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**[Grand Line, Marine Base. At the edge of the training grounds, 15-year-old Smoker, sweating and shirtless, with a cigar in his mouth and smoke puffing out, was holding a newspaper featuring news about the Heavenly Tribute’s attack and a bounty notice. He glanced back to see Vice Admiral Sakazuki hurriedly leaving with a team of soldiers…]**
—
“……”
Robin quietly walked over to Liam, and ‘B.I.B.’ detached from her amidst a swirl of pitch-black energy.
Liam rubbed his fists and smiled, “Let’s try again, shall we? I’m quite patient, you know…”
Tilda, with a scared expression on her face, put down the pendant and began to shake it in front of him, this time without trying any tricks. She said softly, “Now… watch it closely… When you hear a ‘snap’ sound, you will have the strength to break this tree…” Tilda pressed her patience, speaking in a gentle tone, and after a full five minutes, she raised her other hand and snapped her fingers.
Liam came back to his senses.
Robin also came back to her senses.
“Why are you also hypnotized?” Liam turned to look at her, quite exasperated.
Robin looked a bit embarrassed, “I waited too long and thought it wasn’t working, so I kept looking… Oh?”
She looked down at her arms.
Her arms had actually bulged with muscle; what were once slender arms were now twice as thick.
Robin felt that, although it didn’t compare to the immense strength she felt while wearing Liam’s ghost earlier… even now, with a single punch, she might be able to make the person she was a few minutes ago bleed profusely! After a flurry of punches, she might even leave them a bloody mess…
“……”
Liam also looked down at his arms.
Even though he hadn’t consciously tried to exert force or used any techniques, his hands and fists were now filled with power.
This explosive feeling…
Liam took a deep breath. There was no mistake, this was the sensation of Life Return.
Through mental concentration, or forcibly dictating parts of the body, unleashing power… what else could it be but Life Return?
Except this time, it wasn’t his own will dictating his body.
This is hypnosis…
Hypnosis uses one’s own mind to interfere with another’s, even dictating their body…
Life Return, Life Return.
If Rokushiki can be seen as the “Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)” technique of Life Return…
Then what is hypnosis?
Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)?
No, Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) is more about perception… whereas hypnosis affects others… others? Applying one’s will to others?
So, hypnosis is like Haoshoku Haki applied through Life Return?
Liam looked at the two people in front of him with his power-filled fists.
The wandering artist George and the hypnotist Tilda trembled, taking several steps back.
If this guy hit them with a single punch, wouldn’t they be done for?
Liam said, “If you’re so scared, then just leave. I’ve already experienced hypnosis…”
“But the payment…” Tilda came back over. George desperately held onto her, but ended up being dragged along.
Bang!!
Liam punched the nearby thick tree trunk.
Crack…
A fissure appeared in the trunk under his fist.
Liam’s muscle tension subsided. He jumped up, executed a spinning kick, and used his foot’s power to completely break the tree!
Liam landed, with one foot suspended.
Bang… the tree fell.
Liam handed the stack of cash to the eagerly awaiting Tilda. Tilda, overjoyed, was quickly pulled away by the terrified George. Robin vaguely heard Tilda talking about buying a gift for someone…
“The explosive power is a bit weaker than the hypnotized fists… Looks like there’s still a lot of room for improvement!”
Liam stared at the tree that had been broken in half, sitting down and gazing desolately into the distance, sighing, “You’re here.”
**『……』**
**’B.I.B.’** glowed with a cold light, **’I am here.’**
Liam said, “I knew you would come.”
Robin: “……?”
**『……』**
**’B.I.B.’** continued, **’I naturally came back, and you naturally knew.’**
Liam said, “You should have come earlier.”
Robin: “……”
**『……』**
**’B.I.B.’** continued, **’It’s already late.’**
Liam said, “You— never mind, just come! I’m ready.”
He closed his eyes.
Amid Robin’s ellipses, **’B.I.B.’** directly entered Liam’s body.
Liam howled and rolled on the ground…
Robin watched silently…
After howling for a while, until it was about to attract attention, Liam gradually calmed down. Dark energy, invisible to Robin, surged from him, and the Stand armor emerged.
The process of integrating and extracting the Shiro Shiro no Mi (Castle-Castle Fruit) chip into and out of the body was completed by **’B.I.B.’** in a second, and Liam collapsed backward into the open portal of **’B.I.B.’s** chest…
Robin couldn’t see the ghost but understood what was happening, and she vanished on the spot.
Passersby, drawn by the strange cries, stared in shock at the tree split in half…
—
**’B.I.B.’** flew away from the Luluccia Kingdom island, continuing to soar over the Grand Line’s ocean, heading deeper.
Inside the City fortress.
Liam, lying on the training ground, continued his previous thoughts while staring at the ceiling. If in the realm of Life Return, techniques like Rokushiki that utilize the body can correspond to Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), and hypnosis, which affects others using one’s will, corresponds to Haoshoku Haki… then what corresponds to Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)?
Laffitte’s unfortunate, pale face appeared in Liam’s mind…
When **’B.I.B.’** ambushed that guy, it was always detected…
Killing intent?
A heightened sensitivity to strong thoughts about others? Liam thought this, suddenly hearing Robin’s slightly helpless voice, “Liam, look at this…”
“What’s wrong?” Liam propped himself up, seeing Robin looking distressed at her own arms.
Her arms still appeared with bulging muscles…
Liam jumped up and laughed, “Isn’t it great?”
Robin pouted and glared at him, then, with a serious expression, charged at him with a punch…
“Ha ha…”
“Hey! Why are the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) arms so bulky?”
“Ha ha…”
In the ghost City fortress, they exchanged blows joyfully.
—
Happy times are always brief.
After a while, with days of intensive training, Liam started feeling a bit hungry.
“I need to get a good meal,” Liam mused, setting down the flower tea Robin made, and licking the “Whitebeard” off his lips.
Robin put down her book and agreed, “I was also thinking of buying some books… There should be rare ancient texts on the Grand Line islands, right?”
Liam knocked on the City wall and shouted, “Driver, did you hear? We’re getting off!”
**’……’**
**’B.I.B.’** thought for a moment, realizing they hadn’t gone far from the recently passed island. They turned back in the air and landed on the island they had passed, about twenty minutes later.
By the seaside, the tide washed the beach. Two people suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“The scenery is beautiful,” Robin admired the view.
“……” Liam looked around.
It felt like the environment was tinged with a girlish pink… and he could vaguely hear distant laughter like the sound of weights…
He pondered, “Something’s off, something’s definitely off!”
……
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