"You bastard!" Bonney screamed, her voice raw with fury. "You erased my father's personality back then, and now you're telling me you can't restore it? I'll kill you!" She lunged forward, her movements swift and desperate. Circling behind Sephiroth, she swung the streetlamp she clutched in her hands, aiming straight for Vegapunk.
But before the blow could land, Sephiroth's hand shot out, catching the pole mid-air. Bonney yanked with all her strength, but the streetlamp didn't budge. Her face crumpled as she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Give me back my dad!" she sobbed, her voice breaking. "Please, give him back!"
Her body shrank, her ability deactivated, leaving her as a fragile ten-year-old girl. She curled into herself, weeping uncontrollably. Vegapunk hesitated, then stepped out from behind Sephiroth. Kneeling in front of her, he sighed heavily, his face etched with guilt. "Bonney, I'm truly sorry," he said quietly. "Erasing Kuma's personality and memories… I had no other choice. It's haunted me ever since."
Bonney's tear-streaked face snapped up, her eyes blazing. She grabbed his collar, her small hands trembling with rage. "Why?" she demanded. "Why did you have to kill my father? What reason could possibly justify that?" Vegapunk looked away, his voice strained. "I promised Kuma I'd never tell you. I'm sorry."
Her grip tightened, her nails digging into his coat. "Don't treat me like a child! My father would never abandon me willingly! He'd never just… just let himself die!" Her voice cracked, but her fury burned brighter than ever. If not for Sephiroth's presence, she might have struck Vegapunk where he knelt.
"I'm not lying to you," Vegapunk said, his tone pleading. "I really can't tell you." Bonney's breath hitched. "What could possibly make a father who loved his daughter so much choose death? You've said enough—can't you see that?" Her voice wavered, her anger giving way to confusion.
Sephiroth, who had been silent until now, spoke softly. "Bonney, think about it. What reason would drive a father to such extremes? Vegapunk's already hinted at it. You're still young, but the answer isn't hard to guess." Bonney froze, her eyes widening. Her small body trembled as the realization dawned. "You mean… Dad did it for me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Vegapunk's expression darkened. "Bonney, I can't tell you the truth. Kuma made the decision himself, and knowing the reason would only hurt you more." She glared at him, her fists clenching. "Tell me! What happened? What did he do for me?" Vegapunk shook his head stubbornly. "I won't say. It's for your own good."
Sephiroth, growing impatient with the back-and-forth, stepped in. "Vegapunk, if you won't explain why Kuma's memories were erased, at least tell me how it was done. What technology was used? If I know that, I might be able to restore them." Vegapunk hesitated, then sighed.
"Kuma's experiment dealt with souls and memories. It's not a field I've deeply researched. Restoring them isn't as simple as you think. Few have ever studied the soul, and the data is scarce."
Sephiroth's lips curved into a faint smile. "Then it's fortunate I've spent years researching souls and memories. I've conducted countless experiments and gathered extensive data." Vegapunk looked at him in surprise. "You're a researcher too?"
Sephiroth chuckled. "I'm a Marine Admiral and the world's strongest swordsman, but that doesn't mean I can't be a scientist. In fact, I have extremely in-depth research in the fields of mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, soul studies, alchemy, biomedical science, and bloodline factors. At their core, a person's soul and memory are just electrical signals."
Vegapunk studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Perhaps… perhaps there's a way."
"It seems you've done some research on souls, Sephiroth."
"I'm at a loss right now, so letting you try isn't an issue... Wait!" Bonney paused, her tone shifting to caution. "Just to be safe, I need to ask—you didn't remove Kuma's brain, did you? If his brain is gone, I'm out of options too."
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "I performed human modifications on Kuma and replaced most of his organs with machinery, but I left his brain intact." He crossed his arms. "What about his circulatory system?"
"A portion was modified, but blood still flows through him."
Sephiroth rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "Hmm. In that case, I'm already somewhat confident. But I'll need to see your experimental process to make a final judgment."
Bonney's eyes widened, hope flickering in them. "Sephiroth, can you really help my father recover his memories?" She hesitated, suspicion creeping into her voice. "Wait... you're a Marine. Why would you help me?"
He chuckled softly. "Because seeing such a cute girl cry like that—it hurts me too. I can't help but want to lend a hand."
Sephiroth reached out and gently stroked her soft pink hair. Bonney blinked, recalling how he had teased her before. It felt unbelievable, but when she thought about it, he'd been kind to her—buying her clothes, treating her to meals.
Could he actually be gentle with girls?
"Of course it's fake," Sephiroth muttered under his breath. Still, his willingness to help this time was genuine. Kuma had unknowingly done him a great favor.
During the God Valley incident, Kuma had used his Paw-Paw Fruit ability to save over five hundred survivors. Among them was someone who had provided Sephiroth with photos of the massacre and a partial explanation of the truth behind God Valley. Those photos had been the leverage Sephiroth needed to force Sengoku and others to negotiate, bringing the Marines under his control.
Sephiroth didn't know why Kuma had been at God Valley that day, but the man's assistance had been undeniable. He felt grateful and didn't mind helping Kuma within his capabilities.
"Why not tell Bonney the real reason?" he thought, smirking. "Joke! Why pass up a chance to flirt with a girl?"
Soon, led by Vegapunk, Sephiroth and Bonney arrived at the research layer of Egghead Island. There, they were greeted by Vegapunk's six busy satellites.
"These are my satellites," Vegapunk announced proudly. "Shaka the 'Good' (No. 1), Lilith the 'Evil' (No. 2), Edison the 'Thought' (No. 3), Pythagoras the 'Wisdom' (No. 4), Atlas the 'Rage' (No. 5), and York the 'Greed' (No. 6). They represent my honesty, evil, thought, wisdom, rage, and greed, respectively. Thanks to them, my research speed has increased several times."
Sephiroth glanced up, studying the six satellites. What puzzled him was that three of them were cute girls—Lilith the 'Evil' (No. 6) among them.
"Does this genius scientist have a maiden's heart?" he wondered.
He turned to look at Vegapunk, an apple-headed old man with white hair and a beard. The contrast was jarring.
This strong sense of contrast really made him feel no cuteness whatsoever.