Egghead Island, Research Layer. Bonney paced anxiously outside the operating room, her eyes fixed on the door. The moment the light above it flickered off, she burst inside. Her gaze first landed on Kuma, his body connected to a web of instruments and IV lines, before darting to Sephiroth and Vegapunk standing beside the operating table.
"How did my dad's surgery go?" she demanded.
Sephiroth peeled off his medical gloves and tossed them into a nearby trash can. "We just removed some unnecessary instruments and deleted some corrupted data. Given Kuma's condition, there wasn't much else to do. He'll recover after a few days of rest."
Bonney pressed, "What about his memory and personality? Have they come back?"
"Not yet," Sephiroth replied, placing a helmet bristling with wires onto Kuma's head. "To restore his memory and personality, we need to reinject his backup data into his mind. But we can't rush it—it'll take three to five days. If we hurry, he might wake up with fragmented memories and a scrambled personality."
He reached for a syringe, punctured his own arm, and drew a tube of blood. Without hesitation, he injected it into Kuma.
Bonney frowned. "What are you doing?"
"Inducing ultra-deep hypnosis to speed up his recovery," Sephiroth explained. "It'll also give him a good dream—well, probably a nightmare, considering his memories. Definitely not something I'd want to experience."
Bonney's expression twisted into a mix of gratitude and unease. "Well... thank you, I guess."
Vegapunk's eyes lingered on the discarded syringe. "Sephiroth," he mused, "your body and Devil Fruit abilities are fascinating. Would you let me study them?"
Sephiroth snorted. "Not a chance. And if I catch you experimenting on me behind my back... let's just say you'll regret it."
Vegapunk scratched his head sheepishly. "Alright, alright. I promise I won't."
"Good," Sephiroth muttered. "If you've got time to waste on me, focus on perfecting the Seraphim instead. The manufacturing plan is solid, but they still need physical adjustments to reach their full potential. They could become the strongest humans ever created."
A loud gurgle interrupted the conversation. Bonney clutched her growling stomach and shot a pleading look at the two scientists. "It's already noon. Aren't you hungry?"
Her gaze lingered on Sephiroth, her meaning clear. Bonney wasn't particularly picky about food, but after tasting Sephiroth's cooking, she'd developed a craving for it. Even when using the same ingredients as the automated food vending machines, his meals were in a league of their own—flavorful, almost magical, and impossible to resist.
Sephiroth sighed under her pitiful stare. "Fine, I'll cook. We can talk more over lunch."
Bonney cheered as he left the operating room and headed for the kitchen on the research floor. He decided to whip up some seafood fried rice—a simple yet satisfying solution to their midday hunger.
The rich aroma of fried rice spilled from the kitchen and drifted down the hallway. By the time Sephiroth finished cooking, four people were already seated at the kitchen table: Stussy, York, Vegapunk, and Bonney.
"Miss Stussy," Sephiroth observed, placing a plate of steaming fried rice before her, "you seem quite fond of my cooking. These days, whenever I cook, you always appear right on time."
Stussy picked up her spoon, scooping a mouthful of golden rice. She chewed slowly, her expression one of pure satisfaction. "Your skills are impeccable," she admitted. "I can't deny that."
Sephiroth watched her lips part around the spoon, her red mouth moving sensuously. He couldn't resist teasing her. "Seems I've completely conquered your stomach. Maybe your body and mind will be next."
"Is that so?" Stussy shot him a sidelong glance, her voice dripping with playful challenge. "It's not certain who'll be conquering whom." She licked the corner of her mouth, her tongue lingering just a moment too long. The gesture was unexpectedly alluring.
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, a knowing chuckle escaping him, but he said nothing more.
At Marine G1 Branch, Ain sat buried beneath a mountain of documents in the Base Commander's office. The stacks were so high they blocked her view of the door entirely. She sighed, a pang of regret creeping in. This wasn't what she'd imagined when she'd asked Sengoku to assign her as Sephiroth's subordinate.
She'd hoped for more interaction with him—daily exchanges, shared responsibilities. Instead, after her first day, Sephiroth had handed her a stack of plans for the New World Marines' development and promptly vanished. In his absence, she'd been left to manage an endless stream of military affairs, her days consumed by paperwork.
Some of the tasks were beyond her authority as a subordinate. When she'd called Sephiroth to point this out, he'd brushed her concerns aside. "I trust you completely," he'd said. "Handle it. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility." And then he'd disappeared again.
Now, Ain's days began and ended with work. Even her dreams were filled with documents and deadlines.
The office door clicked open. "Just put the documents on the sofa," Ain called without looking up. There was no point—the stacks blocked her view anyway.
The person who entered didn't reply. Instead, the door clicked shut and locked from the inside. A rich aroma wafted through the room, making Ain's stomach growl. Curious, she stood from her chair and peered around the mountain of paperwork.
"It's already noon," Sephiroth said, holding a plate of seafood fried rice. "I made this myself. Want some?"
He smiled awkwardly, his gaze meeting hers. Ain couldn't help but notice the faint flush on his cheeks.
Because the New World had just experienced a Pirate turmoil, Sephiroth was preparing to reform the Marines in the region. The workload had exploded, and his hands-off approach had left Ain drowning in responsibilities.
He knew his behavior was irresponsible, and he felt a twinge of guilt. But...
When it came to the Immortality Surgery, even Marine affairs—or women—had to wait. Sephiroth's absence from G1 Branch lately had a simple explanation: he'd been holed up on Egghead Island, absorbing every scrap of knowledge Vegapunk could offer about the procedure's remaining hurdles.
For days, he'd barely spared a thought for anything else. No distractions, no dalliances—just relentless study. Until now, he'd worked alone in secret, keeping his research hidden. Progress had been slow, each obstacle requiring painstaking personal effort to overcome.
But with Vegapunk's vast expertise, solutions had finally emerged. The Immortality Surgery was nearly within reach. "I want some!"
The rich scent of seafood fried rice hit Ain like a wave. The fact that Sephiroth had cooked it just for her dissolved every trace of frustration she'd carried these past days, leaving only warmth fluttering in her chest.
Sephiroth poured her a cup of black tea, his voice low and steady. "Military affairs can wait. Focus on what's urgent—the rest will keep."
Ain scooped up a bite of rice, nodding as she spoke between mouthfuls. "True, but the New World's still in chaos. The Marines have their hands full, especially with the newly annexed islands..." She finished her meal quickly, already rising to return to the paperwork piled on her desk.
"Wait—" Sephiroth caught her wrist. "You're being careless."
Ain blinked. "Huh?"
Without another word, he reached out, plucking a single golden grain of rice from the corner of her lips. He popped it into his own mouth, chewing slowly.
Ain's face burned. "Th-that—thank you!" Her pulse hammered, words tangling in her throat.
Sephiroth only laughed, sliding an arm around her waist to pull her close. His breath tickled her ear as he murmured, "You just finished eating, so don't work yet. Why not relax and rest for a bit?"
"R-relax? How?"
A sharp whoosh cut through the air as the towering stack of documents toppled off the desk, scattering across the floor.