Pacifista

The silvery-gray clouds gradually parted, sunlight spilling over this scorched earth. Tender shoots broke through the soil, tenaciously springing to life.

Bartholomew Kuma: "..."

"Still nothing? Since medicine has no solution, why not try another approach? What about science?"

The fierce, browless lines of Dragon's face softened slightly. With a deep sigh, he told Kuma everything he had learned.

"Not long ago, a massive explosion occurred on Punk Hazard. Vegapunk's laboratory was caught in the blast, forcing him to relocate to the Navy's Eighth Scientific Research Institute, Egghead."

"With your abilities, infiltrating Egghead would be effortless. Vegapunk, hailed as being five hundred years ahead of the world in technology, might have a way to cure Jade Scale..."

"That accident back then... Sigh!"

A gentle breeze passed, and Dragon's figure vanished once more. Bartholomew Kuma raised his head to the sky, where the dawn was like a divine sword piercing the heavens, tearing apart the clouds one by one.

The warm sunlight shone upon him, revealing a faint glimmer of hope on the bewildering road ahead.

Late at night, in the South Blue, Sobel Kingdom.

Bonney suddenly opened her eyes in her sleep and instinctively looked around.

"Who's there?"

"Shh, Bonney..."

When the burly figure emerged from the darkness, Bonney immediately jumped up, her face filled with joyous excitement.

"Dad, you're back! That's great! Those guys only ever knew how to drag me around hiding from place to place. Sometimes I couldn't even get enough to eat. Honestly!"

"This time, this time you won't leave again, right, Dad? I'll be ten in four more years, and my illness will be cured too..."

Looking at the lively, energetic Bonney before him, Kuma smiled faintly, his tone gentle.

"Yes. After this, Dad will never leave again. I'll stay by Bonney's side until