Bardock nodded approvingly. He stepped forward, patting Daz Bonez on the shoulder, and casually tossed him a Blood Dandelion. "From now on, I'll just call you Bonez. Press this Dandelion against your wound, and it'll heal instantly."
"Yes, Boss. But... isn't it a bit of a waste to use a miracle drug on a minor wound like this? If I just bandage it up, it'll heal on its own in a few days."
Daz Bonez was incredibly reluctant to use such a priceless item.
"Don't worry about it, there's no need to be stingy. I have plenty more," Bardock said. He reached into his pouch, grabbed a massive handful of Dandelions, and shoved them into the bounty hunter's hands. "See? Lots of them. Take these too. Our crewmate makes these herself. Whenever you run out, just let me know and I'll give you more."
"This..." Daz Bonez was dumbfounded. He had seen it clearly with his own eyes: even after Bardock pulled out a massive handful, the pouch on his waist was still bulging. It hadn't deflated in the slightest.
That wasn't just "plenty." That was an absurd, bottomless supply! And the fact that the source of the medicine was a crewmate meant they practically had an infinite stockpile.
"Yes, Boss."
Bonez pressed the Dandelion to his chest and watched his wound knit together at a visible, miraculous rate. He felt deeply that joining this crew was the smartest choice he had ever made. Even if Bardock tried to kick him off the ship now, he wouldn't leave. With a steady supply of this god-tier medicine, as long as he wasn't killed instantly, he could recover from any fatal injury. He could push his limits and grow stronger at a terrifying speed. One day, his name would become a legend on the seas.
"Alright, it's getting late. We'll set out tomorrow. I'll take you back to meet the rest of the crew," Bardock said, looking at the setting sun.
"Boss, what kind of people are our crewmates? Are they all strong?" Bonez asked, genuinely curious about the people Bardock had recruited.
Bardock thought about it for a moment before answering. "While they're still a bit green right now, every single one of them is an absolute top-tier genius in their respective fields. In terms of pure frontline combat power, you're at the very front of the pack. But if you aren't careful, their abilities can still make you suffer. Besides, their main roles aren't even combat-focused."
"I understand, Boss."
The next day, Bardock led Daz Bonez to the port and boarded the Monkey King.
"I came out here alone this time, so I didn't bring the main ship. I'll show you the White Dragon when we get back," Bardock explained, noticing Bonez looking around the tiny sloop.
"Boss, I don't mean to question you, but it's not easy to travel far on the open sea in a boat this small. And we hardly have any provisions. It doesn't look like we have enough food for even three days."
"Then let me show you another one of my abilities!"
Bardock exhaled a thick cloud of white vapor that rapidly expanded into the Flying Nimbus. The golden cloud wrapped securely around the hull of the Monkey King and propelled the boat smoothly out of the port.
"Boss... you're a Devil Fruit user too?!"
Bonez had thought he wouldn't be shocked by anything else this kid did, but he realized Bardock had only revealed the tip of the iceberg during their fight. He had no idea what other abilities his new captain was hiding, or how much strength Bardock had actually held back.
"Mythical Zoan. No big deal. We're taking off, hold on tight."
Bardock was simply bullying Bonez because the bounty hunter didn't know what a humblebrag was. Otherwise, he definitely would have received a massive eye roll.
As the Monkey King lifted off the water and soared into the sky, Daz Bonez was too stunned to reply. He looked down at the vast, sparkling ocean below and muttered excitedly, "Boss, this is my first time seeing the ocean from the sky like this... it's beautiful!"
Bardock just smiled softly. 'Wait until you stare at it long enough. You definitely won't think that anymore.' But he kept that thought to himself, not wanting to ruin the stoic bounty hunter's rare moment of wonder.
Two days later, they arrived back at the familiar port of Ilusia.
After securely hoisting the Monkey King onto the deck of the White Dragon, Bardock gave Bonez a tour of their main vessel.
The galleon was no longer a standard pirate ship; everyone had requested specific renovations based on their personal hobbies, and Bardock had hired top-tier shipwrights to make it happen. Beyond the basic sailing necessities, the ship now featured a fully equipped gym for everyone to train in, a lush greenhouse for growing plants, a miniature amusement park that Leo and Mansherry adored, and a massive, sprawling library specifically requested by Robin. There was also a heavily gothic-themed bedroom for Perona—she had actually demanded they redesign the entire ship in a gothic horror aesthetic, but the rest of the crew had immediately vetoed it.
Robin and the others soon hurried up to the deck after hearing of Bardock's return. Bardock quickly introduced everyone.
Robin and the girls were very welcoming, and upon realizing that everyone here possessed unique, extraordinary abilities, Daz Bonez didn't display a shred of his usual arrogance. He smoothly integrated into the group.
Bardock nodded in satisfaction. "Since everyone is here today, it reminded me of something. Our crew still doesn't have an official name! Let's brainstorm and come up with something truly badass. What do you guys think of the Great Tang of the—"
"Oh, oh! I know! We should be the Divine Needle Explorers!" Leo cheered, waving his sewing needle in the air, completely cutting off Bardock's "Great Tang of the East" suggestion.
"No way! We should be the Phantom Troupe!" Perona argued.
"How about the Dandelion Organization?" Mansherry suggested softly.
"Perhaps the Omniscient Adventure Troupe?" Robin offered with a smile.
"Steel... uh... Six Blades. The Steel Six Blades," Daz Bonez said seriously, having just counted the six people present.
"Alright, I can see everyone is bursting with ideas," Bardock sighed, untying his Dandelion pouch. "Let's just draw straws. I don't even know how many Dandelions are left in here. We'll pass the bag around, and whoever pulls the very last one gets to name the crew! I'll go first!"
"My turn!" Leo ran up and grabbed one.
The crew passed the bag around in the order they had spoken. The results were decided quickly.
"Yay! I got the last one!" Mansherry cheered, jumping up and down happily.
"Aw, what? We can't be the Divine Needle Explorers anymore?" Leo pouted.
"Tch. The Dandelion Organization it is, I guess. Well, at least it's better than something as lame as the 'Steel Six Blades'," Perona muttered. She was highly annoyed she didn't get her Phantom Troupe, but she was relieved they dodged Bonez's edgy naming sense.
Daz Bonez wasn't offended by Perona's critique at all; he actually thought the 'Dandelion Organization' sounded pretty decent.
"What a shame, we can't use the Omniscient Adventure Troupe," Robin teased. "By the way, Bardock, what name were you trying to suggest earlier?"
Robin was deliberately poking the bear. While Bardock knew that shouting "The Great Tang of the East" (a legendary empire from Journey to the West) would sound incredibly weird for a kid born in the West Blue, he was still pretty bummed his idea got talked over.
"It's not important anymore!" Bardock shook his head. "From this day forward, we are the Dandelion Organization! We should get a Jolly Roger made—how about a white dandelion on a solid blue background?"
"Understood. I'll have someone from the gang arrange for it shortly," Robin nodded.
"Speaking of which, Robin, what's the situation with the Night Wolf Gang? Did the war between the Fang Gang and the Flying Daggers reach a conclusion? Has the Capone Family made any moves?"
Robin's expression turned serious. "Actually, I have some crucial intelligence to report regarding that. We completely misjudged Capone Bege. The man is far more dangerous and cunning than we initially thought.
"He's causing all this massive chaos, but it has absolutely nothing to do with conquering territory. He's deliberately mobilizing the forces of the various Mafia Families to draw them out. His ultimate goal is to execute his signature decapitation strikes. He intends to directly assassinate the dons of the other four Great Mafia Families!"
"Oh? He really is a guy who just loves watching the world burn," Bardock mused, his memories fully aligning with the intel. The mobster was infamous for prioritizing the thrill of taking off enemy bosses' heads over actual territorial expansion. "Isn't he worried about biting off more than he can chew?"