"Wow! Another me!"
Jewelry Bonney's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the lifelike Clay Doll that Storm held in his hands.
She wriggled free from Kuma's embrace and, with her short little legs, hurried over to Storm, her footsteps echoing with excitement.
"Can I see her?"
Standing before Storm, Bonney tilted her head back, looking up at him with a pitiful gaze.
"Here you go."
Storm casually handed the "Clay Doll Bonney" to the real Bonney.
Ever since he acquired the powers of the Op-Op Fruit, Storm only needed to touch a target to perfectly replicate their appearance.
The miraculous ability of the Op-Op Fruit, combined with Storm's original Clay-Clay Fruit, allowed him to effortlessly create Clay Dolls of any living being he encountered.
For instance, the "Clay Doll Bonney" at this moment.
"Wow!"
Little Bonney hugged her Clay Doll tightly, unable to contain her joy as she spun around in circles, momentarily lost in happiness.
But just then, a thought flashed through her mind, recalling something Storm had just said, and she couldn't help but ask.
"Um, what is 'terminal illness'?"
"Bonney! Don't ask!"
Kuma, recovering from the overwhelming mental shock, immediately shouted to stop her as soon as he heard his daughter's question.
Bonney was still too young to understand the meaning of "terminal illness."
But how could Kuma not know?
He looked at Storm with a gaze that was both humble and pleading.
"Please! Don't say it!"
Storm glanced at Kuma with indifference, ignoring the concerns of this "father."
He squatted down to meet Bonney's eye level and explained in a calm tone.
"A 'terminal illness' is a disease that will definitely lead to death for an ordinary person."
Storm extended his index finger and gently tapped the few glimmering gemstones on the face of the "Clay Doll Bonney."
"As far as I know, the true name of the disease you have is called—"
"Azure Jade Scale."
Storm had noticed it as soon as he entered the church.
On Jewelry Bonney's fair and tender face, there were several irregular, scale-like hard scars.
Under the dim light inside the church, the scars on Bonney's face sparkled like blue gemstones.
Perhaps this was the true origin of her name.
Bonney was her first name.
And the surname "Jewelry" truly meant "gemstone."
(In the pirate world, surnames come before first names.) One must say, Kuma had put a lot of thought into giving Bonney the surname "Jewelry."
After all…
As Storm knew, Bonney was not Kuma's biological daughter, but rather an "adopted daughter."
This was yet another very long story…
Storm's mind involuntarily drifted to Kuma's life trajectory.
More than thirty years ago, when Kuma was just nine years old, he participated in the God Valley incident as a slave…
Due to the intrusion of the Rocks Pirates, Kuma consumed the Paw-Paw Fruit amidst the chaos and escaped from God Valley…
Along with Kuma, escaping from the God Valley incident were Ivankov, the Queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, and—
Jewelry Bonney's biological mother, Ginny.
The relationship between Kuma and Ginny could be described in one word—childhood sweethearts.
However, after escaping from God Valley, fate did not continue to favor this unfortunate "bear."
Kuma and Ginny spent over a decade together, participating in the Revolutionary Army and becoming its backbone.
Until…
Ginny was captured by the World Government during an operation, forced to become a Celestial Dragon's wife, and gave birth to Bonney.
Because Ginny contracted the "Azure Jade Scale" during her pregnancy with Bonney, she was abandoned by the world's nobility and managed to return to the sea.
Ginny endured countless hardships to return from the Red Line to her hometown, where she had lived with Kuma.
After leaving her daughter Bonney behind, Ginny succumbed to the deeply rooted illness of "Azure Jade Scale."
And then.
Kuma took over the responsibility of raising Bonney.
How should one put it?
As Storm recalled Kuma's past, he found it hard to look at the man.
Because this was only the "first half" of Kuma's life.
In the future, Kuma would go so far as to offer himself to the World Government to treat Bonney's stubborn "Azure Jade Scale" ailment.
In exchange for becoming a Warlord and being transformed into a robot, he secured a treatment plan for Bonney.
Hmm…
To put it simply.
It was a story of a victimized honest man who took in the illegitimate daughter of his childhood sweetheart and then sold himself to the "blonde" as a slave to save his daughter's life.
Kuma's life story.
Even when viewed across the entire explosive world, it was quite extraordinary.
That's why Storm referred to him as "Green Bear" instead of "Tyrant"…
What kind of life experience could be described with just the word "tragic"?
And in Kuma's life.
What Storm found most pitiful was not that Kuma did not accept Ginny's feelings; not that Ginny gave birth to a Celestial Dragon's daughter; not that the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon, had never acknowledged this so-called "revolutionary comrade"; but that Kuma had always endured everything without resistance!
Kuma had never truly rebelled even once! Storm lamented his misfortune.
But he was even angrier at his inaction!
"Azure Jade Scale."
When this nightmarish name echoed in Kuma's ears once more, his heart was filled with despair.
About a year ago.
Kuma had gone through great lengths to finally find a doctor who recognized Bonney's condition.
That doctor had told Kuma about the "Azure Jade Scale."
Patients with "Azure Jade Scale," regardless of sunlight or moonlight.
Any natural light present in the world would exacerbate the condition of "Azure Jade Scale" patients! But even if they managed to resist natural light, the extent of "Azure Jade Scale" would continue to spread over time.
Last year.
The diagnosis given to Bonney by that doctor was—this child could live for at most five more years! What made Kuma even more despairing at that time was.
He had finally found a doctor who recognized "Azure Jade Scale," only for the doctor to tell him that this disease was incurable.
Kuma vaguely remembered.
When Ginny returned from Mariejois, her entire body was covered in blue stone-like growths.
Could it be…
Now Bonney was destined to follow the same path as Ginny?
Kuma's pupils dilated, completely unable to respond normally.
"So, this disease is called 'Azure Jade Scale'?"
Bonney fell silent for a moment, gripping her Clay Doll tightly, forcing a smile as she spoke.
"I thought it was called 'Blue Gem Disease'…"
As she spoke, Bonney began to retreat.
When she reached Kuma's side, she could no longer hold back and dropped the Clay Doll, burying her head into Kuma's belly.
After a while.
A faint sob emerged from Kuma's belly.
This sob seemed like a signal.
Overwhelmed with fear, Kuma couldn't help but embrace his daughter.
The two of them began to cry together.
"Bonney! My daughter!"
"Daddy! I'm going to die! Waaa—"
In the dim church, the cries of Kuma and Bonney echoed like a haunting melody.
"Are both father and daughter crybabies? Is this some kind of family tradition?"
Storm couldn't help but dig at his ears, looking displeased.
"The sea doesn't believe in tears.
"Instead of crying, you should think about how to find a doctor to treat the illness!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the father-daughter duo, who were still sobbing, suddenly froze.
"…Huh?"
Kuma lifted his head, revealing a bewildered face smeared with tears and snot.
"Treat the illness? Didn't you just say 'Azure Jade Scale' is a terminal illness?"
Bonney also turned her head, looking at Storm.
"Didn't you say that ordinary people who contract it will definitely die?"
"Are you two ordinary people?"
Storm rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Just look at Bartholomew Kuma's physique; he is definitely not a normal human!"
In the sea, some races possess "innate abilities" that are stronger than others.
This is an undeniable fact.
For example, the Giant race.
And the Fish-Man race.
As for Bartholomew Kuma, he is also a member of the rare "Bacania" race.
With a high racial value.
Kuma forcefully ignored the latter part of Storm's statement.
"Um, about terminal illnesses…"
Kuma wiped his face with his hand.
"I heard a doctor mention 'Amber Lead Disease' before; it's also an incurable terminal illness that even destroyed a nation."
"Amber Lead Disease has had successful treatment cases; you just don't know about it."
Storm replied calmly.
"As for 'destroying a nation,' you should have heard of the 'miraculous person who saved a nation,' right?
"Emporio Ivankov, the Queen of Kamabakka Kingdom."
Emporio Ivankov?
Kuma's pupils instantly constricted.
This was his dear friend! Back in the day, he, Ginny, and Ivankov had escaped from God Valley together as slaves! "Ivankov… he can cure 'Amber Lead Disease'? Even 'Azure Jade Scale'?"
"How strong is the 'Healing Hormones' of the Queen of Kamabakka? Whether it can cure 'Azure Jade Scale,' I'm not sure."
Storm shook his head and said calmly.
"But the Op-Op Fruit can definitely cure Amber Lead Disease; that is an undeniable fact!
"Apart from the Op-Op Fruit, I have two other treatment options for you to consider.
"The first is the 'greatest mind in the world,' Dr. Vegapunk; his medical skills are beyond what ordinary people can imagine!
"The second is 'Germa 66,' an evil kingdom from the North Sea that possesses top-notch artificial human technology."
As for Ginny's Azure Jade Scale.
It may not necessarily have been caused by the Celestial Dragons…
In chapter 1103 of the manga.
The Five Elders - Saturn explicitly stated that—
"Ginny became the eighth wife of the Holy Land."
"He conducted drug experiments on (Ginny)."
"Unexpectedly, 'blue scars' (possibly referring to Azure Jade Scale) appeared again."
In any case.
Kuma, Ginny, and Bonney's family was quite tragic.
This storyline was truly explosive.
Enough to make pure love fans collapse on the spot.
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