Back on the deck, the wooden planks were coated in ice, and the Kuja warriors remained trapped within their frozen prisons.
Hancock cast a casual glance at them and asked, "What about them?"
From her tone, it was clear she had no intention of freeing them. She was likely considering the simplest solution— tossing these ice sculptures into the sea and letting fate decide their survival.
Yet, her gaze lingered on the frozen forms of Sandersonia, and Marigold. Despite her indifferent facade, her concern for her sisters was evident.
"Don't worry, just keep pouring warm water on them. The ice will melt eventually..." Liam reassured. Whether it made sense or not, that was how things often worked in these situations. After all, when Zoro's arms and Sanji's legs had been frozen before, they had simply jumped into the sea to thaw out...
Just as Liam finished speaking, a sharp cracking sound—"kā chā, kā chā"—echoed across the deck.
He and Hancock turned toward the source of the noise.
It was Marigold. Cracks spread rapidly across her icy prison until, with a thunderous "bang," the ice shattered completely!
"You scoundrel!!"
Mari's exposed skin was marred with frostbite. As she broke free, her form shifted, her body lengthening and transforming into a resplendent golden Orochi.
The Snake of Strength, Jormungandr!
Her serpentine eyes swept across the frozen deck, fury burning in her gaze. But as she searched for the culprit behind this icy attack, she realized something— the enemy was gone. Instead, her gaze fell upon her elder sister, as well as Giorno, who held Princess Jolyne in his arms. Understanding the situation, she clenched her fists in frustration.
"He got away... I thought I was dreaming..." Mari muttered bitterly.
Hancock, still observing her sister, asked with intrigue, "You were frozen. Could you still sense what was happening outside?"
"..."
Mari hesitated. She hadn't given it much thought before. After a brief pause, she answered, "Yes... It's different from being petrified by your Mero Mero no Mi. When I was frozen, my thoughts slowed, but I still had a flicker of awareness... Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to use Jormungandr's power to break free!"
Even while trapped in the ice, she had sensed the battle raging around her. The urgency had built within her, and finally, she had unleashed the divine power of the Snake of Strength to shatter her prison.
Her eyes drifted toward her frozen sisters, especially Sander. She clenched her fists, troubled. 'What now?'
"I see..." Hancock mused, her gaze flickering toward Giorno before turning back to Mari.
Meanwhile, Liam looked down at Robin in his arms. Her condition was dire— she wasn't just unconscious from drowning; part of her body had been frozen by Aokiji's chilling powers. Even in her sleep, she trembled from the cold. She needed warmth, fast.
......
"What do you think he's here for?"
Liam's gaze locked onto the vast blue sea, where a lone figure was slowly approaching.
Aokiji.
There was no doubt about it.
Few could walk across the ocean so effortlessly.
Such a powerful presence could only belong to him.
Beside Liam, Robin remained silent for a long moment, refusing to answer his question.
He could hear her breathing grow uneven, faster. Liam didn't need to look at her to know the fear in her eyes— the weight of memories crashing down on her.
Aokiji, the Marines, the Buster Call, Ohara...
These scars ran deep.
"He's here for me..." Robin's voice was barely above a whisper, laced with dread. Her gaze remained fixed on the approaching figure. "I stayed hidden for years... But he must have begun to suspect something... That's why he's here."
A warm, firm hand wrapped around hers. A gentle squeeze, reassuring.
"Don't worry, I'm here," Liam told her softly. "Even if this goes badly, it's because I insisted on giving you an identity. It's not your fault. Sometimes, when you play with fire, you get burned. That's just how it is."
"Calm down, Robin. Control your breathing. Try not to be so obvious, alright?" His tone was lighthearted, but when Robin turned to face him, her panic was unmistakable. Aokiji was drawing closer— his presence more tangible with each passing second.
No matter how skilled she was at disguising herself, no ability of the Hana Hana no Mi could suppress such overwhelming fear.
"I'm sorry, Liam... I can't control it. I just..." Her voice was strained, her trembling barely contained.
"It's okay. This isn't your fault..." Liam murmured, squeezing her hand.
PTSD. Trauma didn't fade with time. No matter how strong someone was, past wounds remained etched into the soul. Seeing Aokiji again tore open those old scars, dragging Robin back into the nightmare she had tried so desperately to escape.
"It's not your fault... Just breathe..."
Robin stared into Liam's eyes. His voice grew distant, fading into a soft rhythm, lulling her into a trance. When she finally blinked, her breathing had steadied, and her fear had ebbed away like a receding tide.
She realized what he had done— hypnosis. A subtle technique to ease her emotional distress.
"We don't have many options," Liam said, giving her hand a reassuring pat before leading her toward a quiet corner of the ship's stern.
A dark, shadow-like presence followed them.
BIB.
At Liam's silent command, BIB. retrieved a small object from within its form—the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, along with a peculiar chip containing the Hana Hana no Mi's essence.
The illusion over Robin's face faded. The petals that once disguised her features dissolved into the air, revealing her true self— her sharp features, her high nose bridge, her undeniable beauty.
BIB. embedded the Hana Hana no Mi's essence back into Liam's core, then implanted the Magnet-Magnet Fruit into Robin. She blinked in mild surprise.
Liam explained, "You need to be a Devil Fruit user. He's an ability user too, meaning he won't be wearing Seastone cuffs. Most likely, he'll try to throw you into the sea..."
As he spoke, the Stand armor moved in perfect synchronization with his body, merging with Robin.
"BIB. will create an opening— Kuzan will try to sink you but don't worry, it'll ensure you stay in the fight."
Liam paused, considering something. "It'll be cold as hell, though. But if things go south, BIB will bring you back up."
Robin hesitated, her concern clear. "And what about you? You're going to fight him? That's too dangerous—"
"Have a little faith in me, Robin," Liam grinned. "Against that guy, I might not have the confidence to win... but if I need to lose on purpose, I'm very confident about that."
Robin exhaled a small laugh, despite herself.
"He's almost here. Time for the show."
(End of Chapter)
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