<><><><><><>
"A new airplane design?"
"That's right," Jin said. He had sketched out the design of a fighter jet from his memory for Wolf and had asked him to research it.
The Me-262, the first jet-powered fighter aircraft to be used in combat in human history. As a military enthusiast, Jin had a decent memory for "firsts" and "classics."
The world of One Piece already had propeller planes. The reason Wolf had tried to build one, and nearly killed himself in the process, was because he had seen Law gazing longingly at a toy plane he couldn't afford.
And Buffalo of the Donquixote Family, with his Spin-Spin Fruit, simulated a propeller.
There was a common phenomenon with Devil Fruit development: the abilities a user manifested were often linked to their own knowledge and understanding. Luffy had a "Gatling" attack, which meant that Gatling guns existed, and he had a concept of them.
Buffalo was no exception.
Kid's use of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit was limited to pulling together a bunch of scrap metal, which suggested that his understanding of physics was... lacking.
And Jin remembered a movie with a "Karakuri Castle," which had ornithopters, and a "Karakuri Island," where Franky had upgraded himself with ancient technology.
"Worth checking out," Jin thought. He loved mechanics. Otherwise, he wouldn't have built a model aircraft carrier by hand.
He brought his thoughts back to the present and began to explain the Me-262 to Wolf.
"It's equipped with a jet engine and has a swept-wing aerodynamic design."
"A jet?" Wolf said, holding the drawing, completely bewildered. "What you've drawn is just a shell! What's inside? How am I supposed to build an engine?"
Jin just smiled and produced one of Germa 66's jet boots, which generated an incredibly powerful thrust.
Ai had already collected and organized Germa 66's entire technological database, which contained over a thousand advanced inventions. In addition to the Lineage Factor, memory alloys, and cloning, there were also technologies for turbojets, electromagnetism, and materials science.
Germa 66's technological reserves were more than enough for Jin to build a technological empire.
All he had to do was point them in the right direction.
He wanted to be a player, to constantly use his own strength, knowledge, and vision to influence and transform the world.
—————————
Another month later.
At the port.
Kuma waited nervously.
Inside the Polar Tang, in an operating room equipped with the most advanced medical technology from the North Blue, Dr. Kureha was directing as Law performed surgery on Bonney, with the Chief Medical Officer assisting and Chopper observing.
This wasn't the first surgery. Dr. Kureha had tried blood transfusions and organ transplants, but they had all failed.
In the end, she had decided to... change the "person."
Using Germa 66's Lineage Factor technology, they had created a new body for Bonney, and they were now going to transfer her soul into it.
It meant completely abandoning her old body.
It sounded like something out of a fantasy.
But Law's Op-Op Fruit was just that powerful. He could "separate" a target's "personality" and "body" and transfer them between different bodies. A soul was "heavier" than a personality, and the surgery required a tremendous amount of stamina and concentration from Law.
To that end, Jin had even given him the "Gunner" position on the carrier, enhancing his abilities with soul crystals and putting him through a week of special training.
Inside his "ROOM," after extensive preparations, Law precisely and elegantly "excised" Bonney's very soul.
In an instant, he transplanted it into the "clone Bonney" in the breeding tank.
The clone had been created without the original's genetic disease, using Kuma's DNA as a base.
As the soul merged with the new body, the clone's eyes opened.
The original Bonney's body rapidly petrified and died.
—————————
"Dr. Kureha... how is she?"
Seeing them come out, Kuma shot to his feet.
Dr. Kureha and the Chief Medical Officer stepped aside, revealing Bonney, standing there in the sunlight.
She wasn't wearing a cloak. There were no signs of petrification on her face. She was smiling, a radiant, happy smile.
"PAPA!"
Bartholomew Kuma, the nearly seven-meter-tall giant... simply broke.
"THANK YOU!"
—————————
On the snow-covered ground, Kuma held a fully healed Bonney, spinning in circles, weeping and laughing all at once.
"It's a miracle!"
"A true miracle!!!"
Bonney's own laughter was pure and innocent.
It was a scene that would move any father to tears, and some of the crew found themselves wiping their own eyes.
"Waaaaah..." Chopper bawled.
"Chopper, what are you crying for?" Maya asked.
"I'm not crying, you bastard!" Chopper sobbed, wiping his eyes. "I don't know why... I just... I just feel like crying! It reminds me of Dr. Hiriluk!"
He remembered it all—meeting the doctor, their playful fights, the gift of the hat, the warmth of their days together.
"It's a beautiful sight," Bepo, Penguin, and the other Heart Pirates murmured in unison.
Law, dragging his exhausted body out from the lab, saw the perfect picture of a father and daughter reunited. A wave of relief washed over him, dissolving his fatigue.
A look of deep contentment settled on his face.
"It feels good, doesn't it?" Dr. Kureha said, taking a long swig from her flask of plum wine before letting out a hearty laugh. "Seeing a patient healed, a family's joyful smiles."
"This, Chopper—this is what we doctors strive for our entire lives."
"This kind of satisfaction, this happiness... it can't be bought with anything in this world. That fool Hiriluk... if he could see this kingdom now, he'd be smiling too."
—————————
Perched on the ship's mast, Reiju watched with a small, wistful smile. She envied Bonney for having a "Father" like that.
Her own family was devoid of affection, let alone a father's love.
It was a truly happy scene.
Robin watched, a faint smile playing on her lips, genuinely happy for Kuma and Bonney. But she gently tugged the brim of her hat down, hiding the flicker of envy in her own eyes.
Jin stood off to the side, arms crossed. Doing a good deed really does bring a genuine, heartfelt joy.
"Have any interest in a trip to the West Blue?" he asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Robin started, surprised.
"Our world tour continues. Next stop: West Blue. I've always been interested in Ohara."
<><><><><><>
~ 60 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
~# Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~# Add to Library!
