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Chapter Cover Story: Big News 12 – “A Little More, A Little More Praise~!!”
Grand Line, in a certain Kingdom. A handsome six-year-old prince leads a little white horse, walking down the street while reading a newspaper in reverse, holding a composed expression but secretly perking up his ears, carefully listening to the shrill screams from both sides.
——————————
Liam had been eating for nearly half the night, preparing himself thoroughly.
It wasn’t entirely his fault for feeling uncertain— just thinking about the intensity of the battles B.I.B. had been through was enough to make anyone uneasy.
He had fought several prolonged battles with the powerful Hancock…
Many times, in order to directly experience the effects of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), he deliberately chose to clash head-on with her…
Robin had been waiting nearby at first but eventually fell asleep leaning against a tree after seeing no end to his meal. Next to her was a lazy-looking green Den Den Mushi, still in its usual lethargic state.
After swallowing the last chunk of roasted sea beast meat, Liam patted his bloated stomach, exhaling in satisfaction.
He wobbled over to the green Den Den Mushi and, without hesitation, reached into its mouth, pulling out a blanket and casually tossing it over Robin.
Snap, he clicked his fingers.
The pitch-black armor, which had been waiting for this moment, stood up, turning toward its serious-faced master.
It approached him, but Liam raised a hand to stop it, saying, “Wait a moment! Let me digest the food first…”
The armor paused, watching as its master tugged at his unnaturally round belly, hopping in place. With each hop, his stomach visibly shrank until, soon enough, Liam returned to his normal physique— around 1.7 meters tall, with a well-proportioned, muscular frame.
His long limbs, now powerful and lean, supported a handsome face that carried a trace of weariness. He grimly addressed his Stand, “Go ahead now!”
The pitch-black armor was silent but obediently merged back into its master’s body.
Liam twitched a couple of times before collapsing to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists…
When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, casting golden light on Robin’s fluttering lashes, she slowly opened her eyes. Blinking a few times, she noticed Liam sprawled on the forest floor nearby, looking almost as if he had passed away.
“…”
Robin moved slightly and discovered a blanket covering her.
She pulled it tighter for a moment before tossing it aside and, after a quick look around, found the green Den Den Mushi sleeping close by. She opened its mouth and placed the blanket back inside.
Robin didn’t think Liam would be sleeping in the forest outside Kuja City without protection. Surely, somewhere in the seemingly empty air around him, his ghost must be standing guard, right?
‘Too bad I can’t see it…’
Just as Robin was thinking this, she felt something wrap around her, followed by a familiar yet foreign sensation of power surging through her.
It’s him.
It’s Liam’s ghost… It’s wearing me…
With that thought, Robin was startled and looked down to see that her arms were now encased in a thin layer of pitch-black armor!
And on the surface of that armor, there were faint flame-like patterns.
Robin curiously examined her body and indeed saw that she was entirely covered by a layer of black armor. The flame-like patterns on her arms converged at her chest, surrounding an inverted white triangle. A realization dawned on Robin: this must be the place where Liam stores the Devil Fruit abilities he’s acquired…
Suddenly, Robin heard a faint sound in her ears. The quality of the sound was strange—like metal, yet also like an electric current, distant yet close.
Hello…
Robin immediately understood. It’s the voice of Liam’s ghost.
Wearing it allows me to borrow its Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), so I can see and hear it now?
“Do you have a name?” Robin couldn’t resist asking.
Having spent so much time with Liam, she had naturally observed that Liam treated his ghost as if it had its own independent consciousness.
However, Liam’s way of addressing the ghost was always inconsistent. He called it Little Black, Ah Black, Big Black, Old Black, Blackie, B, Little B, Ah B, Big B, Old B, B-baby…
He even referred to it as son, brother—just about every strange name Robin could think of. But he had never once called his ghost by a proper name.
I’m called… Back… in… black…
Robin slowly pronounced the three unfamiliar words, “Back, In, Black…”
It was her first time wearing Liam’s ghost like this, and the experience was both strange and fascinating.
After getting a taste of Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), Robin naturally wondered whether Liam— or rather, Liam’s ghost— had learned the other type: Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki).
Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) hasn’t been mastered yet…
Robin glanced at Liam, lying on the ground. Thanks to the enhanced Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), she was surprised to realize that Liam wasn’t actually asleep… He was slightly furrowing his brows, as if pondering something.
After reclaiming his Stand, Liam had absorbed its memories, along with the experience of battling Hancock.
The flow of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) in Hancock’s kicks…
That tangible sensation seemed imprinted on Liam’s own fists.
As he reflected on that sensation, Liam was contemplating one question: Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) is so tangible, but what about Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)?
In the manga, when Luffy used Fourth Gear, he exhausted his entire supply of Haki in one go and needed a few minutes to recover. Given the nature of Fourth Gear, Luffy was likely referring to the depletion of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), right?
But Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)… He had never heard of it “running out” or becoming “insufficient.”
The Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) he thought he had already mastered now suddenly felt unfamiliar.
After experiencing the tangible effects of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), Liam realized: What exactly is Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)?
Does such a “thing” really exist within me?
…
Hancock followed the others back to Kuja City.
She glanced at the massive city gate slowly closing behind her, her expression blank but clearly sullen.
“Elder sister, where did you go today? Everyone was so worried,” Sandersonia tentatively asked.
Cosmos and the others also turned their eyes toward her.
As expected, Hancock snorted, lifting her chin as she replied, “If you couldn’t find me, it’s because you’re useless. Why should I tell you where I went?”
Of course… This is Hancock, after all…
Everyone was used to her attitude. Sandersonia shrugged at her younger sister, as if to say, “I told you not to ask, right?”
As the little darling of the nation, Hancock had been missing for most of the day, causing widespread concern throughout Amazon Lily. By evening, the Empress, Snake Princess, was personally prepared to lead a full-island search. Only the news of Hancock’s safe return stopped her.
Snake Princess sent word, inviting the three sisters to dine with her at the palace.
“I’m not going!” Hancock refused outright. “I’m starving. I’m going home to eat.
Sandersonia, Marigold, hurry and make dinner.”
Sandersonia and Marigold shared helpless looks with the palace guard who had delivered the message. Everyone in the nation knew Hancock’s personality… The guard could only sigh and even offered to help prepare the meal, worried Hancock might be famished.
That night, Hancock had a strange dream. In the dream, she was the Hancock from that book, with a mother named Robin and a father named Liam. Not knowing what a father was supposed to look like, she made up an image in her mind and ended up replacing it with the face of that woman named Giorno…
(End Of Chapter)
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