The bicycle, split in half by Shanks’s sword, was “glued” back together by Kuzan’s cold air.
Kuzan mounted the bike, lazily yawning. Before pulling down the eye mask above his head, he remembered something and asked, “Kid, do you remember your own name?”
Liam was walking toward Shanks when he heard this, and he stopped halfway, balancing on one foot on the ice.
“It seems to be…,” He leaned on one elbow and cupped his chin, pretending to think deeply. Then, he glanced at Kuzan with a serious expression and replied, “Dio Brando?”
Kuzan nodded, unsure of what it meant.
He pulled down the eye mask to cover his eyes and let out a big yawn.
Soon, Kuzan rode the repaired bicycle, bouncing and bumping across the rugged ice like he was traversing a mountain in the wilderness. A narrow path of ice, reflecting glimmers of light, was left behind by the rolling wheels on the sea.
Clang… Shanks sheathed his sword and looked at the departing cyclist’s back. Suddenly, he asked, “Did you just tell him your real name?”
Liam withdrew his gaze and said, “My name is Liam.”
Shanks chuckled slightly, “I’m Shanks.”
He walked over and ruffled Liam’s hair, asking, “So, who are you, kid? Are you a pirate? How did you get ‘caught’ by a Marine Vice Admiral?”
“I don’t think I can be considered a pirate…” Liam rubbed his head and said optimistically, “Maybe I used to work as a deckhand on a pirate ship, but I’ve forgotten most of it now!”
Then, standing shoulder to shoulder with Red Hair on the chaotic ice, he briefly recounted the events.
He had probably encountered a maritime disaster and woke up in a garbage dump on South Chicago Island, forgetting many things… Later, because he had contact with the “Devil Child” with a bounty on their head and did some things using special ghost abilities… passing Kuzan thought he was a potential threat, plus he was a homeless orphan, so he wanted to forcibly take him back to the Marine base for education and rehabilitation…
After listening, Shanks sincerely advised, “If you become a pirate in the future, it’s best not to encounter him again.”
“I understand,” Liam sighed, “When I ‘called for help’ from you, he probably felt very disappointed! So, he ‘gave up’ on me in his heart… A brat who doesn’t know any better, is not worth trying to save! If I really fall into being a pirate in the future, I’ll just eliminate him directly… He probably though things like that.”
“Are you sure it’s good to say that about yourself?” Shanks chuckled indifferently, but then became serious, “He indeed doesn’t have much Battle Intent, looks rather uninspired…”
‘Wasn’t Aokiji always looking so laid-back? Do you expect someone who wears a sleep mask all day to be enthusiastic?’ Liam silently thought to himself.
“With his abilities, if he wanted to, he could freeze the seawater beneath us to several hundred meters below the surface.”
Shanks stomped his foot on the ice, “A layer of ice several hundred meters thick, even if it’s shattered, it doesn’t make much difference…”
“But Shanks, aren’t you a pirate?” Liam pointed out, “If he couldn’t be bothered with me, why didn’t he try to catch you?”
“Don’t think of me as that weak!” Shanks smiled amiably.
“But I think that Marine mam was stronger!” Liam remarked, “He probably has an Admiral-level strength!”
“Who knows!” Shanks joked, “Maybe he’s taking a day off today?”
“After chatting for so long, I don’t think you seem like a pirate at all, Shanks! Maybe he thinks you’re not dangerous, despite being a pirate in a name…” Liam laughed.
“Who are you saying doesn’t look like a pirate?!” Shanks pretended to be angry, then chuckled and rubbed Liam’s head, turning to walk towards the broken wooden plank frozen along with the ice.
Clang… Shanks drew his sword and swiftly slashed.
Liam could only see a few flashes of the blade before Shanks had already sheathed it.
Shanks lightly kicked the broken plank, causing it and the surrounding ice to crack and split apart, leaving broken pieces of ice…
Liam quickly followed Shanks onto the floating pieces of broken wood and ice on the sea.
“I feel like I’ve been noted down in the scary Marine’s little book!” Liam stood steady, rubbing his head, and said optimistically, “It’s a good thing I just made up a name, and I won’t even know what I’ll look like in a few years, so he won’t recognize me…”
The two continued to drift on the sea on the floating pieces of broken wood and ice…
Shanks joked, “What’s the use of a fake name? Your ghost ability is so obvious, you’ll definitely be recognized if you ever catch his eye in the future.”
Liam chuckled, “Well, I guess not!”
Shanks smiled, “Aren’t you worried?”
“Is worrying useful?” Liam casually sat down, feeling the chill from the Ice Mass. He shifted his buttocks to the area on the wooden plank. He lazily said, “Anyway, even if he takes me to the Marine base for rehabilitation and education, I might find a chance to escape one day…”
“Is that so? It seems like you really don’t like the Marines,” Shanks said, “Why is that?”
“Why would a pirate like you ask me why I don’t like the Marines?” Liam retorted.
Shanks chuckled, “I’m more curious about you!”
He pointed to the ‘B.I.B.’ that had been following Liam’s side all along. “After all, you’re the one who caused the ‘Pirate King’s ghost’ Big News with such ghost-like abilities… Although I didn’t expect it to be such a young child like you.”
Liam pointed to the ‘B.I.B.’ beside him and asked, “Oh, Shanks, can you see it too? What does it look like to you?”
“Well, with a little skill, I can barely see it. As for what it looks like…” Shanks stroked his chin, squinting and approaching the ‘B.I.B.’ He observed attentively while describing, “It’s probably like a pitch-black silhouette! Also, the chest and eyes seem to emit white light…”
Understood, Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) can see the ‘B.I.B.’, but the “resolution” isn’t very high… Liam nodded in understanding, raised his hand, and patted the ‘B.I.B.’ beside him, whispering a few words.
The ‘B.I.B.’ looked at Shanks and asked on behalf of its entity, “But haven’t you ever doubted whether the news in the newspaper is true, whether it’s really the ghost of the Pirate King?”
Moreover, are you here to West Blue just because of that news in the newspaper? Liam wondered because during the conversation between Shanks and Aokiji earlier, it seemed to have been mentioned that he came to West Blue to find someone…
Shanks was slightly surprised, but soon he nodded slightly, and in the faint salty sea breeze, he pressed down on the straw hat on his head with one hand.
“The Pirate King, he has already lived a splendid and heroic life… That man left this world with freedom and magnanimity!”
Liam nodded thoughtfully. Even the sound of Stand speaking would be caught by Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki).
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