''Grand Line''
This unpredictable sea, known for its erratic climate, was unusually calm at the moment. The JOJO pirate ship sailed forward with its sails unfurled.
Koala stood on the deck, not cleaning. She had taken off her top, holding her clothes in front of her with both hands.
Her head was missing…
No blood flowed from the severed neck, only wisps of gas.
Her detached head floated behind her, her eyes staring intently at the ugly "Flying Dragon Hoof" mark branded on her back. This mark, a symbol of the Celestial Dragons' slaves, was something Koala had seen countless times on others.
But this was the first time she had seen it on her own back.
Many who bore this mark had died. And many, like her, had escaped during the great fire at Holy Land Mariejois half a year ago. But Koala knew that many more would still be branded with this mark in the future.
They would be tortured.
They would die.
But… would there be another Fisher Tiger?
In the past, it was either being enslaved and suffering, or constantly fleeing, living in perpetual fear.
But now, after several days on this ship, Koala felt a sense of freedom and peace she had long forgotten… She had been a slave for too long, her body and mind scarred. Even after escaping Mariejois, Koala still acted like a slave, trying to please others… This mark was a nightmare to her.
After much hesitation, she finally decided to use her Elementalization ability to see the mark on her back with her own eyes.
Koala stared blankly at the Flying Dragon Hoof Mark on her back, her mind in chaos. At times, she felt ashamed, and at other times, painful memories flooded her mind. But as she looked at it, she began to feel that it wasn't so terrifying after all. Just as Giorno had once pointed out, it was merely evidence of the Celestial Dragons' crimes…
Koala's head floated forward, her cheek gently pressing against the scar on her back, murmuring, "It's okay… It's okay…"
In a dimension she couldn't see, B.I.B., who was steering the ship, quietly watched the little girl standing alone on the deck. Suddenly, it looked up and saw the shadow of a ship in the distance.
......
''Den Den Mushi City Fortress''
After several days of Liam's repeated "education," one of the floors of Little Green's City Fortress had been transformed into a luxurious mansion, something Liam could never have afforded in his previous life, thanks to the Shiro Shiro no Mi (Castle-Castle Fruit) ability.
In addition to several well-equipped bedrooms and a large kitchen for taking turns cooking, Robin and Liam's favorite place was the combined library and guest hall.
When they had nothing to do, they would sit on the living room sofa, one curled up reading a book, the other lounging and admiring the beauty; one writing or painting with brush and ink, the other napping with their legs resting on the other's lap, while several hands created by the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) gently massaged them; or they would brew two cups of floral milk tea, sip tea, chat, and occasionally spar— Robin had been practicing Hasshō-ken - Eight Impacts Fist, which Liam's mother Lily had taught him, for quite some time.
Like Liam, she hadn't mastered its deeper secrets, but it greatly improved her flexibility and coordination. In Liam's eyes, Robin was treating Hasshō-ken - Eight Impacts Fist like yoga.
As for navigation, wasn't B.I.B. steering the ship? Liam didn't need to worry about it.
"When do you plan to go to Kano Country?" Robin asked.
She had her hair tied in a ponytail and was wearing a tank top and leggings, having just finished a round of Hasshō-ken - Eight Impacts Fist on the carpet, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and neck.
Liam had been sitting on the sofa, drinking tea and watching her the whole time, and Robin didn't mind. She sat back on the sofa and noticed Liam's nose twitching slightly, which puzzled her.
Liam smiled, "Robin, there's a phrase called 'breath like orchids,' and you're really embodying it now. Your breath even carries a floral scent, like…"
Robin could only shake her head with a smile. Liam continued, "Kano Country? I'll go when I have time! Right now, the first place I want to visit is Momoiro Island, followed by Sabaody. Since we're already going to Sabaody, we can't skip Fish-Man Island, right? And if we go to Fish-Man Island, we might as well take a trip around the New World, that would be reasonable, wouldn't it?"
As he rambled on, Robin noticed that if it weren't for the letter from Lily urging him to return to Kano Country, Liam probably wouldn't have much interest in his hometown at all.
"Not good, Jolyne Nee San, Giorno Nii San!"
At that moment, the door to Den Den Mushi City Fortress swung open, and a small girl, the startled Koala, jumped in.
"What's wrong?"
"There's a pirate ship in the distance..."
Koala paused, realizing that neither Giorno Nii San nor Jolyne Nee San reacted much. She thought to herself that encountering a pirate ship didn't seem like a "big deal."
After all, we are a pirate ship! Koala often forgot this point. The JOJO pirate crew was simply too small, consisting only of Giorno Nii San and Jolyne Nee San, and they didn't have any pirate-like items around them, not even a bounty poster of their own!
Moreover, this small ship looked a bit shabby compared to ordinary pirate ships; at first glance, one might mistake it for a fishing boat.
The three of them left Den Den Mushi City Fortress.
After patting B.I.B. on the shoulder to continue steering, Liam and Robin went outside to see just how far away Koala's "pirate ship in the distance" really was...
"I'm worried there might be danger..." Koala said, feeling a bit shy.
Robin patted her head. After careful grooming, Koala's hair was now smooth, and wearing a dress, she looked like an ordinary little girl.
"Do you want to go?" Robin asked Liam.
Liam pondered, "It's a bit far; you go take a look first."
"Okay." Robin nodded and gestured with her hands.
At the same time, in the far distance, petals appeared in the air, coalescing into the black seabird that Robin had "captured" a few days ago.
With Robin's current mastery of the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi), she could freely use flower clones within the range of an island.
However, her personal perception ability was not as good as the range of the Flower-Flower Fruit, making it difficult to control the clones in unfamiliar terrain, especially regarding whether they would land on someone else. Therefore, in such situations, Robin preferred to use flower clones that were more free, like seabirds.
The flower bird clone had a Robin eye on its forehead and an ear growing from its feathers at the back of its neck. It circled in the air, glancing at the dirty sails of the pirate ship, which bore a skull and crossbones made of swords and knives... Soon, the flower bird landed on the ship's railing.
A group of pirates gathered on the deck, and a Captain-like figure was holding a telescope, looking in the direction of Liam and Robin's JOJO pirate ship.
The green eyes of the flower bird clone moved, and it noticed that all the pirates on the ship had a graffiti-like symbol on the back of their clothes... Next to the Captain, a pirate was quickly flipping through a bound collection of bounty posters.
"Have you not found it yet?" The Captain, observing the flag on the small ship through the telescope, said with dissatisfaction.
The nearby pirate stopped, looking at the page in his hand. Robin clearly saw his hand start to tremble violently as he swallowed several times, panicking and shouting, "One-One-One..."
Before he could finish, the Captain jumped in shock, "What do you mean, 'one'? One what?" He snatched the bounty collection from the pirate, and his eyes bulged in disbelief as he exclaimed, "160 Million Belly?!"
Flipping to the next page, the Captain's face turned pale, "200 Million?!" He collapsed to the ground in shock.
(To Be Continued…)
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