a brat like you would do..." Looking at Roy's ambitious, scheming eyes, he couldn't help but mutter, "You're even more cunning than those old foxes at the top..."
Roy toyed with the pink dragon fruit, as if already picturing a great storm in his mind. It would belong to the "Navy's Strongest Dragon King"—the dragon piece was placed on the board.
The air still smelled of disinfectant and cold metal, but the hall was filled with the sound of cheerful laughter. Bonney was fully recovered and sitting on Kuma's broad shoulders, swinging her little pink legs, her face radiating a "look at me, I'm back!" energy.
"Wow—it's so high up, Daddy Kuma!" she giggled, her small hands tightly gripping Kuma's hair. Kuma carefully supported her, a long-absent gentle smile on his face.
Roy walked over, holding a shiny piece of fruit candy, and held it up to Bonney with a grin. "Bonney, this is for you. A reward for being so brave."
Bonney's eyes instantly lit up, sparkling like two little stars. "Wow—is it strawberry flavored?"
"Of course. I swiped it from the Doctor's private stash," Roy winked.
"Thank you, big brother Roy!" Bonney happily took the candy, quickly unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth, her eyes closing in bliss.
Kuma watched this, his eyes filled with gratitude. "This time... I really owe you," he said in a low voice.
"Don't mention it," Roy replied, patting his sturdy arm, his tone light but serious. "We're comrades, aren't we?" He paused, his tone shifting. "So... what are your plans now?"
Kuma looked out at the swirling mist beyond the window, his gaze as steady as rock. "I will proceed as planned. I'll operate as a Warlord of the Sea, carrying out the World Government's orders to fight criminals, which will also provide cover for the Doctor and Bonney."
Roy nodded. "Good. Bonney will stay here for now, under the Doctor's full care. It's safer here than anywhere else. Once the surgery is complete, you can return to the Sorbet Kingdom together."
Kuma gently lifted his daughter from his shoulders and knelt before her, carefully cupping her small face. "Bonney, Daddy has to leave for a while to take care of something very important."
Though young, Bonney seemed to sense the gravity in her father's words. She didn't cry, but simply looked up and held out her pinky finger. "Then let's make a pinky promise," she said seriously. "You have to come back and get me!"
Kuma froze for a second, then his eyes grew warm. He extended his own finger and solemnly touched it to Bonney's. "Yes, a pinky promise—I'll keep my word." After they hooked fingers, the little girl pressed their hands to her heart and smiled secretly.
Vegapunk cleared his throat. "Hey, Roy, shouldn't you be heading back?"
"Of course." Roy grinned and turned towards the storage room exit. He took out the specially wrapped artificial Devil Fruit from its container—the Artificial Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Azure Dragon (Pink Version). The pink fruit glowed faintly under the lights, like a sleeping power.
He looked up at the two behind him. "I'm counting on you with Bonney, Dr. Vegapunk. Don't get too lost in your research; taking care of a child is important too!"
Vegapunk snorted. "This doctor can invent all sorts of things. Taking care of one little girl will be a piece of cake."
Kuma gave a solemn nod. "Roy, go and do what you need to do."
Roy smiled faintly, and his figure began to fade, dissolving into a swirling afterimage before disappearing from the lab completely. He was returning to Marineford, and the "dragon" in his hand would ignite a new power for the Navy.
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