A Father Would Not Raise His Hand

When the bear's paw was aimed at Bonney, all sounds in the maintenance bay were reduced to a minimum.

Vegapunk stared at the screen.

"The agreement has taken over the right arm."

"The left arm still has some control."

Bonney stood behind S-Bear, tears still streaming down her face, but she didn't back down.

"Dad."

Look at me.

Sweat beaded on the bear's forehead.

"Don't come any closer."

Bonney shook her head.

I'm not going there.

"Don't go either."

The bear's right hand was still raised.

S-Bear spreads his arms wide.

"Protect, Bonney."

Sabo stood at the doorway, flames blocking the oncoming CP0 remnants.

"Doctor, how much longer!"

Vegapunk shouted.

"The backup Control Body must not be disassembled before it enters the maintenance area."

Kizaru's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

"It's already been brought."

At the end of the corridor, a flash of yellow light appeared.

Kizaru held the spare Control Body by the back of its collar with one hand and leaned against the wall with the other. He looked fine on the surface, but his breathing was erratic.

Kuzan and Smoker followed behind.

After the backup Control Body landed, it looked at the bear.

Its chest number was still lit up in red.

Vegapunk pointed to the control panel.

"Let it stand next to S-Bear."

Bonney crouched down and looked at the backup Control Body.

Can you understand me?

The backup Control Body did not respond.

S-Bear walked over and extended his hand.

"Protect."

The backup Control Body looked down at the hand.

Much later, it also raised its hand.

"Protect."

Vegapunk slammed the start button down.

[Protocol -Shared Burden Chain established.]

[Object: Bartholomew Bear (original form)]

[Object: S-Bear.]

[Object: Backup Control Body.]

[Bonney's access permissions.]

[Vegapunk deactivates the access program.]

The red line extends from the bear's right arm to the two small figures.

S-Bear swayed slightly.

The backup Control Body also lowered its head.

Bonney immediately reached out and pressed down on their shoulders.

Don't be afraid.

"This is not your fault."

Vegapunk stared at the screen, his fingers clicking repeatedly.

"First layer, motor nerve locking."

"Release."

The bear's right hand dropped slightly.

The White Mask agent was being trampled to the ground by Sabo, yet he was still laughing.

"There's a second layer."

Vegapunk gritted his teeth.

"I know."

[Second layer, taboo word response.]

[Keywords: Sun, Nika, Liberation, Buccaneer.]

The moment the Sky Screen revealed these words, the whole world fell silent once again.

Robin stared at the four words, his fingers gripping the pages of the book.

"They wrote their hopes into the list of forbidden words."

Luffy frowned as he looked at the name Nika.

Who is that?

Rayleigh glanced at him from the side but did not answer.

Nami asked.

"Mr. Rayleigh?"

Rayleigh shook his head.

"It's not time for me to say anything yet."

Sky Screen did not continue to explain Nika.

It only displays the protocol text.

[If the target spreads related vocabulary to the monitored individual, initiate physical restraint.]

[If suppression fails, initiate a crackdown.]

If the monitored object shows a tendency to inherit data, initiate garbage collection.

Bonney looked at the word "recycling".

"Recycle me?"

Vegapunk said.

"They've included you in the program too."

Xiong's face darkened.

"Tear it down."

Vegapunk shouted.

"Under demolition in progress."

"The second layer requires reverse confirmation."

Bonney asked.

How can I confirm this?

Vegapunk looked at her.

"You need to say it yourself: you are not being monitored."

You are an independent person.

Bonney looked up.

"It's that simple?"

Vegapunk shook his head.

The program will refute this.

It will use the terms and conditions to pressure you.

Bonney sneered.

"Then let it press down."

She placed her hand on the verification area.

My name is Jewelry Bonney.

"I am not the property of the World Government."

The console immediately displayed a message in red.

[Rebuttal: The treatment agreement includes a long-term monitoring clause.]

Bonney gritted her teeth.

"You tricked my dad into signing that."

[Rebuttal: Guardian Bartholomew Xiong has signed.]

The bear looks up.

I withdraw my statement.

[Rebuttal: The signatory has already physically delivered the document; lack of authorization.]

Vegapunk was sweating profusely with anxiety.

"This is a trap."

It does not acknowledge the bear's restored will.

Bonney turned to look at the bear.

"Dad."

The bear walked to the control panel, its right arm still wrapped in red thread.

My name is Bartholomew Bear.

"I am Bonney's father."

[Rebuttal: The target personality was previously determined to have been eliminated.]

The bear looked at the line of text.

"The judgment was incorrect."

[Rebuttal: World Government's decisions take priority.]

"That's what the bear said."

"Father's decision takes precedence."

The console froze for a moment.

Vegapunk's eyes lit up.

"Efficient."

"Continue."

The bear looked at Bonney.

"She is not a subject of surveillance under the agreement."

She is my daughter.

Bonney nodded vigorously.

"I am his daughter."

S-Bear also spoke up.

Bonney, my daughter.

The backup Control Body then repeats the process.

"Daughter."

The red text on the console started to malfunction.

[The person being monitored is my daughter.]

[Target of recycling: Daughter.]

[Conflict.]

[Conflict.]

Vegapunk shouted.

"The third floor is here."

[Third layer: Forcible severance of paternal affection]

Bonney's expression changed.

"Besides?"

Vegapunk stared at the line of text, his fingers pausing for a moment.

"Satan even wrote this down."

The third layer of protocols is simultaneously revealed on the Sky Screen.

[If paternal attachment causes mission failure, initiate the emotional severance procedure.]

[Remove the term of address: daughter.]

[Remove the term of address: Dad.]

[Remove protection priority.]

Bonney's face turned completely pale.

"No."

As Xiong looked at the words, anger flashed in his eyes for the first time.

He wanted to rob it again.

Vegapunk said.

"It must be covered with a stronger memory anchor before it is deleted."

Bonney asked immediately.

What anchor?

Vegapunk looked up at the Sky Screen.

"The letter that was just made public wasn't enough."

"We need the bear himself to say it now."

"Say things that aren't in the files, things that they can't pre-write into their countermeasures."

The White Mask agent looked up.

What could he possibly say?

"You've seen his entire past."

"You have all read his letter."

"Saint Saturn has already torn him apart."

The bear looked at Bonney.

"No."

Bonney looked at him.

The bear raised its left hand and pressed it against its chest.

"And now I want to say something."

The red countdown timer has only forty seconds left.

Vegapunk shouted.

"Quick!"

The bear looked at Bonney and spoke slowly.

Bonney.

I used to say, "I've already lived."

"That statement was wrong."

Bonney's tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

The bear continued.

"I just found out."

"As long as you're still calling me 'Dad,' I'm not finished living."

The red text in the console started shaking.

[No emotional quotes included.]

[Unable to archive.]

The bear took a step forward.

I want to watch you eat.

I want to see you sunbathing.

I want to see you scold me.

I wanted to make you a terrible cake.

I want to go to the beach with you.

"I'd like to hear where you want to go today."

Bonney cried and screamed.

I want you to live.

The bear nodded.

"I will live."

The red line is starting to break.

The White Mask agent finally stopped laughing.

"Impossible."

"That's just talk."

Vegapunk stared at the control panel.

"For a program, an unlisted option is a vulnerability."

"For a person, this is called living."

The bear looked at S-Bear and the backup Control Body.

"You too."

"You are not orders."

"You have a choice."

S-Bear raised his head.

"Choose, protect."

The backup Control Body looked at its own hands.

"Choose."

The red number on its chest dimmed slightly.

Vegapunk shouted.

"The Shared Burden Chain is stable."

"Third layer deactivated!"

At the same time, Golden Light descended from the Sky Screen.

[The Sun-Triggered Suppression Protocol has been successfully terminated.]

[Paternal Emotional Severance Program successfully.]

[The long-term surveillance clause for Bonney is deemed invalid.]

In the Holy Land, Saint Saturn's hand rested on the table.

A crack appeared on the desktop.

"Invalid?"

Sky Screen ignored him.

New judgments continue to be issued.

[Saint Saturn secretly implanted a hidden command; this is a confirmed fact.]

[The hostage agreement was carried out under the guise of medical treatment; this is a fact.]

[The fact that the father-daughter relationship was used to set up a secondary injury insurance policy has been established.]

[Punishment executed.]

Saint Saturn looked up.

The Five Elders changed color simultaneously.

[Punishment 1: Publicly reveal all of Saint Saturn's signature pages in the Bear Transformation Project.]

[Penalty 2: Mark all similar hidden commands that are still running.]

[Punishment Three: Grant Bartholomew Xiong the Reverse Accountability Questioning Right.]

Inside the maintenance cabin, Xiong looked up at the Sky Screen.

Bonney grabbed his hand.

"Dad."

The bear lowered its head.

"Um."

Bonney said.

"Ask him."

Sabo also looked at the bear.

"Ask the most crucial one."

The dragon did not speak, but simply focused its gaze on the Sky Screen.

"Vegapunk said in a low voice."

"Bear."

"You can ask who authorized the Buccaneer Tribe to be experimented on."

Kizaru leaned against the wall.

"You could also ask, how exactly did Bonney get her illness?"

After she finished speaking, Bonney looked up.

The bear looked at Kizaru.

Kizaru shrugged.

"I just think that Saint Saturn's expression will be even uglier when he hears this question."

A notification appeared on the Sky Screen.

The Reverse Accountability Questioning Right has been activated.

[Bartholomew Bear, please ask your question.]

The whole world is waiting.

The bear looked at the Sky Screen, then at Bonney.

Bonney bit her lip.

"Ask me about my illness."

I want to know.

The bear remained silent for a long time.

Then he looked up.

"I asked."

What is the true origin of Sapphire Scales in Jewelry Bonney's body?

In the Holy Land, Saint Saturn stood up for the first time.

"Stop."

The Sky Screen shone with brilliant Golden Light.

[The question is valid.]

[Person in charge of the target: Saint Saturn]

[Countdown to Forced Answer: 10 seconds.]