Chapter Ten: The First Operation

Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Originating from the South Sea, he was once the king of the Sorbet Kingdom, with a former bounty of 296 million Berries. He is a "Paw-Paw Human," having eaten the Paw-Paw Fruit.

Nicknamed "The Tyrant," the world once believed him to be a ferocious pirate who dominated the seas, but his true identity is that of a revolutionary army officer.

Bufon recalled all this information in his mind before regaining his composure.

"Fix the scar on his face," he said, his tone still icy.

Standing at 268 centimeters tall, Bufon faced the 689-centimeter-tall Kuma without the slightest hint of fear, nor the usual dread pirates felt upon encountering a Warlord.

Kuma approached, glanced coldly at the unconscious Sentomaru lying on the operating table, and asked, "Did you do this?"

Bufon nodded, offering no explanation.

"Nice gloves."

Kuma abruptly changed the subject, then continued, "I heard from Moria that all these stitched zombies are your handiwork. Your skill is wasted under Moria’s command. Sentomaru should have told you why we’re here. So, are you willing to join the World Government?"

"No," Bufon replied without hesitation, not even considering the offer. His eyes betrayed no trace of wavering.

He didn’t know the real reason Kuma served Dr. Vegapunk, but he was aware that, in the end, Vegapunk, under pressure from the World Government, turned Kuma into a peacekeeper who lived by program alone.

If he joined the World Government, well...

"Then..."

As he spoke, Kuma slowly removed his gloves.

"Are you planning to use your ability to send me flying?" Bufon wondered inwardly, then switched his fruit to the Underworld Fruit.

"Can you weave me a pair of new gloves?"

The sudden shift surprised even the wise Bufon—was this behavior somehow tied to his nickname "The Tyrant"?

"Yes," Bufon replied, feigning nonchalance as he produced spider silk, weaving with his left hand as warp and his right as weft, performing a dazzling display of skill.

Soon, a brand-new pair of white gloves appeared in Kuma’s hands.

"White gloves! That name suits your current position perfectly," Bufon mused silently.

Kuma tried on the gloves, then said something that startled Bufon: "Would you like to join the Revolutionary Army?"

Bufon shook his head again.

To him, staying with Moria was the wisest choice.

"Absolute neutrality is the secret to thriving in this world—just look at Hawk Eyes," Bufon thought as Kuma’s voice sounded again:

"That’s a pity. Your remarkable skill is wasted on corpses. You should be weaving gloves and cloaks for our revolutionary army."

Kuma spoke without expression, but inwardly he was shaken.

As the former king of Sorbet Kingdom, he’d seen all manner of fine things, yet the material of these gloves revealed nothing special to him—only the craftsmanship was unmatched. Neither fingertips nor seams showed the slightest flaw.

Bufon wasn’t sure if these words were praise or a subtle rebuke.

He pondered for a moment—the Revolutionary Army did indeed seem to each possess a cloak. Whether it was due to the sandstorms of Baldigo, Island of White Earth, or the need for secrecy, he couldn’t tell.

Bufon wished to end the conversation quickly, so he asked coldly, "Is there anything else?"

Kuma paused, then produced a Devil Fruit and placed it on the table. "This is a transaction between you and me. There’s no need for Moria to know."

With that, Kuma moved Sentomaru from the operating table to the floor, then lay down himself and, removing his hat, handed a Life Card to Bufon. "Implant this in my brain. I’ve seen your skills—only you can fool Dr. Vegapunk."

Bufon took the Life Card and, upon seeing the name, even the wise emperor was a little shocked: Monkey D. Dragon!

"This..."

Bufon didn’t ask, and Kuma didn’t explain; a tacit understanding seemed to pass between them.

"Why should I agree?" Bufon replied coldly.

"I told you, it’s a transaction. This Devil Fruit isn’t artificial. We don’t even know its power. But I believe no one would refuse such a bargaining chip," Kuma said, pointing to the fruit on the table.

Indeed, the fruit’s surface still bore the original cloud pattern, not Caesar’s later imitation with dots.

As Kuma said, in this world, hardly anyone could refuse such an offer—whether to eat it or sell it, it was an incredibly lucrative deal.

If anyone could, it would be Bufon.

Bufon took the fruit and examined it, then nodded his acceptance without much deliberation.

The fruit’s appearance had already allowed him to guess most of its powers. If it was as he suspected, he absolutely had to obtain it.

Picking up the scalpel, Bufon began the procedure.

After four years of stitching zombies, Bufon’s medical skills had reached Level 3. Though it was his first time operating on a living person, he felt no anxiety.

Armament Haki instantly coated his hands. He struck Kuma’s occiput with a hand chop, and Kuma immediately lost consciousness.

The laboratory had anesthetics, but Bufon found them troublesome—his fruit's power ensured that the stitched wound would heal perfectly, causing no pain and requiring no recovery.

He felt Kuma’s scalp, located the cranial sutures, then used the scalpel to cut open the scalp along the bone seam, removing the skull.

Quickly slicing through the cerebral cortex, he placed the Life Card within and stitched it up—this process took less than a minute.

He replaced the skull, stitched the scalp, and the entire surgery lasted less than ten minutes.

Such speed and technique were far beyond any novice; even the world’s top neurosurgeons in his previous life would have needed hours, if not longer.

No—those experts didn’t even possess this skill!

At that moment, Bufon's "Character Guide" appeared in his mind:

[Host: Bartholomew Kuma]
[Level: T1]
[Faction: Pirate]
[Bounty: 290 million Berries]
[Obsession: 12%]
[Current Gains: Physique +721 → 10,845 (Level 3 Colonel)]
[Copyable Devil Fruit Ability: Paw-Paw Fruit]
[Acquirable Skill: Pressure Cannon]
[Receive gains?]

"The Paw-Paw Fruit, which can repel all fatigue and pain? That fits perfectly with my doctor’s identity," Bufon mused as Kuma’s voice sounded: "Thank you." Just two simple words, but spoken with genuine sincerity.

Bufon wasn’t surprised that Kuma recovered so quickly—his body was already undergoing mechanization, with strength far beyond ordinary people. As a Warlord, he was no mere weakling like Sentomaru.

Kuma rose, seeing Bufon unmoved, said nothing further, hoisted Sentomaru onto his shoulder, and left.

Bufon stared at the Devil Fruit Kuma had left, lost in thought.

Eating it himself was out of the question—he had the "Character Guide." With his knowledge, it was not impossible to copy every Devil Fruit power in this world.

In the original, very few Devil Fruits were shown; most only had their powers revealed, not their appearance. But Bufon, judging by its dragon-fruit shape and white exterior, made his deduction: the Spirit-Spirit Fruit!

This was the fruit power possessed by Perona in the original.

With this realization, Bufon thought that Moria, Perona’s adoptive father, was a bit negligent—surely it should be Bufon! Weaving stockings, gifting fruit, and someday secretly teaching her all its uses?

As for how to give it, having Moria pass it along was best—Bufon didn’t want to be cast as a doting father.

Explaining the fruit’s origin was even simpler—what could be more fitting than claiming it was found by chance?

Devil Fruits, whose origins are obscure in the original, become less believable the more they’re discussed.

He’d wait before handing it over, lest Moria or Kuma make any connections.

Having made up his mind, Bufon left the laboratory to check the naval corpses Kuma had brought to the port.

There were 123 bodies in total, with ranks ranging from ensign to vice admiral.

Bufon ordered the zombie puppets to move all the navy corpses into the ice vault, maintaining his own arrangements and rhythm for stitching them.