Chapter 13: INIIDF-Chapter 13 Pondering Upon It
The weather was clearly fine, and there was a recently extinguished large fire in front of them. However, the onlookers all felt a chill descending from the top of their heads.
Watching the ash-gray stone seemingly manipulated by an invisible hand, autonomously writing on the wall, the residents of the island collectively fell silent.
"A man's dream will never die? Roger?"
That Roger?!
In an instant, the journalist recalled the scene two years ago in Loguetown in East Blue.
[Hundreds of people gathered in the square, witnessing the execution of a man who engraved his name on an era in his final moments in the world.]
[That day was stormy.]
[The man called the Pirate King, kneeling on the execution platform, despite Marine's axes, smiled and left behind words that completely ignited the crazy seas.]
"Do you want my treasure?"
"If you want it, go find it!"
"I left everything somewhere in the sea!"
Obviously, not only the journalist but many others remembered the legends about the "Devil," about the "Pirate King."
Gol D. Roger had been dead for two years.
But the legend he left on the sea would never be erased!
Rather, because of the current era, where pirates everywhere chased after the shadow of the Pirate King, madly pursuing his legacy, Roger's notorious name became even more ingrained in people's hearts!
"Gūlp..."
Someone couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva, breaking the deathly silence on the street.
Snap!
The sound of the stone falling and rolling in the remnants of the fire startled everyone.
"Cursed Spirit!" Someone shouted sharply, causing a stir in the crowd.
"It's Roger's vengeful spirit!"
"The Pirate King didn't die?!"
"Devil! Roger is the undying Devil!"
Seemingly, a gust of wind blew by, causing another round of chaos on the scene.
Several wretched criminal organization members felt their necks go cold.
Roger?
The Cursed Spirit of the Pirate King?
They couldn't help but shiver, recalling the untouchable, unscrupulous Cursed Spirit that mercilessly beat them, and the Devil Child Robin they were investigating, along with an obscurely originated boy...
Hiss!
Several people shivered simultaneously.
Devil Child?
Could it be that Nico Robin is...?!!!
And that terrifying boy, could it be the reincarnation of the undying Devil Roger?!!
Or perhaps, the undying grudge of the Pirate King was the guardian spirit of that boy or Devil Child Nico Robin?!!
Stop thinking!
They dared not think!
They couldn't handle this matter themselves; they needed to report to higher-ups in the organization...
"Kā Chā, Kā Chā, Kā Chā..."
Flashes of light interconnected, the journalist's fingers trembled, pressing the shutter like crazy, continuously capturing the horrifying line of words on the wall, "A man's dream will never end! —Roger."
...
On the other side, at Hogback's mansion.
"If you want this genius to treat you, you better have at least 200,000 Beli, or don't even dream about it!"
Hogback's unpleasant demeanor matched the sharpness of his ultimatum as he addressed Liam and Robin.
Liam didn't react much; he had long known about the bad nature of this fat guy.
Robin seemed somewhat tense.
"Weird, is your face different?" Suddenly, Hogback stared at Robin's face.
Liam wasn't a robot; there would certainly be differences between her appearances before and after two disguises. With Hogback's medical skills and his understanding of human anatomy, he keenly noticed these subtle changes.
Robin's emerald eyes contracted, immediately feeling a bit nervous and silently clenching her fists. However, she noticed that Liam beside her had no reaction at all. Wasn't he nervous or afraid of being exposed?
Liam naturally wasn't afraid. Even if 'B.I.B.' wasn't around temporarily, with Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) in hand, he had enough confidence to deal with the chubby and foolish Hogback in case something happened.
Keep in mind that the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) can also burst into blooms… Though not inclined to do so, using it as an emergency measure was a pretty safe move.
After all, in the realm of martial arts, anything was possible, even the delicate task of cracking eggs without breaking a sweat.
At this moment, Cindry, her feet wrapped in bandages, hobbled out with the help of her companion JoAnna. She leaned on crutches and said softly, "Doctor Hogback, please help treat this little dog... it's so pitiful, and I really like it."
"Don't joke; he can't afford my treatment fees!" Hogback instinctively retorted.
Liam nudged the injured little dog in front of Cindry, "If elder sister likes it, you can have this little dog. If it's elder sister's dog, wouldn't Dr. Hogback be willing to treat it?"
Seeing the somewhat forlorn yet still handsome face of the boy, Cindry, a seventeen-year-old maiden, couldn't handle it! She promptly accepted the dirty injured little dog and said softly, "Alright, elder sister will take care of this little dog for you... Dr. Hogback?"
What else could Hogback do in this situation?
Looking at the pitiful gaze of the charming beauty, his chubby heart had already started a battle. He immediately chuckled, "Well, since it's Cindry San's request, I can't refuse!"
"Then we'll leave it to the elder sister and the doctor." Liam smiled, "Let's go."
Liam dragged Robin away, feeling that Liam was almost unable to endure, eager to commit a crime and rob Dr. Hogback.
...
Cindry, a young girl, couldn't stay overnight here. After arranging for Dr. Hogback to visit and change the bandages, she left with her companion JoAnna in a carriage, taking the stray puppy that Hogback had treated. They quickly left to return to the dance troupe.
Meanwhile, Robin followed Liam to the nearest Business Street. Liam went straight into a clothing store.
"Aren't you being unusually preoccupied, Miss Demon?" Liam tossed on a coat with a smirk. "Or are you having second thoughts about the little dog?"
The service attendant was sweating profusely. Was this boy serious? This large coat could wrap his entire body into two layers like a bedsheet!
He glanced at the small... uh, considering this dress, it should be a little girl, right? High forehead, chubby cheeks, garlic-shaped nose... looking like this, should you really call her Miss Demon?
This boy's character is really Bad! The service attendant silently criticized.
Robin shook her head, not mentioning the matter of the little dog. Instead, she asked softly, "Why did you decide to write that particular sentence?"
"How should I know?" Liam rolled his eyes, laughing heartily. "I thought of it, so I played this card. There's no reason! Hey, take a look at this, how about this white coat? Do you want it?"
Robin could only focus on the clothes he was picking. Astonished, she said, "This... isn't it too large? It's all adult styles!"
Liam slightly shrugged, "Is it bad to do something adult-like?"
As he finished speaking, he felt a connection.
Liam turned his head and, sure enough, the pitch-black battle armor came through the shop's wall, heading straight for his original body!
"Hey! Don't come over!!"
(End of this chapter)
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