Wait, I think I saw this guy in "Strong World."
That was my first thought. Though I didn't know the specific name—or rather, I couldn't recall it—this creature was a "Terror Bear."
They were known for a balance of power and speed so high that they could dodge an attack from Luffy himself.
While the ones in Shiki's army were extra violent due to chemical enhancement, even a wild one was a formidable beast.
Planting my mace in the ground had been a mistake; the bear took it as a challenge. It lowered its center of gravity, entering a combat stance. It didn't look like it was going to let me pass quietly.
"Fine. I guess I'll have to make you behave."
I stuck the White-Tailed Mace into the dirt and took an empty-handed stance. The bear lunged, swinging a massive paw downward.
I crossed my arms to intercept the blow, parrying the force to the side before launching a snapping side-kick.
The bear was fast. Seeing its attack deflected, it used its other arm to block my kick and leaped high into the air, coming down with a two-handed overhead strike.
Between the length of its arms and the centrifugal force of the jump, those sharp claws would have caused a grisly injury if they hit home.
"Tekkai!!" (Iron Body)
I flexed every muscle, hardening my frame. The bear's claws struck with a dull thud and bounced off my skin. I didn't give it a chance to recover.
"Ren-sou Kenpou!!" (Rapid-Fire Fist Cannon)
Keeping the Tekkai active to add weight to my punches, I drove both fists into the bear's torso, sending it tumbling backward through the brush.
It started to struggle back to its feet. Wait... if it was drawn here by the smell of food, maybe I can just bribe it?
I grabbed one of the roasted octopus legs and tossed it toward the creature. It caught the skewer in its long arms, stared at me for a few tense seconds, and then bit into the perfectly charred meat.
Seeing it eat with such gusto, I sat back down and started on my own meal. Suddenly, a long arm reached out from the side and snagged another one of my skewers.
Well, whatever. I just increased my eating speed. The bear was huge, and I could always hunt more later. I let it eat its fill.
When I finished and stood up to head deeper into the forest for more game, the striped bear began to waddle along behind me. I stopped, turned around, and looked it in the eye.
"Can you understand what I'm saying?"
Animals in this world were notoriously intelligent. The bear gave a low "Grrr" and nodded.
"Are you planning on following me?"
"Grrr-rr." Another nod.
"I don't live on this island. I'll be leaving soon. Do you still want to come?"
The bear tilted its head, seemingly in thought, before nodding firmly.
"If you follow me, you have to listen to what I say. I'll keep you fed, though."
"Grrr!"
"Hmm... then you need a name. Black and white... stripes... monochrome... Monokuma? No, that'll get me in trouble.
Alright! Since you're a Black-and-White Striped Bear (Shiro-kuro Shima-shima Kuma), your name is Sigma! Nice to meet you, Sigma!"
"GRRR-RU!!"
The bear—now named Sigma—let out a happy roar. It would be roughly an hour before I returned to the ship and caused a total panic among my troops.
The Scientist's Bargain
After returning to the coast, we spent the next few days systematically dismantling Shiki's operation, clearing out research facilities and seizing moored pirate ships.
The biggest prize, however, was a stroke of luck: we found Dr. Indigo's research data on the Daft Green and the I.Q. plants.
Eventually, I stood before a prison cell on the Beatrice, looking at Dr. Indigo himself.
"Here's the deal, Indigo. Choose: you either rot in a cell, or you work for me."
"Pi-ro-pi-ro-pi-ro! Why would I ever help the Navy!?"
"Just so you know," I leaned in, "if you choose the cell, you're going straight to Impel Down. You know what that place is like."
Indigo went quiet for a moment. "…What happens to Lord Shiki?"
"Shiki will be executed or sent back to Impel Down. His name is too big; I can't just let him walk."
"If I work for you... Can you guarantee that Lord Shiki is sent to Impel Down instead of the executioner's block?"
"You want to save his life by making sure he's imprisoned?"
"Answer me: can you do it? If there is any chance he is executed, I have no intention of following you."
It was a plea for mercy for his captain. Given that Shiki had already escaped once, the World Government would likely push for execution. That decision rested with the top brass.
"Even if he goes to Impel Down, the environment is hellish. I can't guarantee he won't die in custody."
"Pi-ro-pi-ro-pi-ro! That man wouldn't die from something as trivial as that!"
"Fine, fine. I'll do everything in my power to sway the decision toward life imprisonment. I can't give you an absolute guarantee, but I'll pull every string I have. Is that enough?"
Indigo stopped his clownish antics. His gaze became sharp and deadly serious. "If he is not executed, fine. You must stop it, no matter what. Otherwise, our deal is off. You can kill me or send me to the depths of the sea for all I care!"
I sighed, defeated by the scientist's loyalty. "Understood. I will move heaven and earth to ensure Shiki isn't executed. Are we agreed?"
"Hmph. Then what do you want me to do?"
"I want you to continue your research on the Daft Green and the I.Q. plants."
"And the objective?"
"I want you to extract the high-toxicity particles from the Daft Green's scent and, more importantly, develop an antidote for them."
"Understood. How do we play this? Do I 'escape' now?"
"We're heading to the Sabaody Archipelago. Once we arrive, you'll 'escape' the ship. I have a safe house prepared where you can lie low until the heat dies down.
Once the time is right, you'll resume your work. I'll have all the materials from this lab delivered there. If you need anything, tell me when I visit, or I'll introduce you to a contact. Questions?"
"I'll trust your word for now. But if Shiki is executed... I will never forgive you."
"Done. Welcome to the team, Dr. Indigo."
We shook hands through the iron bars. With the Golden Lion captured, a legendary scientist recruited, and a giant striped bear named Sigma on the deck, we set sail for Sabaody before our final stop at Marineford.
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