Soon after.
A translucent bear paw appeared before everyone's eyes, vanishing as Kuma absorbed it. Immediately, Vivi's previously pale, weak face turned rosy and vibrant, and her body temperature gradually returned to normal.
Except for Dante, everyone else stared in shock. 'What kind of ability was this? It healed someone instantly?'
"I..." Vivi blinked, testing the feeling in her body. A wave of relief washed over her. She looked up at Kuma. "I... I really feel so much better! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome," Kuma replied, a gentle, simple smile appearing on his face, almost too soft for his massive frame. "Though your symptoms are lighter, you still need plenty of rest." He sounded just like a professional doctor.
"This looks like a combination of physical and mental exhaustion," he explained. "Emotional strain, carrying too many burdens... and then suddenly letting go. Your mind relaxed, and that, along with likely catching a cold, led to this severe illness! Please, take good care of yourself."
As his explanation finished, everyone looked at Kuma with renewed surprise. 'Could this man be a doctor? And a very skilled one at that?'
Mock stared. Moments ago, he'd been trying to project the air of an 'East Blue Overlord', but now he just wore a simple smile. "You're a doctor?" he asked. "That's incredible! Forget capturing you, then. You seem like a good guy!"
"..."
Kuma's smile paused for a fraction of a second at Mock's words, but he nodded and replied, "Thank you."
He wasn't afraid of any East Blue Overlord, but Bonney was here. Even if she couldn't see outside the box, he wanted her to enjoy the journey happily. If there was no need, he preferred not to fight. However...
From the box, Bonney's proud voice piped up, boasting of her father. "Dad is super amazing! He's saved tons of people! He's the best dad ever!" She even shot back at Mock, "You still wanna capture Dad? Keep dreaming!"
That's when everyone finally noticed the voice coming from inside the box.
Everyone had actually heard a faint, childish voice earlier, seemingly from nowhere. Thinking it might be an enemy, they hadn't paid it much mind. But now, realizing the imposing figure before them wasn't hostile, they looked at the box behind Kuma with puzzled expressions.
Kuma seemed to notice their confusion. He hesitated slightly, but his gut told him these people weren't bad. He could also feel Bonney's anticipation from behind him, her expectation and curiosity about the outside world.
Kuma pushed up his glasses, a faint smile touching his lips. His eyes seemed to hold pride. "This is my daughter..." he said softly. "Bonney!"
"Hello everyone! My name is Bonney, and I'm happily traveling with Dad!" Bonney's voice came again from the box. She sounded happy about her father's introduction, but then, a touch of disappointment crept in. "I am sick, so I can't come out of the box! So, I'm really, really sorry."
Hearing Bonney's words, everyone's puzzled expressions softened into smiles.
"What a lovely voice!" Robin smiled gently. "Bonney, you must be such a cute girl!"
"That's right! Bonney, you're going to get better from your illness!" Nami encouraged, pumped a fis towards the box as if speaking directly to the little girl inside. "Then it'll be fine to come out and play!"
"Keep fighting, Bonney!" Kuina nodded, her expression serious. "You will definitely get better!"
"When you're better, you absolutely have to come visit the Alabasta Kingdom," Vivi added with soft voice. "Karoo, my Super Spot-Billed Duck can play with you then. The Super Spot-Billed Duck is are very big duck that runs super fast!"
*Quack!* Hearing his master, the Karoo beside Vivi puffed up his chest and let out a loud *quack*.
"That really is a duck sound? It's so loud!" The unique quack made Bonney inside the box clap her little hands excitedly. "Is Karoo really big? Dad, quick, look and tell me!'
"He is very big indeed," Kuma confirmed, glancing at the strange duck. He nodded seriously. "You'll be able to see him when you get better! I will definitely find a way to cure your illness!"
'No matter what,' he thought, 'I have to make sure she lives, even if it cost me... everything!' He looked up at the people before him. 'Yes... they truly are good people!'
Still, it was time to go. "Sorry for the intrusion," he said, bowing slightly. "I'll be going now."
Kuma gave everyone a slight bow, then turned and walked toward the ship he'd just claimed.
They watched silently as the father carrying his daughter on his back moved away. From the conversation, they roughly understood that the girl seemed to have a severe illness, and even this highly skilled doctor and father appeared unable to cure his own child. They weren't doctors, and they had no way to help either.
'Still...'
"Hey, what's going on in that head of yours?" Nami softly nudged Dante's arm, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Do you know what kind of illness she has?"
"Sapphire Scale Disease," Dante replied casually, nodding. "Yeah, I know about it."
"You know? Wait... Did he even say the name of disease? How do you know? Argh, never mind that now!" Nami's eyes widened, then narrowed as a more important thought struck her. "Then... do you know how to cure it?"
"I do." At Dante's words, Robin and Nami both looked at him with bewildered expressions.
'Speaking of which,' the thought seemed to pass between them, 'Dante always seems to know the weirdest things... Where does he even get this information? It was baffling'
Hearing Dante's answer, Kuma, who had been about to step onto his new ship, froze. His eyes, previously turned away, snapped open and fixed intently on Dante. 'What did I just hear? Sapphire Scale... someone knows how to cure it?!'
In that moment, tears immediately welled in the eyes of the father who had spent so long searching for a cure for his daughter. He spun around, looking directly at Dante, his voice trembling, a mix of doubt and desperate hope. "You... you really have a way?"
Dante didn't answer Kuma directly. He just smiled and nodded, his eyes on the giant man whose face was streaked with tears. Before Kuma could say another word, Dante snapped his fingers, turning to Robin beside him. "Robin, looks like we have an applicant for an interview."
Facing Kuma, who looked bewildered yet expectant, Robin smiled and nodded. She smoothly produced a document from her chest and held it out. Before Kuma, still in a daze, could react, Dante began speaking.
"Marine 16th Branch Talent Acquisition," Dante said, a professional smile on his face as he looked at Kuma, who was staring blankly at the document. "As long as you join, not only will you receive satisfactory compensation and suitable accommodation, but the base will also actively seek treatment methods for sick employees family members and reimburse a significant portion of the medical expenses."
'This kind of talent is right in front of me...' Dante thought, 'How could I possibly let him get away?' He gestured toward the document. "Want to learn more? Kuma."
'As for the World Government's Pacifista Project?' Dante's smile took on a excited edge. 'Let it go to hell! If there really isn't any other way, believe it or not, I'd even kidnap-... no, 'recruiting' Vegapunk himself!'
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