One Piece: The Template System-Chapter 150: Thriller Bark - 14

The eastern docks were a volatile canvas of ice, magma, and steel. The Supernovas had just stepped out of the fog, presenting a united front alongside the Ben, sending a visible ripple of unease through the Marine infantry.

But Jewelry Bonney didn't care about the Marines. She didn't care about the Admirals, the alliances, or the tactical advantage.

The moment her eyes locked onto the towering, silent figure of Bartholomew Kuma standing fifty yards away, her tough, foul-mouthed pirate persona completely shattered.

She broke rank. Without a word of warning to Law, Bege, or even Ben, Bonney launched herself forward. She sprinted across the cracked, ruined stone, completely ignoring the chaotic crossfire of the battlefield.

Ben, who had just stepped back after repelling Kuma, noticed the sudden movement. His golden eyes tracked her immediately.

Kuma followed Ben's gaze. The Warlord's eyes locked onto the pink-haired woman sprinting desperately toward him.

For the first time since he had arrived on Thriller Bark, the imposing, emotionless Warlord physically froze. His massive frame locked up, a flicker of shock piercing through his heavily modified programming.

Ben saw the hesitation. He saw the desperation in Bonney's eyes. And he knew that if CP0 or the Admirals saw the "Jewelry" pirate captain interacting emotionally with the World Government's ultimate weapon, both of them would be executed for treason before the day was over.

Ben didn't hesitate. He raised his right hand and subtly waved his fingers.

Spatial magic and advanced light-refraction runes flared to life instantly. An invisible, hemispherical dome snapped into existence, perfectly encompassing Ben, Nami, Kuma, and the approaching Bonney.

To the rest of the world—to the CP0 agents watching from the galleon, and the Marines fighting on the ground—the reality of that specific fifty-yard radius was instantly overwritten.

What the outsiders saw was a fierce, high-speed battle. The illusion projected Ben, Nami, and Bonney aggressively attacking the Warlord with lightning and Haki-laced strikes, while Kuma fights back. Ben layered the dome with a static frequency that completely jammed any external Haki users' ability to sense the true life forces or emotions within the barrier.

But inside the dome, the world was entirely different.

The deafening roar of the war outside—the explosions of magma, the shattering of ice, the screams of the infantry—vanished instantly, replaced by absolute, pin-drop silence.

Bonney didn't even notice the magical barrier forming around them. She reached Kuma, throwing her arms around the Warlord's massive waist. She buried her face into his thick jacket.

As she hugged him, the effects of her Devil Fruit rippled across her body. The tough, young-adult pirate captain melted away, reverting instantly to her true form: a small, ten-year-old child.

"Dad!" Bonney sobbed, her small voice breaking the silence. She gripped his jacket tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Dad... why?! Why didn't you write to me? You promised! You promised you would send letters!"

Kuma looked down at the small, sobbing child clinging to him.

Slowly, carefully, Kuma fell to his knees. He dropped his massive, bear-like hands, gently cupping her small face. His thumb brushed the spot just under her right eye where the deadly Sapphire Scales used to grow. Seeing her skin perfectly clear and healthy, a single, silent tear escaped his eye, sliding out from beneath his spectacles.

"I'm sorry," Kuma rumbled, his deep voice thick with an emotion that hadn't been heard in years. He wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in a protective embrace. "I'm so sorry, Bonney."

Nami, who was standing just a few feet away with her Clima-Tact raised, blinked in absolute confusion. The sudden shift from facing a terrifying, emotionless cyborg to watching a crying child hug him and call him 'Dad' gave her severe whiplash.

"Dad...?" Nami whispered, lowering her staff slightly. She looked at Ben, completely lost. "Ben... what is going on?"

"Stand down, Nami," Ben said softly, keeping his hands in his pockets. He stepped closer to her, keeping his voice at a low murmur. "He was forced to become a government employee to pay for the cure for her terminal illness. He gave up his life, his freedom, and his humanity, just so she could live."

Nami's breath hitched. Her eyes widened, instantly tearing up as the pieces fell into place. A sad understanding smile touched her lips. She remembered her own mother, Bell-mère, standing in front of Arlong, sacrificing her own life with a smile so that Nami and Nojiko could survive.

"A parent's sacrifice," Nami whispered softly, her grip relaxing on her weapon. "I understand."

"You lied!" Bonney cried into Kuma's chest, refusing to let go. "You left the Sorbet Kingdom and you never wrote to me! You left me alone!"

"I wrote to you," Kuma said gently, resting his large chin on the top of her pink hair. "I wrote letters to you every single time I had the chance, my sweet Bonney. I gave them to Alpha to deliver to you."

Bonney pulled back slightly, her tear-streaked face looking up at him in confusion and hurt. "Alpha? But... I never received any letters. Not a single one. She told me you forgot about me."

Kuma froze. His eyes narrowed, a terrifying, quiet fury ignited deep within his chest, directed entirely at the World Government agent who had deliberately isolated his daughter and withheld his only connection to her.

"That is why I came out to the sea," Bonney wiped her nose, her voice trembling. "I escaped. I came to search for you. The people from the church... they became my pirate crew just to help me find you."

Seeing her distress, Kuma pushed his anger down. To comfort her, he gently raised two massive fingers and tapped a familiar, rhythmic pattern against her small shoulder.

Doom-Dut-Da-Da. Doom-Dut-Da-Da.

The rhythm of the Sun God Nika. Bonney instantly recognized the beat from her childhood. She smiled through her tears, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that her real father was still in there.

Kuma closed his eyes, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "You shouldn't have become a pirate, Bonney. The sea is too dangerous for you. The World Government..."

Ben stood silently, watching the reunion. He let the clock tick, giving them exactly five minutes of uninterrupted peace within the silent dome. He let Bonney cry, and he let Kuma hold his daughter. It was a luxury neither of them had been afforded in years.

When the five minutes were up, Ben slowly stepped forward, his boots clicking softly against the stone.

"It's a beautiful reunion," Ben said, his tone gentle but carrying a necessary weight. He looked directly at the Warlord. "But we are currently in the middle of a war zone. I need to know where you stand, Bartholomew Kuma. Are you still going to work for the World Government after this?"

Kuma slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the Magician. He didn't release his hold on his daughter.

"I have to," Kuma stated, his voice returning to its calm, stoic baseline. "If I do not comply with the Pacifista project and my duties as a Warlord, they will immediately come after Bonney. They will execute her."

Hearing that, Bonney pulled back, smacking her small fists against Kuma's chest.

"No! I don't care!" Bonney scolded him, her voice rising. "I don't want you to be their slave! I can take care of myself!"

"I am sorry, Bonney," Kuma said softly, gently catching her small hands in his massive paw. "But this is the only way I can ensure you stay safe. My life is a small price to pay for yours."

Ben sighed heavily. He had expected this stubbornness. Kuma was a martyr by nature.

"Alright," Ben muttered. "Let's bring in the boss."

Ben reached up and tapped the black Kimoyo bead on his wrist.

"Merry," Ben commanded. "Establish a connection. Call Dragon."

"Routing connection now, Papa," Merry's voice chirped softly from the bead. "Encryption protocols active. Stand by."

A moment later, the Kimoyo bead emitted a bright, crisp beam of blue light. The light expanded in the empty air between Ben and Kuma, forming a high-definition, three-dimensional holographic projection.

The face of Monkey D. Dragon materialized in the air. He looked exactly as imposing as ever, the dark red tattoo on his face stark against his serious expression, a heavy green cloak draped over his shoulders. He appeared to be standing in a dimly lit command room.

"Ben," Dragon's deep voice echoed from the hologram, a hint of surprise crossing his stoic features. "This is unexpected. The Revolutionary intelligence network lost track of your crew's movements after Water 7. Where are you? Do you require assistance?"

"We're currently in the Florian Triangle, Dragon-san," Ben greeted him with a polite nod, casually omitting the fact that they were in the middle of a catastrophic war with two Admirals and an army. "And no, we're doing fine. But I called because I have someone sitting right in front of me that I think you need to see."

"Who?" Dragon asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

Ben stepped aside, gesturing toward the kneeling giant and the small girl. "See for yourself."

The holographic projector adjusted its focal lens, transmitting the image of the dome's interior back to Baltigo.

When Dragon saw Bartholomew Kuma kneeling on the ground, holding a crying child, the Leader of the Revolutionary Army completely froze.

For a long, heavy second, the most wanted man in the world was entirely speechless. His eyes widened, the usual unshakeable stoicism fracturing.

"Kuma..." Dragon breathed, his voice laced with genuine shock and a deep, underlying sorrow. "What happened to you? Why did you join the World Government? Why give yourself to the very people we swore to eradicate?"

Kuma looked at the hologram of his former leader. He lowered his head slightly in a gesture of respect. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I did it for Bonney," Kuma answered simply.

Over the next two minutes, Kuma quickly and efficiently explained the ultimatum placed upon him by Saint Saturn. He explained Bonney's Sapphire Scales disease, the deal with Vegapunk for the cure, and the unavoidable contract that required him to become a mindless cyborg and a dog of the military to pay for her life.

Dragon listened in absolute silence. He didn't interrupt. He didn't overreact. When Kuma finished, Dragon simply nodded slowly, his eyes softening.

"I see," Dragon said quietly. He let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for years. "I always had faith in you, Kuma. I told the commanders you wouldn't betray the Revolutionary Army without a reason. A father will go to great lengths for his daughter. I understand."

Ben cleared his throat, stepping back into the hologram's view.

"Sorry to interrupt the emotional closure," Ben said, "but we are on a ticking clock. I called because I hope you can take Kuma back into the Revolutionary Army today, Dragon-san.."

"No," Kuma immediately refused, shaking his head. "If I disappear, the World Government will know I went rogue. They will immediately dispatch CP0 and the Admirals to hunt Bonney down. I cannot risk her life. I must return to them."

"You won't have to worry about her," Ben countered smoothly. He pointed a thumb at Bonney. "She is going to join our crew. She will sail under the Straw Hat flag. We can protect her."

Kuma hesitated, looking at Ben, and then back at Dragon.

"Dragon-san," Ben prompted. "Would you mind vouching for us? Assure him of how strong and resourceful we are."

Dragon looked at his old friend. "Kuma. My son is the captain of that crew. But beyond that... Ben is a genius. His brilliance in engineering and tactical planning surpasses even Vegapunk. He possesses resources and technologies that the World Government cannot even comprehend. If Bonney is with them, she will be safer than she would be anywhere else in the world."

Kuma looked at the hologram, processing the weight of Dragon's words. To hear Dragon elevate a pirate above Vegapunk was staggering. Kuma slowly turned his gaze to Ben, evaluating the Magician, and then looked down at Bonney.

Bonney, having wiped her tears, suddenly frowned. The pirate captain's pride flared back to life. She crossed her small arms and glared up at Ben.

"Hold on a second!" Bonney snapped. "Who are you to decide that I'm joining your crew?! I have my own crew! I'm the captain of the Bonney Pirates!"

Kuma placed a gentle, massive hand on her shoulder. "Bonney. The people from the church... they only set sail to protect you. They will be overjoyed to know you are safe with a crew that can truly challenge the world. I will ensure they return to Sorbet Kingdom safely and are well cared for."

Bonney hesitated, her loyalty to her friends warring with her father's reassurance.

Ben didn't argue. He didn't try to reason with her. He simply reached into his coat and casually tossed a small, unassuming leather pouch toward her.

Bonney's pirate instincts kicked in. She caught the pouch mid-air, looking at it suspiciously. "What is this? A bribe?"

"Reach your hand inside," Ben instructed calmly. "Think of the exact food you want to eat right now. And pull it out."

Bonney raised an eyebrow. Skeptical, she closed her eyes, reached her small hand into the leather pouch, and thought of her absolute favorite food.

She pulled her hand out.

Resting in her palm, steaming hot, perfectly baked, and dripping with melted cheese, was a massive, gourmet Margherita pizza.

Bonney's jaw hit the floor. Her eyes bugged out of her head.

"What..." Bonney gasped, sniffing the pizza. It smelled heavenly. "How...?"

"That is an enchanted spatial pouch," Ben explained, adjusting his glasses. "It can produce an unlimited amount of perfectly cooked, gourmet food, anywhere, anytime. Whatever you want."

Kuma, seeing the massive, greasy pizza in his ten-year-old daughter's hand, instantly dropped his stoic Warlord persona. His fatherly panic overrode everything else.

"Magician," Kuma said, a tone of deep, genuine concern entering his voice as he looked at Ben. "She is a growing girl. She needs a balanced diet. Does that pouch produce vegetables?"

Bonney scowled, aggressively biting into the pizza. "I'M A PIRATE CAPTAIN, DAD! I EAT WHAT I WANT!"

Nami covered her mouth, trying not to laugh at the bizarrely domestic argument happening in the middle of an warzone.

Ben leaned forward slightly, offering a business-like smile. "So. Do you want to join my crew?"

Bonney stared at the pizza. Then she stared at Ben. Then she stared back at the pizza.

She was physically trembling. A brutal, agonizing internal war was raging behind her eyes. On one hand, she had her pride, her independence, and her crew of loyal church friends. On the other hand... infinite, instantly accessible, gourmet pizza.

Nami burst into a warm, genuine smile. The sheer, desperate look of conflict on Bonney's face was identical to the look Luffy got whenever he was forced to choose between one piece and a banquet.

Ben, seeing her struggle, decided to drop the final, absolute hammer.

"Right now, your father is half-robot," Ben said, his voice turning deadly serious. "If you agree to join us, and trust me... I will turn him back into a one-hundred-percent, flesh-and-blood human again. No cybernetics. No programming."

Bonney didn't even hesitate. She shoved the entire remaining pizza into her mouth in one bite, swallowed it whole, and saluted Ben.

"I will join your crew," Bonney said instantly.

Kuma's eyes widened in absolute shock. He looked at Ben, his mind failing to compute the statement.

"That... that is impossible," Kuma said, his voice entirely devoid of its usual calm. "Vegapunk himself told me the process is irreversible. The brain modifications, the loss of humanity... he said I will never be a human again after the final surgery."

"Vegapunk is a brilliant scientist," Ben said calmly. "But he relies entirely on science. He doesn't know magic. I do. Leave the restoration to me, Kuma-san. When the time is right, I will give you your body and your life back."

Kuma stared at the silver-haired man. For the first time in years, a genuine spark of hope ignited in the Warlord's chest.

Ben looked back at the hologram. "So, Dragon-san. If I fix him, will you be taking him back?"

Dragon offered a rare, genuine smile. "The Revolutionary Army will always welcome you back, Kuma. Your seat at the table has been waiting for you."

Kuma smiled softly, a tear finally escaping his eye. "Okay. I will come back."

"Glad to have you back, my friend," Dragon said.

"Goodbye, Dragon-san. We have a war to finish," Ben said, tapping his Kimoyo bead and cutting the connection, where Dragon had a confused expression when he heard the word war. The hologram vanished, returning the dome to silence.

Ben walked over to Kuma. He reached into his spatial storage and pulled out a simple, elegant silver chain. Hanging from the chain was a triangular pendant with a circle and a line inside it—the symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

"Take this," Ben said, handing the necklace to Kuma. "Keep it hidden on your person. It is enchanted. It will allow me to track your exact location and communicate with you directly, bypassing any World Government surveillance. When this war is over, and the time is right, I will use this to find you."

Kuma took the necklace reverently, clutching the small silver pendant in his massive paw. He nodded. "Thank you, Ben."

"For now, you have to keep up appearances," Ben instructed. "You must continue fighting on the World Government's side today. You have to make it look real. If they suspect you are compromised, things will get complicated."

"Understood," Kuma said, slipping the necklace into an internal compartment beneath his jacket.

Ben turned to look at Nami and Bonney. "I'm dropping the illusion dome now. You need to remember that we are currently in the middle of a massive battlefield."

Nami blinked, suddenly remembering the apocalyptic clashes she had been watching just five minutes ago. The emotional reunion had been so intense she had completely forgotten about the Admirals.

"Right!" Nami gripped her Clima-Tact, her battle-focus returning.

"I will drop the barrier simultaneously with a physical strike," Ben explained to Kuma. "I'm going to punch you. Brace for impact. I need to launch you back toward the World Government galleon so it looks like we overpowered you."

Kuma stood up to his full, towering height. He braced his legs, crossing his massive arms over his chest. "I am ready."

Bonney sniffled one last time. She focused her Devil Fruit powers, and in a blink, the crying child vanished, replaced once again by the tough, fierce, young-adult pirate captain. She drew a pistol from her hip, aiming it at her father with a heavy heart but a determined mind.

"We will talk about the crew details after the fight, Bonney," Ben said, his fists turning pitch-black with Armament Haki.

"Just don't hit him too hard!" Bonney ordered.

Ben smiled. "I never do."

Ben pulled his right arm back. The golden energy surged into his muscles.

He didn't hold back the visual effects, but he carefully modulated the actual force. He struck Kuma perfectly in the center of his crossed arms.

"Ruler's Impact!"

The exact microsecond Ben's fist connected, he deactivated the illusion dome.

To the outside world, the visual feed seamlessly transitioned. The CP0 agents and the Marines simply saw the Magician finally land a devastating, glowing strike on the Warlord after a fierce, five-minute melee.

KRA-KOOM!

The concussive shockwave blasted outward. Kuma was launched into the air like a cannonball, flying backward over the ruined battlefield, soaring over the heads of the fighting Supernovas and Marines, crashing violently into the thick wooden hull of the World Government galleon in the bay.

The battlefield roared back to life in their ears.

To the east, Luffy and Akainu were locked in a terrifying, earth-shattering brawl. To the north, Zoro and Sanji were a blur of green slashes and white fire, aggressively pushing back Aokiji's encroaching ice age.

And directly in front of Ben, the Supernovas were launching their counter-offensive, tearing into the Marine infantry alongside Franky and the Iron Legion.

Ben adjusted his glasses, looking at Nami and Bonney.

"Alright, ladies," Ben grinned, the thrill of the battle catching up to him. "Let's go win a war."

---

On the shattered deck of the World Government galleon, Kuma slowly pulled himself out of the splintered wood. He dusted off his jacket, completely unhurt. Ben had perfectly modulated the kinetic force to look devastating while dealing zero actual damage.

High above him, standing safely on the mast of the ship, the CP0 agent in the featureless mask pulled out a Golden Den Den Mushi.

"The Warlord has been overpowered," the agent reported coldly into the receiver. "The Supernovas have formed a temporary alliance with the Straw Hats. The situation has escalated beyond acceptable parameters."

"Understood," Saint Saturn's cold, detached voice replied over the secure line. "We will send the appropriate backup."

A few minutes later, in the sprawling, high-ceilinged office of the Fleet Admiral at Marineford, the secure Den Den Mushi rang.

Sengoku picked up the receiver. He listened to the orders from the Five Elders in absolute silence.

"Send Kizaru immediately," Saturn commanded. "Followed by a Buster Call-level fleet. Do not let the Mugiwara escape the Florian Triangle."

"Understood," Sengoku nodded, his face grim. He hung up the receiver.

He looked across the room. Admiral Borsalino—Kizaru—was lounging comfortably on a yellow couch, lazily clipping his fingernails.

"You heard them, Borsalino," Sengoku said heavily. "Go to Thriller Bark as fast as possible. I am deploying a fleet to follow you."

"Moshi mosh..." Kizaru sighed lazily, standing up and casually brushing off his yellow striped suit. "Such scary rookies these days... making an old man work overtime."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper—a Vivre Card belonging to Admiral Aokiji, who was already at the island.

In a flash of blinding, brilliant yellow light, Kizaru vanished through the open office window, rocketing across the ocean toward the Florian Triangle at the literal speed of light.

Sengoku picked up his standard Den Den Mushi. "Prepare six galleons and three Vice-Admirals for immediate departure."

After the call disconnected, Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling a massive migraine building behind his eyes. He looked over at the other couch in the room.

Vice-Admiral Garp was sitting there, his feet propped up on a coffee table, casually munching on crackers from a small leather pouch Ben had given him back in Water 7.

"Sorry, Garp," Sengoku said, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. "It is not in my hands now. It is a direct order from above. They are not holding back. Your grandson's luck has run out."

Garp didn't look worried. He didn't even stop chewing. He just looked at his old friend and held the small leather pouch out toward the Fleet Admiral.

"Want a cracker, Sengoku?" Garp offered cheerfully. "They're fresh."

Sengoku, entirely exhausted by Garp's absolute nonchalance in the face of his grandson's impending doom, sighed in defeat. He needed a snack. "Fine."

Sengoku reached his hand into the pouch and pulled out a cracker.

What the Fleet Admiral didn't know was that the magical pouch produced whatever the holder subconsciously desired, or in this case, whatever Garp vividly imagined as he held it out. As Sengoku reached in, Garp had thought of the spiciest, most brutal, weapon-grade chili pepper cracker in existence.

Sengoku popped the cracker into his mouth and bit down.

He froze. His eyes bulged out of his skull. His face turned a vibrant, violent shade of crimson. Thick, gray steam literally whistled out of his ears like a boiling kettle.

"WAAAAAAAAGH!" Sengoku screamed, breathing actual fire across his desk, incinerating his paperwork. "WATER! GARP, YOU IDIOT! IT BURNS!"

"BWAHAHAHA!" Garp roared with laughter, grabbing his magical pouch and sprinting out the office door as fast as his legs could carry him.

"GET BACK HERE!" Sengoku chased him down the hallway, screaming and gasping for milk, leaving the tension of the impending war momentarily forgotten in the wake of the old Marines' antics.