Merchant Ship, Deck.
A burly man was wrestling shirtless with a half-grown, black-haired boy. A few sailors gathered to watch the fun.
“Keep it up!”
“Don’t lose to a kid!”
“Giorno is awesome! Keep it up!”
Liam was wrestling with this sweaty, smelly man. His seemingly slender arms bulged with defined muscles, and his upper body seemed to swell, increasing his strength.
Especially under his feet, the wooden floor creaked under his weight.
This boy has incredible strength… The burly man struggled hard, but in the end he was thrown right out by Liam.
Bang!
The deck shook twice.
“Great!” “Yay~~!!”
The spectators either cheered, jeered, or exchanged money with each other, apparently betting on who would win the wrestling match…
“Phew-!!”
Liam let out a long breath, and after relaxing, his limbs felt sore and swollen.
He casually leaned against the cabin wall, sitting on the deck to rest and enjoy the sea breeze.
The ghostly ‘B.I.B.’ appeared behind and beside him, constantly massaging Liam’s limbs and shoulders.
It had all of Liam’s memories and experiences, so it knew exactly which parts of Liam’s body needed to be massaged and relaxed.
Liam closed his eyes, his breathing deep and long, seeming to go into a deep rest, with his stamina recovering quickly.
Consciously or unconsciously.
Liam could vaguely feel his limbs, shoulders, back, brain, feet… even his internal organs, the blood flowing through his veins… the beating and pulsing of his heart… and even the thick hair and fine sweat on his skin, as if a certain essence of life was breathing…
The accumulated fatigue and pain in his body was like red snow covering everything. With each breath, the red snow quickly melted under the scorching sun of his mind…
“Pirates!”
“There’s a pirate ship ahead!”
Liam was awakened by the shouts on the deck. He opened his eyes and yawned, feeling refreshed as he looked in the direction of the sound and saw a pirate ship a few hundred meters ahead of the merchant ship.
“They’re coming this way!”
“Could it be that they have spotted us?”
The experienced sailors quickly made out the movements of the pirate ship ahead.
Clang, clang, clang,
Many sailors drew their weapons, ready for battle.
Merchant ships at sea naturally had their own guards.
“That pirate flag…” Liam raised his hand to look at the skull and crossbones flag on the pirate ship.
The ‘B.I.B.’ next to him quickly compared it to the ‘Pirates of the West Blue Encyclopedia’ in his memory and provided the corresponding information. “The captain only has a bounty of 1.4 million belly…” He clicked his tongue and smiled, “I’ll take the captain, you guys take care of the rest, how about that?”
Old Henry also came out, his originally serious expression relaxed slightly, “We’ll leave it up to you then.”
He knew that this boy was rumored to be a Devil Fruit user.
On top of that, he already had considerable strength. The few rough men on his ship probably couldn’t compete with this boy.
This was evident from the surprised expressions of the surrounding sailors after the boy spoke.
…
The sky was dark, it was already evening.
The two-masted merchant ship slowly docked at the harbor of the next island.
The sailors on the merchant ship unloaded various goods while Liam shouldered his backpack, carrying a large box in one hand and the pirate captain worth 1.4 million belly in the other, and jumped off the ship.
“If you get the chance, travel with us again~!” Someone on the merchant ship waved goodbye.
Liam waved back with the pirate’s claw.
“What a strange and impressive young man!” Old Henry muttered to himself on the merchant ship.
…
Entering the town on this island.
As they walked down the street, passersby glanced at Liam.
The boy’s behavior was too unique – carrying a large bag on his back, a large box in one hand, and dragging an apparently unconscious, burly man with the other… Judging by his appearance, could he be a pirate?
Liam walked as if no one else was there. When he encountered a group of men in black suits, he asked politely, “Which way is the naval base on this island?”
“Ah?” A question mark appeared on the heads of the black suits. Where did this clueless boy come from? “Get lost, you dare to block the way of us ‘Hunting Guns’? Kid, do you want to die?”
“Hunting Guns”? Liam thought and listened carefully. A black battle armor appeared next to his ear, reminding him: “One of the top five criminal organizations in West Blue, they once tried to recruit ‘Jotaro Kujo’…
“What’s everyone looking at!” The men in black suits shouted at the passersby who had stopped to watch. “If you don’t come over and stop that boy, are you with him? Are you trying to challenge us, the ‘Hunting Guns’?”
The passersby were startled. Could they be implicated too?!
Just then, Liam walked through the group of men in black suits.
“Kid, who said you could leave?!” The men in black suits were furious and reached out to grab Liam’s hair, backpack and suitcase. “Stop right there and let us check your… Ah!!”
In a flash, the man screamed and then disappeared.
As Liam walked past the black-suited men one by one, each one let out an “ah”, “ah”, “ah”… and whoosh, they disappeared without a trace.
Many passersby stared in amazement, their mouths agape.
Some rubbed their eyes, those with better eyesight wondering if they had seen right… Just now, with every step the child took, a member of the ‘Hunting Guns’ made a black hole appear under his feet and fell into it.
But where were the holes?
There were no holes on the ground.
“Hopefully there’s a cave, underground water or something else down there…” Liam muttered insincerely. “I hope you guys are okay!”
—
Bang!
The door to the bar was kicked open.
The noisy bar fell silent for a moment.
This scene seemed familiar… Liam put his foot down, gestured at his full hands and smiled, “Can’t use my hands, no worries, carry on.”
Saying this, he sat down at a table, put down his backpack and suitcase, and threw the heavy pirate to the floor, stepping on him.
“I’m starving, bring me something to eat!” Liam pulled out a wad of bills.
Many eyes in the bar glanced casually or deliberately at the boy’s sudden arrival.
Some noticed the money in his hand, his bulging backpack, and the large suitcase.
Others studied the boy’s features carefully, as if they had seen him before.
Some were shocked to see the pirate under the boy’s foot. Damn, isn’t that… This is a pirate with a 1.4 million belly bounty being subdued by this boy?!
Out of sight, a dark mask with glowing white eyes floated around the bar, watching the various expressions of the patrons.
The food was served, and Liam ate heartily, even stomping on the pirate a few times with glee.
Puff!
The pirate under his foot half awoke and immediately began to struggle. But no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t get up from under Liam’s foot, his face turning red.
Not just… not just from one foot! The pirate’s heart roared with rage.
What he couldn’t see was that next to the foot Liam was using to pin him down was a faceless, dark-armored figure. B.I.B.’ noticed the pirate’s awakening and nonchalantly punched him in the head.
Ugh!
The 1.4 million belly bounty pirate fainted again in frustration.
—
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Liam quickly and easily inquired about the location of the Marine base in the mixed company of the bar.
As he was leaving, someone remarked, “So he’s the young hunter from the recent papers…”
“What’s his name again?”
“Jo… Jojo something?”
The discussing patrons glanced at the spot where Liam had made his inquiries and saw a drunk man lying unconscious on the ground. “Whatever, let’s keep drinking!”
—
Marine Base.
“So you’re that Giorno?”
“Just as young as they said in the papers…”
“Confirmed, the 1.4 million belly bounty is correct.”
Liam deftly handed the half-dead pirate to the Marines, picked up his backpack and suitcase, and turned to leave.
One Marine, however, watched Liam’s back, looking pensive.
“What’s wrong?”
“This boy’s features… look like someone from this country…” The Marine quickly shook his head, “But the name doesn’t match. Never mind!”
“That country?”
The other Marines immediately thought of their eccentric colleague from that country. The thought of him sent a collective chill through them.
“He’s been gone for days, why bring up that awful memory!!”
“Sorry…”
—
“How many shop windows have I passed, how many hotels have I stayed in…”
Liam put the key in his pocket, made a hole in the door of his hotel room and went straight in.
“Uh, what was the next line?”
Liam tossed his luggage aside, flopped down on the big bed and stared at the ceiling. “Hey, buddy, pirates have dates, right? What’s today’s date?”
The dark-armored ‘B.I.B.’ emerged from the floor, eyes glowing white, and reported a date.
“Oh, really!”
Liam muttered to himself. “It’s weird, I never remembered their birthdays before, but now I suddenly remember them so clearly!”
‘…’ The armor remained silent.
Patting his stomach, Liam laughed, “Too bad I’m full, or I’d eat somethinhg in their honor!”
He indulged himself for a while, then slapped his cheeks, jumped off the bed and spread his arms wide. “Let’s go, time to continue training outside!”
He glanced at the window, took a few steps back, then sprinted forward and crashed through the window and wall.
Whoosh, he made a big hole in the wall and window and jumped out of the hotel.
—
By the seaside.
Liam put the green Den Den Mushi on the ground and practiced the youthful versions of Soru and Tekkai for a while.
He looked at the rolling waves and stroked his chin, snapping his fingers.
“Unarm!”
The nearby ‘B.I.B.’, quietly exercising, took off his left arm decorated with blue flame patterns, flew back to the back of his main body and took the core of the Devil Fruit from him.
Liam stared at the sea and flexed his muscles.
With a kick, he kicked off his shoes and stomped barefoot.
“Huahua! Take off!”
Liam jumped down.
“Poru?!!!”
The green Den Den Mushi, dozing on the ground, suddenly jumped in surprise.
It looked back and the left arm of ‘B.I.B.’ clicked back into place and continued its exercises, seemingly unconcerned that Liam had jumped into the sea.
“Puru?”
With a chirp, the little green creature jumped to the shore and looked down at the sea.
Liam jumped into the air, concentrating hard on performing “Geppo” from the Rokushiki techniques. He kicked and kicked… his bare feet constantly flapping in the air.
The explosive power of Soru… the enduring hardness of Tekkai?
Suddenly, it felt like there was a breeze beneath his feet.
Liam showed a hint of joy. This feeling, it’s as if he wasn’t stepping on air, but on soft, fluffy balloons.
Pū Tōng!
Before Liam could think any more, he had already fallen into the sea.
Gū lūlu…
As he sank into the sea, Liam puffed out his cheeks, crossed his arms, curled his legs, and sank into contemplation, letting his body fall into the water.
Soon he closed his arms, held his breath, and held the rest of his body still, using only his feet to tread water.
Huā, huā, huā…
The flow of water under his feet became “heavier,” and the recoil force became stronger.
…
“Huā lā,” “huā lā”…
The black-haired teenager’s feet kicked, and his whole person “stood” on the sea. The water never rose above his knees.
“… ” Liam’s face was calm.
His feet clearly wanted to perform a cool and stylish mid-air walk with Geppo, but why did it feel like he was just stepping on water?!
This isn’t Geppo at all!
This is just surfing on waves!
“Tsk, my foot strength is still lacking!”
Liam was not discouraged; his current physical strength wasn’t enough, which was within his expectations.
If it’s not enough, then he would just keep practicing.
Liam stepped and stepped on the water.
After who knew how long he had been treading water, just when he was exhausted and ready to go ashore.
“Huh? Why does it feel easier?”
Liam felt the rising water under his feet and stroked his chin, muttering to himself, “I really am a genius, progressing so fast?!”
At that moment, even though he had almost stopped the Wave Step movement, there was still a wave of water lifting him up and dragging him down.
A question mark slowly appeared in Liam’s mind.
Looking down, it seemed as if a huge black shadow was rapidly rising from the water! Soon, “Huā lā,” the surface of the sea was broken, pulling Liam upward.
Liam stumbled and fell to the “ground”.
Hearing the abnormal roar of the huge sea wave, ‘B.I.B.’ immediately stopped and flew toward the shore. The green Den Den Mushi was also facing the sea, chirping “Puru Puru”.
B.I.B.’ descended, eyes glowing white, and immediately saw something floating on the previously empty surface of the sea – a giant figure with robustly built, roughly estimated to be over ten meters tall!
This giant had black hair and a full beard, round eyes with thick eyelashes, and thick lips. Proportionally, he clearly had a “five short” stature, wearing a huge Marine shirt uniform, notably unbuttoned, revealing dense chest hair… What was even more intimidating was that he wasn’t wearing the Marine uniform pants, but a strange, huge pleated skirt…
At that moment, Liam himself was sitting on the belly of this giant floating on the surface of the sea.
“……?” Liam and the Giant stared at each other. The Giant’s mouth was tightly closed, his slightly chubby face puffed up. “What are you doing? Holding your breath?”
Pā pā, Liam patted the high, bloated belly beneath him.
“Hey! Don’t pat me!” The chinstrap-bearded giant growled low. “Do you like me or something?”
As he spoke, he opened his mouth wide and sucked in a bellyful of air, then let it out.
“Oops…” The bearded giant muttered. Soon after, just as he had floated up earlier, he gū lūlulu sank back into the sea.
Liam used Wave Step to step on the turbulent sea surface and whistled toward the shore.
Shoo – The blue patterned armor flew in, entered the sea without a splash, and quickly caught up with the weakly sinking giant.
Compared to the mosquito-sized armor, it quickly entered the giant’s hairy torso, pulling out a triangular chip that glowed white.
“Whoa?”
The Giant, who had been sinking underwater while blowing bubbles, suddenly changed his expression. He felt his limbs fill with power once again.
……
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