As soon as these words were spoken, Bartholomew Kuma immediately looked troubled.
The latter condition was fine.
For Bonney, he could even sacrifice his own life, let alone just following Reno.
But the former...
Nowadays, on the high seas, whenever Reno is mentioned, several labels come to mind for everyone.
Perhaps some vary, but there is one absolute commonality.
Lecherous!
Bartholomew Kuma would not believe that Reno, surrounded by a dozen beautiful crewmates every day, was merely admiring their beauty.
If Bonney were an adult, and Reno had cured her illness, then out of gratitude for saving her life, it would be justifiable for Bonney to follow Reno.
But the problem was, Bonney was only nine years old now.
She was just a young girl.
Her current appearance was merely an illusion created by using her Devil Fruit Ability.
Thinking of this, Bartholomew Kuma suddenly found himself in a difficult situation, his expression becoming increasingly conflicted.
"Bartholomew Kuma, think carefully, once you miss this chance, you won't get another," Reno said leisurely, crossing his legs.
After all, the initiative was in his hands, and he was not in a hurry at all.
Bartholomew Kuma turned to look at Bonney, and the image of Ginny's death from illness flashed through his mind again; he immediately gritted his teeth, his last trace of worry completely gone.
The most urgent task is to cure Bonney's terminal illness; as for the rest, we can discuss it later.
"Alright, as long as you cure Bonney, I will agree to your terms." Bartholomew Kuma's voice was firm and resolute.
Hearing this, Reno nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Bonney and asked, "And you, are you willing to follow me from now on?!"
At these words, Bonney, who was usually so carefree, uncharacteristically revealed her girlish nature, fiddling with the corner of her clothes shyly and glancing at Bartholomew Kuma before nodding in agreement.
Reno smiled slightly and said, "A smart choice."
With that, he walked to Bonney's side and channeled the Healing Power into her body.
Bartholomew Kuma stared intently at Bonney, observing the subtle changes in her body.
Under the effect of the Healing Power, it only took a few breaths for the jade scale disease within Bonney's body to be completely cured.
"It's done?!!!" Bartholomew Kuma looked at Reno, who had returned to his seat, with a bewildered expression, asking in confusion.
"What else? How long do you want me to treat her?!" Reno shrugged and retorted.
Bartholomew Kuma's face was full of question marks.
To catch every detail, he had even activated his Observation Haki, and it was over in a few seconds?!!!
"Bonney."
Coming back to his senses, Bartholomew Kuma quickly stood up and immediately walked to Bonney's side.
"It's gone, it's really gone." Seeing the crystal-like growths vanish from Bonney's face, Bartholomew Kuma cried tears of joy, hugging Bonney and weeping uncontrollably.
His joy wasn't just because Bonney's illness had been cured.
There was another important reason: he could finally give an account to Ginny, who was now in the afterlife.
Bonney touched her cheeks with both hands, feeling a moment of daze.
That crystal, like a gemstone, had truly disappeared.
Her jade scale disease, was it really cured just like that?!!!
A stubborn illness that countless famous doctors were helpless against, cured so easily by Reno?!!
"Father, I'm really better." Bonney, regaining her senses, embraced Bartholomew Kuma tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Over the next half hour, Bartholomew Kuma first repeatedly confirmed whether Bonney's jade scale disease was truly cured, and then he and Bonney expressed their deeply moving father-daughter affection.
Reno watched quietly from the side, not interrupting.
After a while, Bartholomew Kuma wiped away his tears, composed himself, and looked at Reno: "Captain Reno, on behalf of Bonney, I thank you for saving her life."
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Reno.
"No need to be so polite, we have conditions," Reno said, waving his hand.
"From now on, you don't need to go to Naval Headquarters, and you don't need to participate in the execution of Ace."
"Yes, Captain," Bartholomew Kuma nodded in immediate response.
The only reason he was coerced by the Marine was because of Bonney.
Now that Bonney's stubborn illness was cured, the Marine?! They were nothing!
"Captain, the Revolutionary Army…" Bartholomew Kuma hesitated for a moment, speaking with some reluctance.
Revolutionary Army Leader Dragon had been good to him, and even though he had now joined the Reno Pirates, Bartholomew Kuma still wanted to go back and inform Dragon.
It was best to part on good terms.
"I killed Luffy, and I am now irreconcilable with Dragon. I don't need to say more about how to choose, do I?!" Reno looked at Bartholomew Kuma and said indifferently.
"Captain, you… you killed Luffy?!!!"
Hearing this, Bartholomew Kuma's expression changed drastically, and he could only let out a helpless sigh.
Luffy was Dragon's only son; his death made him very sad.
But compared to Bonney, Bartholomew Kuma knew how to weigh the importance of things.
Dispelling the last trace of distracting thoughts in his heart, Bartholomew Kuma's gaze became firm again, "Captain, tell me, what should I do from now on?!!!"
Reno stared at Bartholomew Kuma, his thoughts swirling.
Putting him in the Pirate Crew was definitely not an option, and Amazon Lily wasn't suitable either.
I've got it!
"I'll send you to Thriller Bark. You'll live there from now on, and if I need you, I'll find you." Reno quickly thought of the best place for Bartholomew Kuma.
"Thriller Bark?! Gekko Moria's territory?!"
Bartholomew Kuma frowned, then suddenly realized.
No need to guess, Gekko Moria must have already joined the Reno Pirates.
"Alright, I'll listen to the Captain." Bartholomew Kuma naturally had no objections.
Now that he had no worries, he would do whatever Reno told him to do.
After a brief farewell to Bonney, Reno took Bartholomew Kuma and instantly teleported to Moriah's territory.
Thriller Bark was now basically an empty shell.
Gekko Moria had already responded to the Marine's call and gone to Naval Headquarters.
Only Hogback, one of the Three Eccentrics, and a few scattered zombies remained here.
After leaving Bartholomew Kuma a Haki training manual, Reno prepared to leave.
The rest would be for Bartholomew Kuma to explain to Hogback himself.
"Captain…"
Just as Reno was about to teleport, Bartholomew Kuma's hesitant voice suddenly came from behind him.
"What else is it?!!!" Reno asked with a frown.
Bartholomew Kuma looked at Reno with a strange expression, hesitated for a moment, and reminded him, "Captain, Bonney is only nine years old this year."
With that, Bartholomew Kuma vanished instantly.
He believed Reno would understand.
Reno:...After returning to the airship, Bonney was visibly ill at ease when facing Reno alone.
Reno looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, troubled and unsure how to proceed.
Nine years old, that was too young.
Not even double digits.
In his helplessness, Reno could only mark Bonney, claim the reward first, and then consider Bonney again after a few more years.
[Congratulations to Host for successfully subduing crew member Bonney. Do you wish to claim the reward?!!!]
"Claim," Reno's mood was not very good this time.
[Congratulations to Host for successfully obtaining item reward — Sleepy Ancient Town eternal pose.]
Sleepy Ancient Town?!!!
Reno's eyes lit up. If he remembered correctly, the Animal-type Mythical Zoan, Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Form, was hidden in Sleepy Ancient Town.
This Devil Fruit, even among Mythical Zoan, was a standout.
In the original story, after the Marineford War, Count Red, who had escaped from Impel Down, obtained this Devil Fruit in Sleepy Ancient Town.
But now, Reno naturally wouldn't let it fall into someone else's hands!
After contentedly putting away the eternal pose for Sleepy Ancient Town, Reno took out a den den mushi and called Hancock.
Sabaody Archipelago.
With Vice Admiral Tsuru and numerous Marine Vice Admirals taking action, all Supernovas except Bonney were completely suppressed!
The Supernovas, wearing Sea Stone shackles, were escorted onto marine warships.
At the same time, an informant reported to Vice Admiral Tsuru that Reno's whereabouts had been discovered in Area 1, and he had engaged in a major battle with the Straw Hat Pirates.
When Vice Admiral Tsuru arrived at the scene with her team, the area where the two sides had fought was already packed with people, all discussing animatedly.
Vice Admiral Tsuru dispatched Marine Soldiers to disperse the crowd, then began to examine the scene.
Reno and Bartholomew Kuma were nowhere to be found, leaving only the unconscious Straw Hat Pirates and the corpse of Straw Hat Pirates Captain Luffy.
When Vice Admiral Tsuru saw Luffy's corpse, her expression changed drastically.
After handling the scene, she immediately led her team back to Marineford and informed Sengoku of the news.
Marineford, Marineford.
In the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku stared intently at Vice Admiral Tsuru, whispering, "Tsuru, are you sure it's really Straw Hat Luffy who died?!!!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded with a solemn expression.
"It's over." Sengoku slapped his forehead, his face filled with despair.
Vice Admiral Tsuru worried, "Garp will be back soon, how should we tell him?!!!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru, always resourceful, was now at a loss.
The news of Luffy's death had already begun to spread on Sabaody Archipelago, and the accompanying soldiers and Vice Admirals had all seen it; they couldn't keep it a secret even if they wanted to.
As former members of the 'Iron Triangle,' Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru were among the few who knew the true identities of Ace and Luffy.
They were both Garp's grandsons.
Especially Luffy, he was Garp's biological grandson.
Ace was about to be publicly executed, and Garp was already heartbroken.
And now, his biological grandson had died at Reno's hands. If Garp knew about this, he would surely go mad.
Sengoku rubbed his temples, his head aching, "I warned him back then, told him to warn Luffy not to become a pirate, not to become a pirate, and now look…"
"Sengoku," Vice Admiral Tsuru softly called out, shaking her head.
No sooner had they spoken than Garp walked in through the door with a darkened face.
His face still carried the un-faded sorrow and grief.
"Sengoku, what do you need me for?" Garp asked in a low voice.
He had just returned from Impel Down and received Sengoku's call. Had the Whitebeard Pirates made a move?
Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru exchanged glances, giving each other meaningful looks, yet hesitating to speak.
Garp frowned, sensing something amiss.
"What exactly happened?" Garp's tone grew a few shades heavier.
"Garp, no matter what you hear next, stay calm," Sengoku commanded in his capacity as Fleet Admiral.
Realizing the seriousness of the matter, Garp exhaled a turbid breath and said coldly, "Speak. Ace is about to be executed; what else could I not accept?"
Sengoku looked deeply at Garp and said in a low voice, "Just now, I sent Tsuru to Sabaody Archipelago to apprehend the Supernovas."
Hearing this, Garp's pupils suddenly constricted.
Luffy?!!
"You caught Luffy?!!!" Garp asked, frowning.
Sengoku opened his mouth, unable to continue speaking.
Vice Admiral Tsuru let out a helpless sigh and interjected, "Garp, we did capture most of the Supernovas, but Luffy was not among them."
Before Garp could even breathe a sigh of relief, Vice Admiral Tsuru continued, "He… he was killed by Reno. His body is in the morgue."
Boom!!!
As Vice Admiral Tsuru's words fell, an unprecedented and terrifying aura instantly erupted from Garp's body.
Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki erupted simultaneously, and a black and red dual-colored aura surged forth like a tsunami, instantly leveling the entire conference room with destructive force, then quickly enveloping all of Naval Headquarters.
Rumble.
Rumble.
The dual-colored aura shot skyward, and lightning, like venomous snakes, wildly streaked across, tearing the sky apart.
The previously clear sky quickly became overcast, presenting a bizarre, apocalyptic scene.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Vice Admiral Garp, Vice Admiral Garp is enraged!"
"My goodness, what on earth happened?"
"..."
Countless Marine Soldiers looked up in terror, breaking out in cold sweat from the horrifying sight.
"Garp!!" As Garp went berserk, Sengoku instantly transformed into a golden buddha, radiating immense light.
"Tsuru, you... tell me again, who died?!"
Garp's eyes were bloodshot, his face grim, as he gritted out cold syllables.
At this moment, Garp was completely like a crazed beast.
Ace was scheduled for execution in a few days, and now he was being told that his biological grandson had also died?!
"Garp, calm down!!" The golden buddha swung its massive palm, pressing down on Garp's shoulder, tightly restraining his movements.
But Garp, having already lost his sanity, was not so easily controlled.
"Reno!"
Boom!
The golden buddha was directly shaken off!
"Stop it!!"
"Vice Admiral Garp, stop!!"
Almost simultaneously, shouts came from three directions.
Admiral Akainu, Admiral Aokiji, and Admiral Kizaru arrived belatedly.
"Quickly restrain Garp!" Sengoku roared, swinging his giant palm and closing in.
The three quickly followed suit.
Impel Down.
The world's greatest prison, known as the "Iron Wall."
All those incarcerated here are heinous criminals and pirates, and it is filled with monstrous jailers and den den mushi for surveillance.
Since its construction, no one has ever escaped alive, except for the Golden Lion Shiki, the flying pirate.
Due to Ace, Impel Down's security has been exceptionally strict these past few days, with alerts at maximum.
In the restroom of Blazing Hell, the fourth level of Impel Down.
Magellan had a headache. Due to the side effects of the Doku Doku no Mi, he already spent nearly ten hours a day in the restroom.
These past few days, he had been swamped with matters concerning Ace.
And now, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, of all people, chose this time to visit Ace. He couldn't fathom what she was truly up to.
Gurgle gurgle.
Gurgle gurgle.
His stomach rumbled. Unable to figure out the situation, Magellan could only focus on the task at hand.
Inside a certain lounge in Blazing Hell.
"Mmm."
Little Sadie, the Chief Guard with long curly hair, dressed in a hot pink midriff-baring leather top and tight bell-bottoms, let out a comfortable moan.
She had just finished her day's work, having whipped a dozen or so pirates until they screamed.
As a queen who enjoyed sadism, Little Sadie would become extremely excited whenever she heard the prisoners' screams.
Excited to the point of trembling, excited to the point of being unable to extricate herself.
Tap, tap, tap.
Tap, tap, tap.
Little Sadie stared intently at the several bounty posters on the table, her two slender fingers rhythmically tapping the surface.
"Reno."
Looking at Reno's picture, Little Sadie felt an itch all over.
Although they spent long periods in Impel Down, with minimal communication with the outside world.
Naval Headquarters would send newspapers to Impel Down immediately, allowing them to stay informed about external news.
Little Sadie had noticed Reno a long time ago.
Initially, she didn't pay much attention, but after Reno killed Crocodile, destroyed Impel Down, and kidnapped a Celestial Dragons.
Little Sadie became increasingly obsessed with Reno.
Don't misunderstand, Little Sadie wasn't falling in love with Reno.
Instead, she couldn't resist the urge to discipline Reno, to whip him hard and hear his wails.
Little Sadie was certain that Reno's screams would be the most beautiful sound in the world.
Only by disciplining a pirate like Reno could her S-attribute be maximally satisfied.
"Mmm."
Looking at the photo in front of her, Little Sadie's eyes became hazy, and she couldn't help but lick her crimson lips.
"Reno, when will you fall into my hands?!"
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.