Chapter 199: An Unexpected Contingency, Guests from the East Blue
The heavy metal door closed with a deafening BANG!
Completely isolating the heart-rending screams inside the research lab behind the cold steel.
"AAAAHHH—!! ROY!! VEGAPUNK!!! YOU'LL BOTH ROT IN HELL—!!!"
Teach's roar echoed down the hallway like a venomous snake, mixed with fear, unwillingness, and rage. It was sharp and piercing, like the death cry of a wild beast.
But Roy didn't stop. His expression was cold, casting a straight shadow under the hallway lights.
Kuma walked silently behind him. It wasn't until they stepped out of the research facility that he spoke in a low voice, heavy with rare gravity:
"...I'm sorry, Roy."
"I tried my best to utilize the Paw-Paw Fruit's ability... but when I touched the depths of his memory, I encountered an extremely powerful mental barrier."
"Not only was I unable to repel his memories, but it almost backfired on me, nearly destabilizing the core structure of my ability."
Speaking of this, Kuma's tone carried a rare hint of hesitation.
"That will... seemed to carry a highly aggressive 'mental imprint'."
Roy nodded slightly, showing no surprise. He whispered, "Just as I thought."
"It's likely a mental defense line laid by Rocks D. Xebec deep within him long ago... a residual will constructed with Conqueror's Haki as the core."
He paused, his tone turning cold. "That guy... calculated long ago that someone would try to 'find answers from his descendants'."
"Worthy of the man who made Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom bow to him."
"Decades have passed, yet he can still influence the world from the shadows."
Wind blew from the facility's high platform, lifting the cloak on his shoulders and a few strands of his black hair.
"...Rocks, just how many contingencies did you leave behind?"
Moments later, he retracted his gaze, looking toward the rolling clouds on the horizon.
"It seems we can only pin our hopes on Vegapunk now."
Just then, a burst of laughter and noise from the distance broke their contemplation.
"Sentomaru, hurry up!! I want to see the Jet Octopus!!"
"You annoying brat!! Sit properly!! You're squashing my head!!"
Roy looked up to see Sentomaru walking over with an impatient look, carrying a pink-haired little girl on his head.
The child was looking around cheerfully, making a "V" sign at the sky, her face full of carefree joy.
"...Bonney?" Roy raised an eyebrow.
"WAAAH! BIG BROTHER ROY!!!"
Bonney recognized Roy instantly, her eyes lighting up! The next second, she leaped from Sentomaru's head, spreading her arms and diving toward him.
"Eh?! Brat, don't jump around!!!" Sentomaru paled in shock, rushing to catch her.
"POOF!"
In mid-air, Bonney's body changed rapidly!
Silvery-white hair flowed down, skin wrinkled, back hunched like a bow. She instantly turned into a tiny, eighty-year-old lady!
"...?!!" Roy's pupils contracted, and he instinctively caught her steadily!
"Hahaha~ Scared you!" Bonney laughed back and forth in his palm. With a POOF the next second, she turned back into a six-year-old, hugging Roy's neck energetically.
"Oi, oi, oi... what is with this brat?"
Sentomaru facepalmed, muttering, "Playing face-changing with me every day. Is she specifically trying to mess with me?"
Kuma explained gently from the side, "Once when I was out on a mission, I came back to find she had eaten a Devil Fruit without anyone noticing..."
"Age-Age Fruit, huh..." Roy looked down at Bonney, his gaze complex.
The little girl looked up at him, pink hair flying, big eyes innocent and harmless.
"Hehe~" Bonney stuck out her tongue. "I like turning into a baby the most; everyone gives me candy~"
"Don't jump around," Roy said helplessly, rubbing her head.
"Okay~" She blinked mischievously.
Sentomaru sighed, turning to leave while complaining, "You guys are so casual with kids... always dumping them on me."
Kuma watched Bonney quietly, his gaze gentle as the sea breeze.
Roy was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked in a low voice, "...Does she know?"
Kuma shook his head gently.
"She's still too young."
"It's better not to tell her about her mother... for now."
Roy nodded slightly, an indescribable emotion flashing in his eyes.
Punk Hazard · Port
The sea breeze whipped, gray clouds hanging low.
Roy stood on the deck of the warship, his military coat flapping in the wind, gazing quietly into the distance.
Research on Teach wouldn't be finished anytime soon, so Roy decided to leave him with Vegapunk for now.
Just then—
Purupurupuru—!
The Den Den Mushi in his coat rang suddenly, its two eyeballs shaking, tone urgent.
Roy looked down at the caller ID, raising an eyebrow slightly with a half-smile.
"Oh? Smoker?"
"Actually taking the initiative to contact me?"
He took out the snail with one hand and pressed the answer button with the other, his tone rare with teasing:
"Oi~ Smoker, why are you so free today? Miss me?"
"—BASTARD!!!"
The Den Den Mushi instantly morphed into Smoker's likeness, two thick cigars in its mouth, face full of anger.
"Roy, you bastard! Don't treat me like a newbie village chief!!!"
"This isn't a 'reception desk' for your brat-collecting habit!"
"???"
Roy paused, then laughed out loud. "Hah? What's with this inexplicable anger?"
From the other side of the line came Tashigi's voice, trying to dissuade him in a low voice. "Captain, please calm down..."
Then, she brought the receiver closer to herself, sounding a bit troubled. "Apologies, Vice Admiral Roy. Captain Smoker has indeed been a bit stressed lately..."
"It's like this. This morning, two boys suddenly appeared at the gate of the Loguetown base, saying... they were looking for you specifically."
"One... with a long nose, and one with yellow hair and curly eyebrows."
Hearing this, Roy narrowed his eyes slightly.
"...Long nose? Yellow hair and curly eyebrows?"
Two familiar figures quickly surfaced in his mind.
"Usopp... Sanji?"
On the other end, Smoker huffed, biting his cigars. "Looks like you really know these two brats."
"They said you told them 'come find me when you've thought it through'? You're really something, dumping recruitment on me too!"
Tashigi added, "They insisted it was 'Roy's personal instruction,' so we didn't dare turn them away."
"They're currently resting in the base's backyard."
Roy was silent for a moment, a faint look of relief and anticipation appearing in his eyes.
"...Those two kids really remembered what I said."
He looked up toward the direction of the East Blue, his gaze deepening in the sea breeze.
"Understood."
"Tell them to wait for me in Loguetown. I'm coming over immediately."
Hanging up, Roy looked at the undulating sea of clouds in the East, the corners of his lips slowly curling up:
"Those two brats... finally took that step?"
...
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