Shortly after, another figure arrived.
Admiral Kizaru, also known as Borsalino, stepped in, calm as ever, carrying a Transponder Snail.
On the other end of the line—
Saint Saturn.
Through the snail, Saturn spoke, his voice cold and measured.
He acknowledged that Kuma would make an excellent base for the clone soldiers.
But there was a problem.
Kuma was a pirate.
A wanted man with a bounty of 296 million berries.
At first, Saturn refused.
Someone like that couldn't represent justice.
The reputation alone made it unacceptable.
But Vegapunk spoke up.
He pointed out something Saturn couldn't easily dismiss.
If this worked—
It would save lives.
That mattered.
After a brief silence, Saturn gave his answer.
He would allow it.
But only under strict conditions.
The first—
Kuma would join the Seven Warlords of the Sea, filling the position left vacant after a rookie named Ace had killed one of its members.
The second—
It wouldn't just be the clones.
Kuma himself would be turned into a weapon.
A human weapon for the Navy.
He would undergo full cybernetic modification.
Become a cyborg.
Then Saturn continued.
There was a third condition.
One that made everything else seem small in comparison.
Given Kuma's past with the Revolutionary Army—
When the process was complete—
His mind...
And his free will...
Would be erased.
Vegapunk snapped.
He was furious.
He called it what it was—a glorified death sentence.
A cyborg without free will wasn't a person.
It was a machine.
A soulless robot.
He demanded to know if Saturn expected him to go through with it.
If he wanted him to become a murderer.
But Saturn didn't react.
He simply reminded Vegapunk of his place.
He was a Navy scientist.
These were the conditions.
This was the price for saving the life of a criminal's daughter.
If Kuma refused—
Bonney wouldn't be cured.
That was all there was to it.
