One Piece: Don't Worry, I'm a Doctor

Chapter 375: Chapter 375: Even If I Forget Everything…

Standing at the very back of the crowd, Bonney.

Quickly walked over.

In her child form, she grabbed Vir’s hand, her pleading expression painfully clear.

“Vir…”

“Can my dad come back? Can you save him?”

Bonney fought back her sobs, staring at Vir as she spoke word by word.

Her pitiful appearance was enough to make anyone’s heart ache.

Hearing Bonney’s words, the others finally realized—

Kuma was Bonney’s father?!

These two seemed completely unrelated.

The Shichibukai Tyrant Kuma actually had a daughter?

No one had ever heard of that.

But seeing Bonney like this—if she wasn’t his daughter, then this act was way too convincing.

After spending time together, they had come to know Bonney a little.

This eight-year-old was actually quite sweet.

Adorable and sensible.

Except for when she’d throw firecrackers into the toilet while Rayleigh was doing his business, or pretend she didn’t have a Devil Fruit during sparring matches with Jina, only to shrink her with a sneak attack and then stomp on her butt repeatedly—she was generally well-behaved.

But this side of her? They’d never seen it before.

Yet now.

Kuma’s condition was clearly not right.

Electric currents continuously surged across his body.

Buzzing incessantly.

Combined with the recent appearances of the Pacifistas in public, Rayleigh didn’t even need to think to guess what the Marines had done.

Kuma had obviously been modified.

Turned into a robot—his twitching head and the occasional arcs of electricity were proof enough.

And now Bonney was asking a doctor to save a robot?

That didn’t seem right.

Something about this was terribly wrong…

Vir remained silent, staring blankly in one direction while raising his right hand.

Was he about to scratch his head? Did he feel awkward too?

Rayleigh could tell—Vir had no solution either.

But seeing Bonney on the verge of breaking down, even Rayleigh—who had once been covered in crap thanks to her pranks—couldn’t bring himself to crush her hopes.

“Uh, Bonney… Kuma’s a robot now. A doctor won’t help. You’d need an engineer.” Rayleigh carefully suggested.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Bonney’s body visibly trembled.

Her eyes dimmed, her head drooping lower and lower.

Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.

Yet she pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to let herself cry.

Her small hand still clung to Vir’s sleeve, as if it were her last hope.

She knew better than anyone what state her father was in.

But now, aside from Vir, she had no one else to turn to.

She knew—it must have been that weird uncle who treated her illness. He was the world’s greatest engineer.

But he was with the Marines.

He would never help her. She’d never even get to see him.

Now, her only hope was the man standing before her.

The man who had created countless miracles.

How desperately she wished.

Wished that those countless miracles could happen just once for her.

Just once for her idiot dad.

Once was enough…

Just once would be enough…

This idiot dad had already given so much.

He had believed in miracles time and time again.

Yet miracles had never once favored him.

Just this once… was that too much to ask?

Why did the world have to be so cruel?

Why did it treat her dad like this?

What had he ever done wrong?

All he wanted was for her to live well. What was so wrong about that?

Bonney’s tears slowly soaked her clothes.

Vir’s silence was the clearest answer.

Her last hope had been shattered.

She wanted to burst into sobs.

But she couldn’t. Only in Kuma’s arms did she have that privilege.

Over and over, she tried to suppress her emotions, but the tears refused to obey.

Just like the tragic ending before her.

She wanted to change it, but all she felt was overwhelming helplessness.

But then.

A powerful surge of energy began gathering nearby.

A dazzling golden light caught Bonney’s blurred vision.

There, sitting on the ground, Kuma.

Had lifted his head.

From his mouth, a dangerous energy steadily intensified.

A post-modification laser beam.

Vir was somewhat surprised.

Did Kuma have these abilities after being modified in the original story?

He didn’t recall that.

Maybe he never used them in the original? Or perhaps this was a new development due to Vir’s influence?

No matter. It didn’t change anything.

With abilities like this, at least Kuma’s modification wasn’t entirely in vain.

Vir’s right hand poised to snap his fingers.

He had been staring at Kuma earlier because he sensed he was about to wake.

He planned to knock him out again.

Seeing the laser fully charged, Vir prepared to repeat his earlier tactic.

Use an electromagnetic pulse to short-circuit Kuma’s systems.

But just as he was about to act.

He stopped.

Because Kuma had stopped too.

The long-unconscious Kuma now tilted his head slightly, his expression blank as he stared at Bonney in front of Vir.

And Bonney stared back.

This scene.

Left Shiki and the others confused.

What was happening?

“Did you short-circuit him again?” Shiki, who had witnessed the Marines controlling Kuma before, asked in confusion.

“No.”

Vir’s casual response left Golden Lion momentarily speechless.

A robot with no consciousness, programmed only to follow orders.

Why would it stop upon seeing so many pirates?

Could it be… that legendary love etched deep into one’s very soul?

Everyone was shaken. Even Vir wasn’t immune.

Even if I forget everything…

I will always remember loving you.

Kuma had never spoken such words, but his actions had proven them to Bonney time and time again.

Then.

After a brief pause, Kuma tilted his head further and… smiled at Bonney.

It was an ugly smile, his mouth seemingly forced into position.

But Vir and everyone else present instantly broke out in goosebumps.

In their hearts, they repeated one word: Unbelievable.

If even they felt this way.

Bonney’s reaction went without saying.

Though the smile was ugly, to her, it was the warmest thing in the world.

Already sobbing uncontrollably, she rushed forward and threw herself into Kuma’s arms.

Vir kept his electromagnetic pulse at the ready, not daring to relax for a second.

There was no telling what a robotic Kuma might do.

But in the end.

When Bonney crashed into Kuma’s arms, crying his name.

Though Kuma’s head flickered with electricity.

His eyes flashed red for an instant.

His entire aura turned violent in that moment.

A sign that someone was trying to take control of him.

But… when those massive arms gently wrapped around the small figure in his embrace.

Every obstacle seemed to grow weak in the face of this…

“Waaahhh—! Stupid Dad! You idiot! I don’t want you to die! Come back, okay? I promise I’ll eat less from now on…!” Bonney cried, pounding her fists against Kuma’s chest.

But Kuma could never answer her.

Because his eyes were already flickering between red and white.

The fact that he remained motionless here was nothing short of a miracle.

At the same time.

Saturn, who had obtained Kuma’s highest command authority from Vegapunk, stared at the unresponsive system in disbelief.

What was going on?

The unit had clearly regained mobility!

Yet whether ordered to return, attack the surrounding pirates, or even share visual feedback—nothing worked.

No response at all!

Frustrated, he frantically issued commands to kill everything in sight.

But no matter how hard he tried, the result remained the same.

“Damn it! What’s happening?! It hasn’t even been that long since the modification! How is it already out of control? What kind of trash is this?!”

After several more attempts.

Repeatedly checking that all data was normal yet still unable to issue commands.

Saturn completely lost it!

He refused to accept that something he had worked so hard to obtain was now slipping through his fingers!

“Fine! If I can’t have it, no one will! If I can’t use it, neither can you!”

With that, he immediately issued the command for Kuma to self-destruct…

Back on the scene.

The reason Kuma’s eyes were flashing red was precisely because Saturn was ordering him to kill everyone.

But it clearly wasn’t working.

Kuma’s eyes flickered between red and white as he gently patted Bonney’s body.

With that motion.

A pale red paw-shaped bubble slowly emerged from Bonney’s body.

The paw wasn’t large.

About the size of Bonney’s current form.

But as it detached, Bonney immediately felt lighter.

The injury on her right shoulder from sparring with Jina no longer hurt.

Then Kuma reached his right hand into the red paw bubble.

The paw was quickly absorbed, and electricity crackled across Kuma’s body.

Watching this, Bonney angrily smacked Kuma.

“Even like this… you’re still helping others?! Why are you so stupid?!”

Her reddened eyes locked onto Kuma’s smiling face.

But under her gaze.

Kuma’s smile began to fade.

His eyes rapidly turned red.

His body started overheating!

No—more than just overheating!

It was beginning to swell slightly!

Saturn had activated Kuma’s self-destruct sequence.

A command only the highest authority could execute.

Bonney immediately sensed something was wrong!

The dangerous aura emanating from Kuma, the changes happening to his body.

All of it pointed to one thing—he was about to explode.

Kuma weakly tried to push Bonney away.

But she refused to budge.

She clung to his hand desperately, calling out to him over and over.

Hoping he’d come back.

But it was futile.

Just as the energy inside Kuma reached its peak, and Rayleigh moved to pull Bonney away—

*Snap!*

A powerful pulse of electricity surged through Kuma’s body.

The command system controlling him short-circuited instantly.

Kuma’s swelling body halted.

Slowly shrinking.

Until it returned to normal.

And he reverted to how he had been when he first arrived.

Sitting on the ground, head bowed, motionless…