To Saturn, he didn't consider Nika a threat. Instead, the Revolutionary Army that could destabilize their rule and Sage, who currently held the greatest power, posed a significant danger.
Vegapunk finally couldn't hold back and angrily shouted, "What impure blood! Isn't this your doing too, Saturn! The Cyan Scale Disease is something you created!"
"For research, mere mortals should feel honored, especially since the existence of impure blood shouldn't be in this world. Being studied by me was its value. However, regarding Bonney, I only observed without intervening much. As long as you cured her and she behaved, her future life would be beautiful. You could say filthy people never learn what quiet means."
With complete indifference, Saturn said, "Avenging her father? Kuma was never her father. That extinct species shouldn't have existed either. Even though it's dead, it still caused some issues. Without her, I suppose you wouldn't have exposed your research so early; perhaps you'd even contribute to us, Vegapunk."
"It's just the exploration of history. If the World Government truly cared about the common people, it wouldn't fear this history. I don't understand what you are afraid of! And Ginny... Ginny was innocent too. People shouldn't be treated this way! What you've done to the world was never right; non-adhering countries might not be protected, but they're not animals to be hunted at will!" Vegapunk yelled.
"Gin what?" Sage was startled.
The name...
It felt vaguely familiar.
Golden Lion?
Had he heard it somewhere?
"Ginny, a former leader of the Revolutionary Army's Eastern Force, and also... Bonney's mother."
A hint of gloom appeared in Vegapunk's eyes as he recounted the past events.
The matter wasn't overly complicated.
Even Sage knew some of it.
For instance, thirty-eight years ago, when they hadn't faced the Rocks Pirates' sniping, those arrogant Heavenly Celestial Dragons held a 'hunt' on a non-adhering faction every three years.
The specific method involved treating everyone on the island as prey, even releasing slaves to round up the numbers, and then the Heavenly Celestial Dragons had a hunting competition until the entire island's population was exterminated.
It was called the 'Indigenous Massacre Competition,' and once the massacre was complete, the island naturally belonged under the World Government's umbrella.
Exactly, every island not under an adhering country but under the World Government, including Carnival City and Water Seven within the Grand Line belonging to the World Government's domain, came about this way.
And last time, thirty-eight years ago, the island chosen by the World Government was 'Divine Valley' located in the New World, where the Heavenly Celestial Dragons held their competition, slaughtering local residents and those slaves they released.
Three individuals were more known that year.
One was someone Sage had encountered in Impel Down, Emporio Ivankov, the king of the Kamabakka Okama Kingdom; another was a former Seven Warlords of the Sea, transformed into a weapon, possessing the Bakania Race bloodline, Bartholomew Kuma; and the other was known as Ginny.
That was also the turning point for the Rocks Pirates, having been defeated by the combined forces of Garp, Roger, and the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, turning the Rocks Pirates into history. But, due to this surprise attack, many Heavenly Celestial Dragons perished, leading them to no longer insist on that tradition.
Note — no longer insisting doesn't mean they ceased entirely.
The fixed triennial competition vanished, becoming a sporadic event, happening whenever there was an opportunity to initiate a hunting competition.
Vegapunk wasn't supposed to know this, but he was friends with Kizaru...
That Admiral knew a lot.
In that war, many Great Pirates whom Sage was familiar with were born.
Three of the Four Emperors, the Golden Lion, Ochoku, all emerged from Rocks.
And the three escaped slaves eventually joined the predecessor of the Revolutionary Army, the Self-Brave Army. Then... Ginny was captured, sent to Mary Geoise as a slave, and eventually, Bonney was born through the Heavenly Celestial Dragons' so-called 'forced marriage'.
But, as a slave, she was used by Saturn for human experimentation, developing a condition where exposure to sunlight caused blue stones to grow on her skin, resulting in total body paralysis and fossilization — the Cyan Scale Disease.
In the end, Ginny was released, left with her daughter, and then died, while Bonney was later adopted by Kuma. However, the Cyan Scale Disease affected her again. To cure his daughter, he found Vegapunk, but by then Vegapunk had already joined the World Government.
Saturn agreed to this condition, but the prerequisite was that Kuma, possessing the Bakania Race's blood, willingly become a test subject for artificial weapons, conditionally joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea in exchange for Bonney's treatment.
Vegapunk certainly participated in this, but just like the name 'Peacekeeper', he hoped the soldiers cloned from Kuma's bloodline would genuinely contribute to peace.
But what Saturn desired was purely weaponry.
"Yes, the Peacekeepers currently contribute to peace; I admit order is indeed better than chaos. You may have done wrong, but within the scope of the World Government, at least people maintain order."
Vegapunk addressed Saturn, "Clearly, that should be enough. Even Kuma agreed to erase his consciousness, remove his memory, becoming a mere weapon... Why? Why won't you even allow Bonney to read a letter? Clearly, this should suffice; everything would proceed as envisioned, why?!"
Every letter, since the treatment began, every letter Kuma sent to Bonney was intercepted and destroyed by CP8 members guarding at the time, which he only discovered after encountering Bonney here.
That was Kuma's sole wish!
Without this, even Bonney wouldn't have ventured to sea, living a stable life in the South Sea!
"There's no such why. I never promised that Kuma could send letters. Any unstable factor must be curbed in advance, otherwise it'd lead to unmanageable situations. Vegapunk, since you understand the role of stability, then you should realize that one or two people's lives don't affect anything."
Saturn said coldly, "As you experience more time, you'll understand it better, friendship, love, bonds... those things, like mayflies, are fleeting in an instant."
"So, living long is what's making you crazy, huh?"
Sage's voice pierced their ears, drawing their eyes towards him.
Only to see Sage softly smiling, "Such a rotten story, whom did it move? The main victim whose childhood sweetheart was snatched away doesn't even think about revenge, instead wanting to negotiate with the enemy? Even making a deal that leads to his death?"
He glanced at Saturn and said, "Dorag is really useless. He's only taking action now and even hesitates, doesn't dare kill the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, merely surrounding Mary Geoise. He's less than a Pirate; what is he afraid of? Bloodline? The prestige of eight hundred years of ruling? Act soon, stir things up big, slaughter every Heavenly Celestial Dragon he encounters; you wouldn't be so arrogant?"
"Kuma, I recall he's a Paw-Paw Fruit Ability User. That ability can easily transport people to most of the world. The Revolutionary Army's intelligence is sharp; upon learning of Heavenly Celestial Dragon patrolling, they could just go and slay them."
"Kill one and it's a gain, kill two and people begin to fear, kill more... those beasts valuing their bloodline would learn fear; you elder monsters would have to negotiate for stability."
"Like what I did back then, capture a few Heavenly Celestial Dragons; I did as I pleased. He has the capability. The people on the sea, have they been suppressed too long? Even basic resistance seems outlandish; Revolutionary Army? I might've overrated them previously."
Though living here for so many years, such abstract matters were absolutely impossible for him to accomplish.
Kuma might be a good father, but definitely not a strong one.
If it were him handling it, like he said himself, he would force Saturn to cure Bonney, or trade the Heavenly Celestial Dragons' lives for it.
That guy never considered one thing, Bonney's greatest backing — who it was.
Without the greatest backing, whether cured or not, what difference does it make?
The main victim reached this point, even making Sage feel annoyed.
Sage spread his hands, grinned menacingly, and said:
"Just as I mentioned earlier, seeking peace through war is the king's way! Look, I'm not afraid of O'hara being destroyed. Here's the deal today: if my O'hara is destroyed, I'll personally head to Mary Geoise and slaughter the Heavenly Celestial Dragons — that'll keep you in line!"