Bonus chapter unlocked by your Power Stones!
...
Kujaku: "So it really is as Arton said before—Zephyr dies, and worse, at the hands of his own students?! Admiral Aokiji… was he there to pay his respects?"
Domino: "If Arton is right, Zephyr's death was tied to Akainu, with Admiral Kizaru carrying it out. Aokiji was merely present as a disciple mourning his teacher?"
Smoothie: "The Navy really is laughable. To drive a former hero into such a fate… Zephyr might as well have become a pirate from the start."
Whitey Bay: "If Zephyr had turned pirate, Pops might've been tempted to invite him himself."
Ulti: "So how did Zephyr die exactly? Can't Arton just explain it clearly for once?!"
Ulti's doubt was the same question burning in Ain's heart.
Her eyes were glued to her Diary, silently praying Arton would reveal why the Navy ultimately chose to kill Zephyr.
Logically, even if he left the Navy, they shouldn't have gone that far.
Zephyr's prestige was immense; surely none of his students would have wished for his death.
But then Arton had mentioned Akainu and Kizaru…
"Would those two really… kill Sensei?" Ain bit her lip, dread gnawing at her.
And then Arton's Diary updated again.
[Speaking of which, Admiral Borsalino—Kizaru—really is a strange one.]
[He always hides behind "Unclear Justice," drifting through life, slacking whenever he can.]
[But when it came to fighting his teacher Zephyr? That was the one time he got serious.]
[Back at Sabaody, when he was sent to capture the Supernovas—Jewelry Bonney, Monkey D. Luffy, Trafalgar D. Law, Kid, Roronoa Zoro, Scratchmen Apoo, Capone Bege, Basil Hawkins, X Drake, Killer, Urouge—he slacked so badly it was laughable.]
[Sure, he grabbed a few small fries to report back with… but not a single one of those seven escaped his grasp.]
[If you excuse Luffy and Zoro slipping away because of Garp, Rayleigh, and Kuma interfering… what about the others? How do you explain that?]
Boa Hancock: "An Admiral at Sabaody? That wasn't just about the Supernovas, was it? That island is crawling with World Nobles… was Kizaru really there to guard them?"
Ulti: "Pfft—Arton calling him the 'Slacker Admiral'? That's gold! Still, it's true. He went, fought, and somehow didn't catch a single Supernova worth mentioning."
Gion: "So Borsalino deliberately failed? Was he cutting Garp some slack? But then what about Rayleigh… and Kuma? What roles did they play?"
Doll: "Didn't Arton once say Rayleigh trained Luffy? If that's true, then why did Kuma appear? Don't tell me… Kuma actually helped Arton too?"
Kujaku: "Those seven are the Supernovas of the future? If the Navy had managed to lock them up early, the seas might've been calmer. …Wait. Jewelry Bonney?! If she was involved, then Kuma appearing makes sense. Maybe he protected her—and in the process, accidentally helped Luffy escape."
Belo Betty: "So Luffy's escape was tied to Kuma? Then Arton was right—Luffy really is Dragon's son. And Zoro being a Supernova too? No wonder the future Straw Hat crew is terrifying."
Jewelry Bonney: "'Dad? Arton, you bastard! Don't you dare spout nonsense about Kuma—it'll only get him killed!"
Smoothie: "The Supernovas, huh… aside from Luffy and Zoro, the rest have potential too. If Big Mom's crew could recruit them, our strength would skyrocket."
Monet: "Trafalgar D. Law?! That's his full name? Wait—there's a D?! Does that mean he's one of the D clan?!"
Sugar: "Then he'll be an enemy of the World Nobles' heir? Damn it, why does this name give me such a bad feeling?!"
Kalifa: "A man with the D name… yet in the future he becomes a Warlord of the Sea. Definitely no ordinary pirate."
[Something felt off. It wasn't just Kizaru failing to catch Zoro and the rest of the Straw Hats—that much could be excused.]
[Him failing to catch Jewelry Bonney, however, also made sense.]
[After all, Bonney is the daughter of Bartholomew Kuma.]
[Kuma became a Warlord in large part because he wanted to protect this woman.]
[The Navy knew this well. If Kizaru dared lay a hand on Bonney, Kuma would've unleashed hell on them with that Paw-Paw Fruit of his.]
[I remember—after the Paramount War, Teach caught Jewelry Bonney and tried to make her his woman.]
[She kicked him in the face for his trouble.]
[Thinking back now, it's hilarious—Teach actually complained that Bonney's temper was too violent for a woman, saying she was only fit to be a 'comrade.']
[In the end, she didn't even become a comrade. Teach wanted to trade her to the Navy for a ship.]
[But Akainu came personally, forcing Teach to retreat and leave Bonney behind.]
[Even that iron-blooded man Sakazuki, who embodies Absolute Justice, told her, 'When I heard you escaped, I was surprised.' And Bonney still slipped through his fingers.]
[That alone shows how much face Kuma carried in the Navy.]
[If not for that, Sakazuki would have either thrown her into Impel Down or punched a hole straight through her chest—just as he did to Whitebeard.]
[If Akainu himself couldn't take Bonney, there's no way a slacker like Kizaru would have.]
Shyarly: "So Kuma, like Jinbei, also had something precious he wanted to protect…"
Smoothie: "Interesting. If we could capture Bonney, Mama could gain a powerful new asset."
Whitey Bay: "But Kuma's power is too troublesome. Anyone trying to use Bonney against him will face immense resistance."
Boa Hancock: "Kuma… had a daughter?!"
Koala: "You've got to be kidding me. Mr. Kuma had a child?!"
Belo Betty: "And because of that, even an Admiral had to let Bonney go?!"
Gion: "So that's why Borsalino didn't grab her at Sabaody, huh… makes sense."
To Gion, it was understandable. Every Warlord had their own deal with the Navy. Kuma's deal just happened to be: do not touch my daughter.
To keep him calm, the Navy had to compromise.
As for Bonney—when she realized her father had been protecting her all along, her heart twisted with emotion.
"That bastard Teach… he wanted me to be his woman?!"
"What a joke!"
"I'd rather become Arton's woman than that traitor who stabbed Whitebeard in the back!"
(AN: This fanfic was originally written before it was revealed that Bonney is actually a child. For the rest of the story, she will be assumed to be an adult.)
Bonney spat the words, disgust churning in her chest at the thought of Blackbeard's face and scheming mind.
If Teach had the strength to help her save Kuma, maybe—just maybe—she could have swallowed her pride.
But he didn't. He never could.
And for that, she would never be his woman.
...
For every 3 five-star reviews → +1 extra chapter
For every 100 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.
Read 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon! [patreon.com/METARLN]
Use code FREE2ALL for 30% OFF!