Azure Jade Scales!

"Wow! Another me!"

Jewelry Bonney's eyes lit up as she looked at the lifelike Clay Doll that appeared in Storm's hand.

She struggled out of Bear's embrace, her short legs carrying her pattering to the front of Storm.

"Can I see her?"

Jewelry Bonney stood before Storm, tilting her face up and looking at him with pleading puppy-dog eyes.

"Here you go."

Storm casually handed the "Clay Doll Bonney" to the real Bonney.

Ever since gaining the ability of the [Nine-Tails Fox Fruit].

Storm could perfectly replicate the appearance of any target he touched.

The wondrous ability of the [Nine-Tails Fox Fruit], "Illusionary Form."

Paired with Storm's original [Clay Fruit].

It allowed him to effortlessly create Clay Dolls of any creature he came into contact with.

Such as the "Clay Doll Bonney" at this moment.

"Wow!"

Little Bonney hugged her Clay Doll with both hands and couldn't help but spin around, so happy she was a little disoriented.

But just then, another sentence Storm had just spoken flashed through her little mind, and she couldn't help but ask.

"Um, what is a 'Terminal Illness'?"

"Bonney! Don't ask!"

Bear, having recovered from the immense mental shock, immediately shouted to stop her the moment he heard his daughter's question.

Bonney was young and didn't know the meaning of "Terminal Illness."

But how could Bear not?

He looked at Storm again, his expression both humble and pleading, and said.

"No! Don't say it!"

Storm glanced indifferently at Bear, ignoring the "father's" plight.

He crouched down, bringing his eye level roughly to Bonney's, and then explained in a calm tone.

"A 'Terminal Illness' is a disease that, once contracted by an ordinary person, will inevitably lead to death."

Storm extended his index finger and gently tapped the crystal-clear gems on the "Clay Doll Bonney's" face.

"As far as I know, the real name of the disease you currently have is--"

"Azure Jade Scales."

Storm had noticed it as soon as he entered the church.

On Jewelry Bonney's fair and tender face, there were several irregularly shaped, scale-like hardened scars.

Under the dim light inside the church.

The scars on Jewelry Bonney's face sparkled like blue gems.

Perhaps this was the true origin of her name.

Bonney was her given name.

And "Jewelry," as her surname, truly meant "jewels."

(In the pirate world, the surname comes first, then the given name)

It had to be said.

Bear had put a lot of thought into giving Bonney the surname "Jewelry."

After all…

As far as Storm knew.

Bonney was not Bear's biological daughter, but his "adopted daughter."

And that was another very long story…

Storm's mind couldn't help but drift to Bear's life trajectory.

Over thirty years ago, Bear, then only 9 years old, participated in the God Valley incident as a slave…

Because of the Rocks Pirates' intrusion, Bear ate the [Nikyu Nikyu no Mi] in the chaos and escaped from God Valley…

Escaping the God Valley incident along with Bartholomew Bear were Ivankov, the Okama King, and--

Jewelry Bonney's birth mother, Ginny.

The relationship between Bear and Ginny could be described in one word: childhood sweethearts.

However, after escaping from God Valley, fate did not continue to favor the poor "Bear."

Bear spent over a decade with Ginny. Together, they participated in the Revolutionary Army and became its backbone.

Until...

Ginny was captured by the World Government during an event and was forced to become a Celestial Dragon's wife, later giving birth to Bonnie.

During her pregnancy with Bonnie, Ginny contracted "Azure Jade Scales." She was abandoned by the World Nobles and allowed to return to the sea.

Ginny endured immense hardship, returning from the Red Line to her homeland where she lived with Bear.

After leaving her daughter Bonnie, Ginny succumbed to the "Azure Jade Scales" illness, which had spread deep into her bones, and passed away.

And then.

Bear took custody of Bonnie.

How to put it?

As Storm recalled Bear's past, he found himself unable to look the man in the eye.

Because this was only the "first half" of Bear's life.

In the future, to cure Bonnie's stubborn "Azure Jade Scales," Bear would dedicate himself to the World Government.

He would trade his position as a Shichibukai and his own transformation into a robot for Bonnie's treatment plan.

Hmm...

Simply put.

It's the story of a wronged, honest man who took in his childhood sweetheart's illegitimate daughter, and then sold himself into slavery to a "player" to save his daughter's life.

Bear's life story.

Even within the entire "Explosive World," it's incredibly explosive.

That's why Storm had previously called him "Green Tyrant Bear" instead of "Tyrant Bear"...

How could such a life experience be described with just the word "tragic"?

And in Bear's life.

What was the saddest thing to Storm?

It wasn't that Bear never accepted Ginny's feelings;

It wasn't that Ginny gave birth to a Celestial Dragon's daughter;

It wasn't that the Revolutionary Army leader Monkey D. Dragon never paid attention to this so-called "Revolutionary comrade" from beginning to end;

It was that Bear had always been submissive!

Bear had never truly resisted even once!

Storm pitied his misfortune.

But he was even more angered by his lack of spirit!

"Azure Jade Scales."

When this nightmarish name reached Bear's ears again, his heart was filled with despair.

About a year ago.

Bear, after enduring countless hardships, finally found a doctor who recognized Bonnie's illness.

At that time, the doctor told Bear about the specifics of "Azure Jade Scales."

Patients who contracted "Azure Jade Scales."

Whether it was sunlight or moonlight.

All natural light in existence would worsen the condition of "Azure Jade Scales" patients!

But even if they resisted natural light, the spread of "Azure Jade Scales" would still continue over time.

Last year.

The diagnosis the doctor gave Bonnie was--the child had at most five years to live!

What made Bear even more desperate at the time was.

He had finally found a doctor who knew about "Azure Jade Scales."

Yet, that person told him the illness was incurable.

Bear vaguely remembered.

When Ginny returned from Mary Geoise, her entire body was covered in something like blue stones.

Could it be...

Was Bonnie now destined to repeat Ginny's fate?

Bear's pupils unfocused, completely unable to react normally.

"So, this illness is called 'Azure Jade Scales'?"

Bonnie was silent for a moment, clutching her clay doll tightly, and forced a smile.

"I thought it was called 'Blue Gem Disease'..."

Bonnie said, backing away.

When she retreated to Bear's side, she finally couldn't help but drop the clay doll in her hand and bury her head directly in Bear's stomach.

After a while.

A faint sob could be heard from Bear's stomach.

This sob seemed like a signal.

Bear, already full of fear, couldn't help but hug his daughter.

The father and daughter burst into tears together.

"Bonnie! My daughter!"

"Dad! I'm going to die! Wahhh--"

In the dim church.

The cries of Bear and Bonnie echoed like a demonic sound.

"Are father and daughter both crybabies? Is this some kind of family tradition?"

Storm couldn't help but dig his ears, saying unhappily.

"The sea doesn't believe in tears.

"With this time spent crying, you might as well think about how to find a doctor to cure the illness!"

As soon as he said this.

The father and daughter, who were still hugging and crying, stiffened instantly.

"...Huh?"

Bear looked up, revealing a confused face smeared with tears and snot.

"Cure the illness? Didn't you just say that 'Azure Jade Scales' is a terminal illness?"

Bonnie also couldn't help but turn her head to look at Storm.

"Didn't you say that ordinary people who get it will definitely die?"

"Are you two ordinary people?"

Storm immediately rolled his eyes.

"Just looking at Bartholomew Bear's physique, you can tell he's definitely not a normal human!"

On the sea, some races have "innate abilities" that are stronger than other races.

This is an undeniable fact.

For example, the Giant race.

For example, the Fish-Man race.

As for Bartholomew Bear, he is also a member of the rare race, the Buccaneer Tribe.

His racial stats are very high.

Bear forcibly ignored the latter half of Storm's sentence.

"Um, about terminal illnesses..."

Bear wiped his face casually.

"I heard a doctor talk about 'Lead Disease' before. It's also a terminal illness with no cure, and it even wiped out a country."

"There have been successful cases of curing 'Lead Disease', you just don't know about it."

Storm said calmly.

"As for 'wiping out a country,' you must have also heard of the 'Miracle Person Who Saved a Country,' right?

"The Queen of the Kama Bakka Kingdom, the Okama King, Emporio Ivankov."

Emporio Ivankov?

Bear's pupils contracted significantly.

This was his close friend!

Back then, he, Ginny, and Ivankov were slaves who escaped from God Valley together!

"Ivankov... he can cure 'Lead Disease'? Or even 'Azure Jade Scales'?"

"How strong is the Okama King's 'Healing Hormone,' and whether it can treat 'Azure Jade Scales,' I'm not sure."

Storm shook his head and said calmly.

"But the Op-Op Fruit can cure Lead Disease, that's an absolute fact!

"Besides the Op-Op Fruit, I have two other treatment directions for you to consider.

"The first is the 'world's greatest mind,' Dr. Vegapunk. His medical skills are higher than people imagine!"

"Second, there's 'Germa 66,' an evil kingdom from the North Blue that possesses top-tier artificial human technology."

Regarding Ginny's Azure Jade Scales.

It's not necessarily something the Celestial Dragons played around with...

In manga chapter 1103.

The Gorosei, Saturn, personally said the following:

"Ginny became the Holy Land's eighth consort."

"He conducted drug experiments on her."

"I didn't expect the 'blue scar (possibly referring to Azure Jade Scales)' to reappear."

Regardless of how you look at it.

Bear, Ginny, and Bonney – this family has had a pretty tragic time.

This story arc is truly explosive.

The kind that would make pure romance fans drop dead on the spot.

--

Continuing to ask for your continued reading and monthly votes!