One Piece: Who Made him the Pirate King!

"Wooohooo—!"

The Little Bear Armor raced wildly under the sunlight, with Bonney inside letting out a spirited, eccentric scream.

This wasn't the first time Bonney had been able to move freely under the sun in her life.

But it was absolutely the first time she had run freely under the sunlight since the appearance of the Azure Jade Scale!

Jewelry Bonney would always remember this day—her sprint beneath the sun, the freedom she had regained…

The Little Bear Armor kept running.

Bonney's wild shouts caught the attention of the other elderly residents living near the small chapel.

"Wow! Look at that! A child who looks exactly like the Great Bear King!"

"It's like they were carved from the same mold! A smaller version of the Great Bear King!"

"Could it be that after having Bonney, the Great Bear King also had a son? He's really… productive…"

Unintentionally, Kuma's reputation took a hit.

Inside the chapel, Burdog arrived with the luggage he had just prepared—Bonney's personal belongings, along with a large amount of food.

"On behalf of the nation, I sincerely thank you for everything you've done for this country, Lord Storm."

"Save it, Burdog. The best way to show your gratitude is to govern this country well in Kuma's stead."

Storm waved dismissively at Burdog. From the chapel's floor, a Blue-Eyed White Dragon emerged, silently lifting the bundle onto its back.

"See you when fate allows!"

Without a hint of reluctance, Storm and Robin turned and left.

The Little Bear Armor was still running.

The Blue-Eyed White Dragon flapped its wings, soaring over before gently "grabbing" the Little Bear Armor in its jaws.

"Waaah—!"

Bonney shrieked in surprise.

But once the Blue-Eyed White Dragon carried her into the sky, she burst into delighted laughter.

"Haha! Higher! Fly even higher! Wooohooo—!"

"Quiet down, Bonney."

Storm rubbed his ears—when had this kid become so loud?

"We're about to accelerate."

"Accelerate?"

Bonney, still clad in the Little Bear Armor, trotted over to Storm.

"How do we accelerate?"

"Accelerate means—"

Before Storm could finish, ripples suddenly spread across the Blue-Eyed White Dragon's back, revealing an entrance.

Caught off guard, Bonney tumbled straight into the opening.

But thanks to the cushioning effect of soft Clay, she wasn't hurt at all. Instead, she thought Storm was playing a game with her.

"Giggle, giggle…"

The little girl laughed cheerfully.

"It's so dark in here! Turn on the lights! Quick!"

Click-clack—

As if responding to a command, the entire space suddenly brightened with a series of peculiar sound effects.

Bonney looked around and realized she was in a vast area—far wider than the small chapel—like a grand hall.

The light source wasn't candles or electric lamps as she had imagined, but glowing shells.

The specialty of Skypiea—Light Shells.

This space was, in fact, the Dragon Womb of the Blue-Eyed White Dragon.

Storm had specifically modified it into its current form for long-distance voyages.

If the Blue-Eyed White Dragon was the "ship,"

Then the Dragon Womb was its "cabin."

Storm and Robin descended from above, just in time to see the endlessly curious Bonney poking and prodding at everything around her, radiating boundless energy.

Snap!

Storm clicked his fingers.

The "Little Bear Armor" that Bonney had been wearing instantly blended into the surroundings. Even her sunglasses were taken away by the Clay and placed on a nearby ceramic shelf.

"Huh?"

Bonney noticed her sudden change and let out a puzzled sound.

"Uncle, where did that outfit go?"

Storm replied casually, "You don't need to wear that armor here—"

"No! I want that outfit! I want it right now!" Bonney sprinted over to Storm and, as if by instinct, began tugging at his sleeve while whining. "I love that outfit so much! It's just like Daddy's!"

Pinching his nose, Storm conjured a Great Bear Clay Figure to distract her.

"Little Daddy!"

Bonney couldn't care less about some figure. The moment she spotted a miniaturized Kuma nearby, she immediately abandoned Storm and dashed toward it.

After all, children will be children.

After playing for a while, Bonney eventually wore herself out and fell fast asleep, hugging the Great Bear Clay Figure tightly. Seeing this, Robin promptly dimmed some of the Light Shells, softening the illumination inside the "Dragon Cabin."

Only then did she bring up Bonney's condition, speaking in a hushed tone.

"Captain, are those scales on Bonney's face what you mentioned before—the 'Azure Jade Scale'?"

"Yes, an extremely rare genetic disorder. Treating it is quite troublesome, but fortunately, we've finally found a 'doctor.'" Storm's thoughts drifted to Vinsmoke Judge and his family, prompting him to add, "Well, 'doctor' might be stretching it."

Robin had already been informed of their journey's destination.

Germa 66.

The infamous evil army from the North Blue...

High above the clouds, the Blue-Eyed White Dragon soared at incredible speed.

This leg of the journey took nearly an entire day.

From the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue, Storm and his companions finally arrived at the Kingdom of Oykot in the East Blue.

As the Blue-Eyed White Dragon entered East Blue, it gradually slowed its pace.

Storm, Robin, and Bonney—once again clad in her "Little Bear Armor"—stood together atop the dragon's head.

Below them, the sea surrounding the island was dotted with enormous, meticulously arranged giant snails.

They looked like Den Den Mushi magnified a thousandfold.

Each colossal snail carried a small landmass on its shell, upon which a fortress had been constructed.

As the snails clustered together, their respective landmasses merged, and the fortresses assembled into a single grand, towering castle.

At the pinnacle of the central castle's spire, a massive flag bearing the emblem [GERMA 66] fluttered in the wind.

This was the mercenary kingdom from the North Blue—Germa 66.

The Blue-Eyed White Dragon began its gradual descent.

Meanwhile, within Germa 66...

Kuma and the others, who were currently guests there, immediately noticed the unmistakable silhouette of the Blue-Eyed White Dragon in the sky.

Without hesitation, Kuma activated the power of his [Paw-Paw Fruit], slapping himself upward toward the descending dragon.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, Kuma flew from the castle of the Germa Kingdom and landed—or rather, crashed—onto the Blue-Eyed White Dragon.

A massive paw print remained etched into the dragon's scales, a side effect of Kuma's ability activation.

"In such a hurry? You sent yourself over."

Storm manipulated the clay, repairing the Blue-Eyed White Dragon while pulling Kuma onto its head.

"Bonney! Huh?"

As Kuma stepped onto the dragon's head, he had expected to see his daughter—only to find…

A smaller version of himself?

Apart from the style and color of the glasses, there was no difference between "Little Bear Armor" and the real Kuma.

Even the spots on the felt hats atop their heads were identical in position and shape.

This was the transformative power of the [Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit].

With just a touch, it could perfectly replicate the target's appearance.

Kuma froze.

But Bonney didn't.

"Dad!"

Little Bear Armor let out a cry of joy, leaping into Kuma's arms.

"I missed you so much!"

"Bonney!"

The moment he heard his daughter's voice, Kuma recognized her instantly. He hugged her tightly, tears streaming down his face.

"My daughter! Your illness can finally be cured!"

Robin watched the emotional reunion between father and daughter.

"Captain, Bartholomew is actually quite a gentle man, isn't he?"

"He's too gentle!"

Storm smirked, steering the Blue-Eyed White Dragon toward the giant snail of the Germa Kingdom.

Kid and Killer were shouting and gesturing wildly in front of the castle.

Beside them stood a tall, imposing man.

He wore a metal helmet, had long golden hair, and was dressed in a uniform, his expression stern.

The King of the Germa Kingdom, Supreme Commander of Germa 66—Vinsmoke Judge.

'So this is the White Dragon…?'

Judge looked up at the mythical creature soaring freely through the sky, his pupils contracting slightly.

'The new Royal Seven Warlord of the Sea who defeated the Lizard King and took his place!'

In his mind, Judge recalled the bounties for Vongola Storm and the "White Dragon."

To be honest…

He couldn't understand it.

A monster who had defeated not one, but two Royal Seven Warlords—yet his bounty didn't even reach 100 million Belly?

But now, seeing Vongola Storm and his "White Dragon" in person…

Judge was left with another burning question.

Why was this White Dragon—nearly as massive as the entire Germa Kingdom—only worth 9,500 Belly?!

Not even 10,000 Belly!

Were the World Government and Marine Headquarters blind?!

However, Judge soon realized why the Blue-Eyed White Dragon's bounty was so low.

As the dragon drew closer, its size shrank rapidly.

By the time Storm and the others set foot on Germa Kingdom's territory…

The mythical Blue-Eyed White Dragon had transformed into a kitten-sized hatchling.

But… this couldn't be a real creature, could it?

"Pleasure to meet you, White Dragon. I look forward to working with you."

Setting aside his doubts, Judge stepped forward to greet them.

His attitude couldn't be called warm, but there was nothing to criticize either.

"Vongola Storm."

Storm nodded in response to Judge.

"Dr. Judge, I've long heard of your reputation.

"I've already brought the patient. Would you like to perform an examination first?"

"This must be the Tyrant's daughter, correct?"

Judge's gaze swept over and immediately noticed the "Little Bear Armor," which looked exactly like Kuma, offering a polite remark.

"She looks just like her father.

"Truly inheriting her father's excellent genes and robust physique."