Creak—
At that moment,a slender, coldly elegant green-haired girl pushed open the door from the other side.
Her icy gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Cavendish.
Monet instinctively frowned, said nothing, and walked away.
Cavendish: "..."
He felt as though he'd just been wounded—emotionally.
Hmph!Once these cursed bandages come off, those three ladies will definitely change their attitude toward him!Fuming, Cavendish turned and sulked back to his room, curling up in a corner under Ren's bewildered gaze.
Until the day he could remove these bandages, Cavendish resolved to stay put.
Only then could the "White Horse Prince" be separated from this "Mummy Monster."
This guy's... kind of interesting, Ren thought, shaking his head as he walked toward the deck.
Just then—
The Weather Ship was descending, revealing the outline of an island below.
The island itself wasn't special. What was special was the one waiting there.
Ren activated his Clairvoyance, emerald light spilling across the land.
Through the glow, a gentle giant looked up—Kuma lifted one hand, and a bubble drifted toward the Weather Ship.
The bubble burst, carrying a calm greeting.
"It's been a while, Ren."
"It's been a while, Kuma."
Ren replied softly, his expression faintly complicated.
Kuma's presence here was, of course, no coincidence—it was all part of Ren's arrangement.
Their next destination was... unusual. Without Kuma's powers, the journey would waste precious time.
And the longer it took, the greater the risk of unforeseen complications.
But first—
They needed to wait.
Wait for Stussy's report.
Ren's first order after releasing Stussy had been clear: find the exact location of the Golden Emperor and send the coordinates.
As the Weather Ship landed, Ren's crew began to disembark.
Vivi entered the jungle to hunt for food, while Nojiko built a fire to cook.
Because of the Weather Ship's bubble-based flight, open flames weren't possible midair—the fluctuating temperature could destabilize the vessel.
So, during flight, they'd mostly subsisted on biscuits and preserved snacks.
Now that they were on solid ground, they naturally craved something warm.
Sas busied himself with checking the ship's systems, ensuring no issues arose.
Ren, meanwhile, sat down with Kuma.
And when Cavendish noticed they'd reached land—and more importantly, that one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea stood before them—
He abandoned his corner sulking instantly.
Right now,his eyes burned with fervor as he stared at Kuma as though gazing upon a wild beast to be conquered.
"You're one of the Seven Warlords—the Tyrant, Bartholomew Kuma, right?"
…Bro, are you trying to die?
Ren's expression turned strange. Even he wouldn't dare claim he could fight Kuma head-on and live.
And here was a man who couldn't even defeat Vice Admiral Onigumo, acting like he could challenge Kuma?
"Your friend?"
Kuma turned his reflective eyes toward Ren, curiosity in his calm gaze.
"No. Just someone I picked up. Probably froze his brain and now thinks he can make a name for himself by fighting you," Ren shrugged. "There's a chance he might join my crew someday, but not yet.
If he causes trouble, you can kill him—I won't mind."
"Hey, hey, don't make it sound like I'm about to get killed for no reason!"
Cavendish whirled around indignantly. "I've fought an Admiral before! And if you can defeat a Warlord, why can't I?
Relax, I won't kill him—he's your friend, right? You're my benefactor, after all. I wouldn't do something so heartless."
He then turned to Kuma with a provocative glare. "So, how about a spar, big guy?"
"You're badly injured."
Kuma ignored the provocation, lifting his massive hand and tapping Cavendish lightly.
In an instant,
a dark red paw-shaped bubble emerged from Cavendish's back and floated into the air.
"You bastard, sneak atta—huh?"
Cavendish jumped back in alarm, but then suddenly felt… lighter.
It was as if the pain and exhaustion clogging his body had been expelled.
"This…"
He stared, dumbfounded.
"The Paw-Paw Fruit's ability, huh? Remarkable," Ren said quietly. "It can even push out fatigue and pain."
"Just as they said—you know quite a lot," Kuma remarked calmly, lowering himself to sit across from Ren. His mirrored glasses gleamed. "Then, tell me—what was Bonney's fate?"
"…Strange question," Ren replied with a wry smile. "Do you people think I'm a prophet?"
"First, I must apologize," Kuma said solemnly. "Whether it was them or myself, our investigation into you was conducted in secret.
So—please forgive me."
To Ren's surprise, Kuma bent forward deeply, lowering his head in a dogeza bow.
Then he straightened, voice steady. "As compensation—
While I still possess my will, no matter where you wish to go, I will help you."
That promise—
Might sound ordinary, but paired with the Paw-Paw Fruit, it meant something extraordinary.
Its unmatched mobility was nearly revolutionary in a world still bound by wind and sea.
But there was a catch.
"While I still have my will."
So... the full modification was about to begin, huh? Offering this as an apology—so you're still worried about Bonney.
Such a good father… but perhaps too rigid in thought.
Ren gave a faint nod, instantly piecing together Kuma's intent.
Kuma continued,
"After looking into you, we discovered too many things that defy explanation.
But when one accounts for the power of a Devil Fruit, everything starts to make sense.
Prophetic insight, knowledge of forgotten texts—whatever it may be—it can all be explained by such a power.
So, even if you could see the future, it wouldn't be impossible.
Devil Fruits are rare, but given this world's scale, there's always someone who manifests an extraordinary ability.
If you can glimpse the future, I want to know Bonney's fate."
"…"
Ren fell silent, unsure how to answer.
Because he didn't know.
As a transmigrant, he'd watched One Piece and knew many things that should've been top secret—
—but not everything.
For instance, the full story between Kuma and Bonney.
The bits revealed on Egghead Island showed Bonney was Kuma's daughter, and the two shared a deep bond.
From her own words, she'd suffered from a terrible illness in childhood, one only cured after a long struggle—the final treatment completed in the Sorbet Kingdom.
She'd been held "for treatment" by a government medical team but ultimately escaped thanks to someone close to her.
Receiving no word from her father for years, she'd set sail as a pirate to search for him.
As for the Revolutionary Army's stance—
Belo Betty had once confirmed that Kuma's appointment as a Warlord wasn't part of their plan.
He hadn't become one for the Revolution. He'd simply used the position to help them when possible.
Putting all these pieces together, Ren could reconstruct the story:
Bonney had an incurable disease. Kuma traveled the world seeking a cure but found none.
Then he encountered Vegapunk—perhaps through the World Government itself.
In exchange for Bonney's cure, Kuma agreed to become the clone base for the Pacifista project, eventually surrendering his consciousness to become Unit 0.
That was the original timeline's course.
As for why he still hadn't changed even after Bonney regained her freedom—
The answer was obvious: either the Government still held leverage, or there was some hidden failsafe within Bonney herself.
Of course, that was only Ren's deduction—he hadn't seen that part firsthand.
At present, Kuma was likely in the brief window before his total conversion.
Unable to let go of his daughter, he sought out Ren—believing him capable of foreseeing the future—to learn Bonney's fate.
At that point,Cavendish's noisy chatter finally died down, silenced by the oppressive atmosphere.
Scowling, he looked between the two serious men and muttered, "Hey, could you two at least acknowledge me? I'm a Supernova with a hundred-million bounty, you know!"
Ren ignored him.
But Kuma turned, meeting Cavendish's eyes.
"Are you still in pain?"
"No…"
"Good."
"Uh… thanks."
Cavendish blinked, bewildered.
Wait, wasn't this guy supposed to be a tyrant? Aren't tyrants supposed to be arrogant and ruthless?Why was he acting like such a gentle giant?
Damn it—how was he supposed to fight someone like this?
"...If you really wish to challenge me," Kuma said sincerely, "then first, heal yourself.
Your injuries are severe—left by someone very strong.
Even my ability can't remove all the damage. But eat well, and you'll recover soon."
"O-oh… thanks," Cavendish mumbled, scratching his head—then darkened again.
Was this really the infamous Tyrant Kuma?!
He glanced at Ren, hoping for an answer.
But Ren merely blinked, returning to himself and ignoring Cavendish completely.
Facing Kuma, he finally said, "There's no answer yet. But someday, maybe."
"I can wait."
Kuma's massive fist tightened slightly, trembling with restrained emotion.
"But before that… tell me—what is the threat they hold over you?"
"If I break my promise," Kuma replied calmly, "they'll hunt both Bonney and me to the ends of the earth… and turn us into slaves."
(End of Chapter)