So then—Did Ren know the answer?
The answer was yes.
Bonney's complete recovery, the absence of any hidden backdoor by the World Government...That must be because her paternal bloodline traces back to the Celestial Dragons.
If Bonney hadn't stormed Egghead Island in her reckless quest to find Kuma and save her father—if she hadn't revealed her Devil Fruit powers before Saturn—if she hadn't used the Age-Age Fruit's power to twist the timeline, reshaping her future into that of "Nika Bonney"
then her future would have remained safe.
The World Government would not have kept chasing her—or at least, wouldn't have shown it openly.
So then…Should I tell Kuma this answer?
Ren fell silent. The thoughts that had haunted him the night before resurfaced.
The first that came to mind, naturally, was the God Valley Incident.
From Ren's perspective, the Celestial Dragons' "tradition" had always been a political act—a strategy by the World Government, or rather by Imu's faction, to slowly absorb the world.
Without question, in today's world—no matter one's status, power, or wealth—no one could escape the brainwashing of public opinion. Under the World Government's guidance, the world had been split cleanly in two:
Those belonging to the "just, correct, and superior" half under the Government's rule—the Member Nations. And those deemed barbaric, desolate, unsafe, and infested with pirates—the Non-Member Nations.
The vast disparity in environment had driven a wedge between the two sides, turning them into "water" and "fire." They were not yet completely irreconcilable—but there was no empathy, no resonance between them.
For example—if the information about the Human Hunting Tournament were to leak to the entire world,the Non-Member Nations would panic. But without any means of communication between them, they could not form an organized resistance.
And due to the difference in their size and strength, no single Non-Member Nation could stand against the World Government alone.
Those few nations large enough to pay the Heavenly Tribute would become Member Nations instead.
In the face of the Government's overwhelming might, they would rather stay silent, watching coldly from the sidelines.
"It's only Non-Member Nations dying—what does that have to do with us? Maybe the World Government will even hand out those islands as rewards afterward."
That was the truth lurking beneath the surface.
Without empathy—and with greed easily awakened—unity was impossible. That was humanity's fatal flaw.
Of course, that was only Ren's reflection after witnessing God Valley—a conclusion drawn from his own perspective. But he did not believe it was wrong.
And what did this have to do with Kuma's question? At first glance, perhaps nothing. But one must not forget—Ren's dream was to change the world.
He was destined to stand against the World Government. For that, he needed power—his own, and that of others.
His personal power was obvious. But external power? That would be the Revolutionary Army, and all others who opposed the Government.
That was why Ren had twice leaked information regarding the Ancient Weapons.
If his allies on the same front grew stronger, the war against the World Government would become less arduous. At the same time, Ren himself would benefit from the exchange.
The same logic applied to Kuzan—by bringing him over from the Navy's side, Ren weakened his enemy and strengthened his own ranks.
And with figures of such might, one plus one did not necessarily equal two—it could be far more.
Naturally, Bartholomew Kuma could also be recruited.
His life's experiences ensured his hatred for the World Government and its oppressive rule.He had submitted only because he had no choice.
As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, his strength was unquestionable. In fact, among the seven, he was likely the second strongest—the first being, of course, the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
That much was obvious—when Luffy's crew encountered Kuma at the Sabaody Archipelago, they were completely powerless before him.
Each casual slap of his paw could send a person flying thousands of miles away—the same power could easily have crushed them into a mist of blood,yet he chose not to.
Ren estimated that even Doflamingo, before Kuma, would last only half a day before suffering total defeat.
And Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit was terrifyingly potent. Even when freshly eaten, it could repel intangible concepts like fatigue. Who knew what else it could repel with full mastery?
Thus, Kuma's value was immense.
If events were allowed to run their course, he would be turned into PX-0 by the World Government—a loss to Ren's side and a boon to his enemies.
If he wanted to intervene, he needed to reveal part of the truth—and hide the rest.
"Clearly," Ren thought, "I am no true good man."
After a long silence, his fingers stopped tapping. His calm gaze fell upon Kuma's expectant face.
Yes—the idealist who sought to overturn the world now admitted he was no hero.
He opened his mouth, delivering the cold prophecy of a seer:
"What you desire… is not reality."
"—!"
Kuma's fists clenched tight, his expression shifting violently.Even his very aura turned cold and foreboding.
Clearly, this was not the answer he had wanted.
Ren remained unmoved. "In the future I see, Bonney is captured by Saturn—on Egghead Island itself.
Vegapunk tries to protect her, but he too is targeted for elimination by the World Government.
The Seraphim—more advanced than even the Pacifistas—will carry out the purge on Egghead.
Outside, ten Marine battleships will encircle the island completely. Kizaru himself stands aboard one of them.
You know what that means, don't you?"
"...A Buster Call?!"
Kuma's voice cracked in disbelief. "But—why?! Vegapunk is one of their most valuable assets! Those greedy bastards—don't they still need his brain? And Bonney… she poses no threat to them! Why target her—why with a Buster Call?!"
The shock was immense. Kuma trembled, unable to process what the prophecy meant.
"All phenomena," Ren murmured, shrugging, his fists unconsciously tightening before relaxing again, "have their causes."
And then, in the silence that followed, he gave the answer born from last night's contemplation.
"Because of Nika—the Sun God, Nika."
Kuma's pupils constricted; his lips pressed tight, no words escaping.
"You know the legend," Ren said quietly. "The god your Buccaneer people once worshiped. Your father taught you the dance of Nika, didn't he?"
Ren recited part of the truth, voice even and calm.
"You've been away from Bonney too long. You know she's a Devil Fruit user—her power lets her control age itself, to make people older or younger with a touch, even to turn herself into a child or an old woman at will.
But what you don't know is that her power is from the Paramecia-type Age-Age Fruit.
When developed deeply enough, the user can twist the timeline of her own future.
Because it's the future, it can be imagined—and because it is imagination, it need not follow logic.
Even if she imagines herself becoming Nika!
Perhaps you should ask her—when she fled the Sorbet Kingdom and defeated that CP agent named Alpha—why did she imagine her future as Nika?"
Ren's words struck Kuma's heart like a hammer. His pupils contracted; his body shook violently.
Nika—Why Nika?!
Yes, the Sun God Nika was just a legend—a deity of myth, a symbol of the Buccaneers' hope.
But he was no longer the naïve man he once was. After years at sea, after serving the World Government in countless missions, Bartholomew Kuma was not the same man anymore.
During the rare moments of respite, he had studied much—including the truth behind why the Buccaneer Race was born as slaves.
But there was no clear answer. The Buccaneers were too few—decimated by centuries of persecution.
Every child born into the race had to hide what they were. If discovered, they faced endless pursuit from the World Government.
No one knew what unforgivable sin the Buccaneers had committed—that sin had long been buried beneath the dust of history.
Only the unending cycle of tragedy reminded them that, to the World Government, the Buccaneers' crimes were eternal.
Of course, that was what the ordinary Buccaneers believed.
But to someone like Kuma—powerful, experienced, and widely traveled—he understood that the Buccaneers' worship of Nika was itself a taboo to the Government.
There was no clear explanation—only that Nika was forbidden.
And to be feared by the World Government to such an extent…Nika must have truly existed once.
That was Kuma's conclusion. And the "great sin" of the Buccaneer Race was likely tied to Nika's ideology.
Perhaps, in some distant past, the Buccaneers had rebelled against the World Government—and failed. Their descendants bore that sin ever since.
Now—on this desolate island—Kuma heard the name "Nika" once more.
And yet, he would rather have gone deaf than hear that name linked to his daughter.
The Buccaneer's "crime" of worshiping Nika had never been forgiven.
So what kind of fate would await Bonney,now that she was bound to Nika in the eyes of the World Government?
Ren's words had already given the answer—
A Buster Call.
And among the casualties would be even Vegapunk himself—the man hailed as the greatest scientific genius in eight hundred years,whose technology could advance a nation by centuries.
Yet even he would be purged—simply because of his connection to Nika.
From a rational standpoint, it seemed absurd. But Kuma, who understood the World Government's true nature, did not doubt it for a moment.
For when enough "interest" was at stake, the Government would grant anything to its loyal servants—no matter how evil or insane the request—so long as it did not exceed the value of the petitioner's worth.
(End of Chapter)