Healthy Whitebeard

On the journey back, Rune was in an excellent mood. His team had grown from two people to three, and aside from himself, the other two were both pretty solid people.

Bonney's Age-Age Fruit had enormous potential. Once she developed it properly, it would become a major source of support for him.

Bartholomew Kuma had returned to how he was before being modified, with the combat strength of a standard Seven Warlords member.

As for Luffy, he had only joined temporarily and could not be considered one of Rune's crew. Rune had never considered recruiting Luffy into his team. That was simply impossible.

After all, Luffy was a man determined to become the Pirate King. He could never become Rune's crewmate.

Being able to become allies with him was enough.

"Bonney, now that we've found Kuma, why are you still keeping yourself like this?"

Seeing Bonney transform back into her twenty-four-year-old appearance, Rune could not help but smile. He actually thought Bonney looked cuter as a child. Twenty-four-year-old Bonney... she looked quite pretty too, but Rune truly could not appreciate her taste.

That lipstick alone...

Rune could not understand what she was thinking.

"I'm Bonney, the Big Eater, a woman who can stand on her own! Of course I need an appearance that matches my reputation!"

That was what Bonney said, but in truth, she kept this appearance simply because she wanted to be an "adult."

"I think your original appearance is better. And while we're at it, make Kuma look younger too. Change his clothes a little, and people will have a hard time recognizing him."

Bonney thought it made sense. She returned to her original appearance, then made Kuma younger as well. It would not affect Kuma's strength, but it would help them evade the World Government's attention.

Kuma sat quietly to the side without saying a word. He was actually very happy. Bonney's Jade Scales had been cured, and he had regained his freedom.

What was more, he had joined the Whitebeard Pirates.

Within one of the Four Emperors' fleets, they would naturally be safer than before. And since Rune would publicly claim that Kuma had been killed, the World Government would no longer pay much attention to him.

Kuma was an important test subject, but starting a war with a Four Emperors crew over a Kuma who was already dead was obviously not a rational decision.

"Kuma, your Paw-Paw Fruit should be able to repel the illnesses and injuries from someone's body, right?"

"Yes."

Kuma nodded. "But someone else needs to bear those illnesses and injuries. The Paw-Paw Fruit's ability is fundamentally about transferring them, not curing them."

"That's fine. This is simple."

Rune smiled faintly. "I'll bear them when the time comes."

The Thousand Sunny sailed across the sea. Since Rune had told Whitebeard beforehand that they would return soon, the Moby Dick was still waiting for them at that island. As soon as they returned to the Moby Dick, Rune brought Kuma to see Whitebeard.

"Pops, this is my new crewmate."

Smiling, Rune introduced Kuma to Whitebeard. "Bartholomew Kuma, formerly one of the Seven Warlords. But because his age and clothing have changed, he may not look quite like the Kuma you remember, Pops."

Whitebeard raised his eyes and met Kuma's gaze. For some reason, this man gave him the urge to drag him into a feast.

If Rune knew what Whitebeard was thinking, he would probably say—

Perhaps this was the resonance between fathers.

"Pops, Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit can repel all the illnesses and injuries in your body..."

Rune explained Kuma's ability to Whitebeard, while Kuma stood quietly beside them. Fortunately, Whitebeard was not the sort of stubborn old man who refused treatment when ill. He agreed to let Kuma give it a try.

Kuma pressed his palm against Whitebeard's body, and a massive paw-shaped bubble burst out from Whitebeard's back. Feeling his body return to health, Whitebeard could not help but smile.

It was still not comparable to his peak condition, but now Whitebeard could use Haki without any reservations.

"Rune, his illnesses and injuries are extremely severe. Are you sure you want to bear them?"

Kuma spoke, unable to hide his hesitation. He thought it would be better for him to bear them himself. Both he and Bonney had received Rune's kindness. At a time like this, they should be the ones paying the price.

"My illnesses and injuries cannot be borne by my son. Kuma, return them to me."

The moment Whitebeard heard Kuma's words, he understood the mechanism of the Paw-Paw Fruit. But before he could say anything else, Rune directly activated his elemental form and swallowed the massive paw-shaped bubble in one gulp.

"Don't worry. My Dark-Dark Fruit can nullify Devil Fruit abilities. If you transfer those illnesses and injuries to me, they'll only be swallowed by the darkness of my elemental form."

Rune activated the Dark-Dark Fruit's elemental state, and his body transformed into intangible darkness. The massive paw-shaped bubble was enveloped and devoured by Rune. Once it had been completely swallowed, Rune returned to his original form.

"Hiss... I didn't suffer any real damage, but... it still hurts a little."

Rune bared his teeth in pain, yet his body had not been injured. When the Dark-Dark Fruit entered its elemental state, it could devour attacks, but the pain would be amplified.

Taking on all of Whitebeard's illnesses and injuries had not caused Rune any actual harm.

But it really did hurt a little.

Rune could not even stand up right now.

It took him a full half hour of resting in the captain's quarters before he finally regained the ability to move.

Whitebeard stood and pulled Rune to his feet. He did not say anything, but the look in his eyes as he watched Rune was gentler than usual.

"Pops, now your illnesses and injuries are gone, and I didn't suffer any real harm. It only hurt a little."

Rune grinned. "There couldn't be a better outcome than this."

He had originally wanted to say something else, to tell Whitebeard not to take the matter too seriously. But in the next moment, Whitebeard stretched out an arm and pulled Rune into his embrace.

That broad chest gave an overwhelming sense of security. Whitebeard did this only because everything Rune had done fulfilled what he had once told him.

Rune's wish was the same as his...

Family.

Marineford.

Sengoku looked at today's news, his expression darkening and lightening by turns.

The newspaper showed Kuma at the moment of his defeat, along with photographs of Rune and Ace.

"Breaking News! Seven Warlords Bartholomew Kuma has been killed by Whitebeard Pirates Second Division Commander Ace and Seventeenth Division Commander Rune!"

The Seven Warlords were subordinates of the Marines, and the Whitebeard Pirates going to the Sabaody Archipelago to kill one of them was clearly a provocation.

"Those lunatics, are they planning to attack Marineford?"

Sengoku slammed a fist onto the desk, while Garp continued eating his snacks beside him, looking utterly unconcerned.

"Do you need this old man to go capture those two?"

Kizaru sat in his chair with one leg crossed over the other. Under normal circumstances, Kizaru would not be this proactive, but Rune and Ace had killed Kuma.

That made Kizaru deeply angry, yet on the surface, he still maintained his usual flippant demeanor.