In the shadows.
Kuma felt a wave of panic—he had just heard what Bonney said.
But at this moment, he really didn't dare to meet her. He was about to lose the last bit of his consciousness.
If he saw Bonney now, she definitely wouldn't leave his side, and soon, she would see a father who no longer had his own mind.
That thought made Kuma deeply uneasy.
Meanwhile, Bonney was still looking at Ryuen, hoping he would help her. She desperately wanted to see Kuma.
Ryuen frowned and glanced in Kuma's direction. He felt conflicted.
He knew exactly what was happening to Kuma, so he couldn't make a decision for him.
"Bonney, I—"
"Ryuen, so you were here!"
"Ah!"
"A mermaid?!"
Just as Ryuen was about to refuse, Nami's voice rang out, followed by Daisy's shocked exclamation.
"Nami?"
"Weren't you shopping in the commercial district?" Ryuen asked, confused.
"The whole island is in chaos—who still has the mood to go shopping?" Nami rolled her eyes at him.
Then, just like Daisy, her attention shifted to the mermaid, Camie.
Camie felt a bit nervous under their gazes, but she wasn't too worried.
She already knew these people were part of the Dream Exploration Crew.
And everyone in that crew was a good person!
"Um… her name is Camie. I rescued her from the auction house. Since we're planning to go to Fish-Man Island, well, you get it." Ryuen explained.
"Huh?"
"That's actually a great idea!" Nami's eyes lit up.
The ocean floor was different from the open sea—she wasn't sure if her navigation skills would work down there.
But if they had someone from Fish-Man Island guiding them, things would be much easier.
"You're Nami, right?"
"And… you're the ship's doctor, Daisy, right?"
Bonney suddenly rushed over to Nami and Daisy.
A moment ago, Ryuen looked like he was going to turn her down.
But now that Nami and Daisy had shown up, she had new hope.
She knew these two would be easier to talk to!
"Huh?"
"Uh… yeah, that's us. And you are…?"
Nami was a bit thrown off by Bonney's sudden enthusiasm.
"Her name is Bonney. She has the Paramecia-type Age-Age Fruit, which allows her to change a person's age.
Even though she looks like an adult now, she's actually only nine years old," Ryuen explained from the side.
"Huh???"
"Nine years old?" Nami and Daisy were stunned.
She clearly looked like a grown woman—she even seemed older than Daisy…
"He's right. I really am only nine years old," Bonney said seriously. "Nami, Daisy, I need your help with something…"
She quickly explained her request to them and even turned back into her nine-year-old form.
At that moment, Ryuen knew they had to find Kuma. Not to mention Nami, who had a soft spot for kids—even Daisy wouldn't be able to ignore Bonney's situation.
He glanced in the direction where Kuma was hiding. Noticing Ryuen's gaze, Kuma quickly pulled his head back behind the wall.
Just as expected, after Bonney finished speaking, Nami was the first to react—she immediately agreed to help.
"Really?" Bonney asked, trying to contain her excitement.
"Of course! We'll definitely help you find your dad!" Nami said firmly.
"Yay!"
"This is great! I knew you guys were good people—you'll definitely help me find my dad!" Bonney cheered, jumping with joy.
Behind a building not far away, Kuma's heart was no longer calm. He knew that Ryuen had already spotted him.
"Sigh…"
"Kuma, you should come out. No matter what, you need to see Bonney," Ryuen sighed and called out in Kuma's direction.
As soon as he spoke, everyone froze. Bonney and her crewmates were completely shocked.
"Are you saying… Kuma is here?" Bonney's small body trembled as she asked.
Her throat suddenly went dry. A mix of joy and pain filled her heart, making her emotions incredibly complicated.
Ryuen didn't answer. Instead, he simply looked in Kuma's direction.
Bonney noticed his gaze and instinctively followed it.
The others also turned to look in the same direction.
After Ryuen called his name, Kuma knew there was no point in hiding anymore. So, he stepped out.
At that moment, his eyes, which had held back so much, instantly turned red.
"Kuma!!!" Bonney cried out in excitement and immediately sprinted toward him.
The moment she saw the tall man holding a book, she recognized him right away—it was her father.
"Bonney…" Kuma's heart ached, but he still smiled as a father seeing his daughter again after so many years.
"Kuma!"
Bonney jumped straight into his arms, and Kuma caught her in a tight embrace.
"Uwaaaah X﹏X"
"Kuma, I finally found you! I finally found you…"
"Kuma, I missed you so much…"
"Uwaaaah X﹏X…"
Bonney clung tightly to Kuma and sobbed in his arms.
Kuma, too, could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down his face.
"Bonney… I'm sorry. I haven't been able to come back to see you. It's all my fault… I wasn't a good father…" Kuma kept apologizing, blaming himself.
"No!"
"It's not your fault, Kuma. I know everything now. Those people… they're from the World Government. I understand…"
"Uwaaaah X﹏X…" Bonney cried as she interrupted his apology.
Her crew members also wiped their tears away. They had watched Bonney grow up, had sailed with her, all for this very moment.
"Ryuen, if I remember correctly, the Marines' Pacifistas were modeled after Kuma, right?" Daisy suddenly asked.
"Yeah… Kuma's situation is really complicated," Ryuen said with a sigh.
After that, Ryuen told Nami and Daisy everything he knew…
————
While Bonney was reuniting with Kuma, the Marines were still in action.
Kizaru's fight with Rayleigh didn't last long. He never intended to get too caught up with him in the first place—his real target was the rookie pirates on the island.
Once the fight with Rayleigh ended, Kizaru immediately shifted his focus to the rookies.
Island 1.
The area was filled with scorch marks from Kizaru and the Pacifistas' laser attacks. Many bubble trees and buildings had collapsed.
But the results were impressive.
Eustass Kid, Basil Hawkins, X Drake, Trafalgar Law, Scratchmen Apoo, Killer, Capone Bege, Urouge…
All eight rookie pirates with bounties over 100 million had been captured. The Marines didn't stop there—they also rounded up all the small pirate crews on the island.
Kizaru was satisfied with the operation. He could now report back with solid results. Although the Straw Hat Pirates and Bonney's crew had escaped, he believed headquarters would understand.
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