The three treatment options Storm had just proposed
were the three most likely ways to cure Azure Jade Scales, based on all the information he currently had and his assessment of the situation.
The first was naturally Trafalgar D. Water Law and his [Paramecia: Op-Op Fruit].
There was no doubt about the Op-Op Fruit's power.
The World Government was willing to offer "five billion Beli" to buy the Op-Op Fruit.
That alone showed how extraordinary this Paramecia was.
After all, people even joked—
the Op-Op Fruit was worth five billion.
Trafalgar Law had a bounty of three billion.
Once you excluded the Op-Op Fruit's added value and did a little arithmetic,
Trafalgar Law's own bounty actually amounted to—"negative two billion Beli"!
But in any case,
the Op-Op Fruit was extremely powerful when it came to treating illnesses.
In Storm's view,
even if Trafalgar Law couldn't completely cure Jewelry Bonney's Azure Jade Scales at this stage,
he could at least use the Op-Op Fruit's "painless cutting" ability to ease Jewelry Bonney's symptoms.
In other words, he could use the Op-Op Fruit to surgically remove the "gem scales" growing on Jewelry Bonney's body.
It wouldn't cure Azure Jade Scales, but it would still be an effective way to keep the disease in check.
That was why Storm had brought up Vegapunk as another possible treatment.
In the original timeline,
Vegapunk was the "doctor" who successfully cured Jewelry Bonney's Azure Jade Scales.
This genius scientist, hailed as the "World's Greatest Brain"—with the largest brain in a literal sense—
was not only a scientist, but also a highly skilled doctor.
Vegapunk could definitely cure Jewelry Bonney's Azure Jade Scales!
As for Germa 66 in the North Blue,
Storm had mentioned them because he thought of them as a "weaker version of Vegapunk."
Setting aside their other abilities,
Germa 66—or rather, Vinsmoke Judge—
was not necessarily inferior to Vegapunk when it came to human and genetic modification.
And those skills could be used to treat Jewelry Bonney's Azure Jade Scales.
Of course,
aside from the Op-Op Fruit, Vegapunk, and Germa 66,
there were other treatments on the high seas worth considering.
Storm remembered that Bear had once traveled the seas, searching everywhere for a way to treat Jewelry Bonney.
But who were the people he'd gone to...?
The natives of the Kingdom of Torino in the South Blue; the Human Mimicker from the gloomy, terrifying kingdom; the residents of the Future Kingdom of Balkimore; the laborer nation of Tequila Wolf in the East Blue; the researchers of the weather on the small Sky Island of Visalia; even Momoiro Island and the Boin Archipelago...
(They were actually the islands where the Straw Hat Pirates trained.)
Storm just couldn't understand it.
Bear had searched so many places, yet somehow hadn't found a single suitable option!
There were plenty of famous doctors on the high seas.
There were also plenty of Devil Fruit Users with healing abilities.
For example, Crocus, the doctor of the Roger Pirates, who had been living at Twin Capes on Reverse Mountain;
for example, Doctor Kureha, the mysterious "witch" who lived in seclusion in the Drum Kingdom;
for example, Mansherry, princess of the Tontatta Kingdom in the New World and user of the Heal-Heal Fruit;
and for example, Marco, commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division and user of the Mythical Zoan: Phoenix...
The abilities or skills these people possessed might also be able to cure Azure Jade Scales.
Storm had no idea whether Bear had ever looked for them...
But he hadn't mentioned these other "doctors" and "Devil Fruit Users" just now.
Because by comparison,
Storm still thought the Op-Op Fruit, Vegapunk, and Germa 66 were the more reliable options.
"Germa 66, the Op-Op Fruit, Vegapunk..."
As Bear listened to Storm, it felt as though a ray of light had suddenly descended from the heavens, illuminating his dark and miserable life.
For the entire past year,
Bear had struggled through each day in a state of anxious uncertainty.
He had searched for every doctor he could find.
Ninety-nine point nine nine percent of them had never even seen Azure Jade Scales.
The one doctor who had seen it had told him the disease was incurable!
Bear had never expected that today, quite by chance, he would meet a powerful stranger.
Not only did the man recognize the intractable disease Azure Jade Scales, but he also knew the exact ways to treat it!
"Bonney! There's hope for your illness!"
Bear set Bonney down beside him.
Then he prostrated himself before Storm.
"Thank you for telling me! I'm deeply grateful!"
In a humble dogeza, Bear expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Storm.
Watching her father, Bonney also wanted to kneel down.
"Don't kneel!"
Storm glanced her way.
The Clay Doll Bonney had just tossed aside immediately turned into a beanbag chair.
The soft white beanbag chair opened its "mouth" and gently scooped her up.
Bonney was pulled onto the chair and sat down.
The little girl couldn't understand what Storm had said, but she could sense his kindness. A smile spread across her small face.
She flopped onto the soft clay sofa and bounced around, laughing happily.
Bear had still been somewhat tense.
But when he heard Bonney laughing, his heart as a father melted at once.
"Tyrant, don't thank me too soon."
Storm's voice once again drew Bear's attention.
"The three options I just mentioned all come with certain difficulties."
Take Vegapunk, for instance.
Ever since the MADS organization was (forced to) disband, Vegapunk had become an agent of the World Government.
This World's Number One Scientist was currently staying on Punk Hazard Island in the New World.
Punk Hazard at this point wasn't the "island of ice and fire" it would become a few years later.
As the "headquarters" of the World's Number One Scientist,
Punk Hazard Island had been heavily fortified by the World Government.
If Bear went to Punk Hazard to look for Vegapunk,
the World Government would definitely discover him!
As for Trafalgar Law and Germa 66,
the former was a loner with a submarine, making it extremely difficult to track his movements.
The latter was easier to deal with.
Germa 66 was a "mercenary kingdom."
As long as you had money, everything else could be worked out.
But the problem was...
Storm glanced around the small, cramped, dark chapel and asked sincerely,
"Do you have any money, Bear?"
Treatments cost money.
The little spark of hope that had just ignited in Bear's heart was instantly doused by the cold reality.
There was only one illness on the high seas: poverty.
There was no doubt about it.
Bear was one of those poor souls suffering from the "poverty disease."
And he was in the terminal stage.
"Out of common decency, I don't want to watch a poor little girl die right in front of me."
Storm spoke evenly.
"So I gave you three ways to treat Azure Jade Scales."
Bear, who had been silent, raised his head and stared at Storm.
"But all I can offer you right now is the 'methods.'"
Storm continued.
"If you want to learn more, or you want me to provide any other help...
"that'll cost extra!"
Bear nodded silently.
At that moment, another man's face flashed through his mind.
Dragon!
Bear spoke slowly.
"I... I'll look for help from someone else."
As if he had guessed what Bear was thinking, Storm suddenly asked,
"Do you mean Emporio Ivankov?"
"You know Ivankov?"
"Ivankov is a friend of mine."
Storm raised his eyebrows and replied calmly.
"But don't bother looking for him.
"Ivankov is in Impel Down right now."
"Impel Down?"
Bear's eyes widened. Of course he knew what kind of place that was.
"How could that be?! Dragon—"
"Hah! Dragon? The revolutionary the World Government calls 'the most dangerous criminal in the world'?"
Storm gave a cold laugh, cutting Bear off.
"Talking behind someone's back isn't very nice, but I still have to advise you to stay as far away as possible from that revolutionary, Bear."
A flash of anger crossed Bear's face.
Dragon had been his comrade-in-arms for years!
But Storm, too, was a benefactor who had helped him...
Thinking of that, Bear restrained his displeasure.
"Why?"
"Why? Ha!"
Storm acted as if he'd heard a joke and scoffed again.
"When Ivankov was sent to Impel Down, what was the revolutionary doing?
"When your daughter came down with Azure Jade Scales, what was the revolutionary doing?
"And more than that, when Ginny was taken by the World Government, what was that 'most dangerous criminal in the world' doing?
"Have you heard the story of the captain of the Sun Pirates?"
Bear was stunned by Storm's barrage of questions.
To be honest,
ever since Bonney was born, Bear had left the Revolutionary Army.
Because of Bonney's Azure Jade Scales, he hadn't paid attention to Dragon or the Revolutionary Army in a long time.
But when the bloody truth was laid out before Bear,
he had already begun to realize—
his friend, his comrade-in-arms, Dragon,
might not be as dependable as he had imagined...
Bear asked hesitantly,
"Did you just mean Fisher Tiger?"
"Yes!"
Storm nodded.
"Fisher Tiger dared to climb Mary Geoise to free the slaves, sparking an unprecedented movement to liberate them.
"When the Celestial Dragons seized your own right-hand man and left-hand man, what was that revolutionary you know doing?"
"The world's most vicious criminal? He isn't even as good as a fish-man!"
Storm sincerely respected anyone who dared to devote themselves to the revolutionary cause.
But the problem was...
Whose revolution had Monkey D. Dragon actually led?
This chapter felt a little clunky. I got stuck for a while.
Dragon...
He really left one speechless.
Before you continue