I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

The Kuja women on the ground smiled as they watched the flying serpent carrying Hancock disappear into the distance.

Liam turned and said, "Mari, explore the island. See what you can find."

Mari pouted. "Don't make it sound like we're scavenging!"

"Or if you run into any pirates," Liam shrugged – a rare gesture for him, though he found it oddly satisfying – "feel free to take what you need."

The Kuja women giggled, unrestrained and playful. "We're not that casual! They'd at least need to be good-looking!"

One fiery Kuja warrior licked her lips and winked. "At least half as handsome as Giorno… no, a third… actually, even a fifth would do!"

Despite the teasing, Liam remained completely unaffected. After living on Kuja Island for three to four years – especially surrounded by Hancock's unparalleled beauty – ordinary beauties barely registered in his eyes anymore.

The Kuja warriors, however, burst into laughter, teasing the girl who dared to try seducing Liam. This one-of-a-kind man on the island – Hancock on his left, Jolyne on his right, and often chatting with Snake Princess herself – was far beyond anyone's reach.

With a wave, Mari led the other Kuja warriors into the ruins of a nearby town, intending to scour the surrounding areas of the island.

Liam waved back, letting his hand fall. "Looks like it's just the two of us now," he said with a smile.

Robin returned the smile and pointed to her face. "Want to...?"

"As much as I'd love to see your stunning beauty, Robin, there's still a risk of being discovered on this island," Liam replied as they walked side by side.

He didn't care if Robin's true identity was exposed. However, since she didn't want her "infamous past" to bring trouble to the Kuja people, Liam respected her wishes.

Following the gathered presence of people on the island, Liam led Robin toward the direction of the crowd.

In the manga, when Rayleigh trained Luffy in Haki, he could instantly sense every beast on the island, even those that could kill Luffy, using his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki).

Though Liam's Kenbunshoku Haki wasn't on Rayleigh's level, finding a group of pirates on this sparsely populated island was a breeze. He wasn't so stubborn as to forego a convenient advantage in the name of a so-called adventurous first experience.

"Your words remind me of Dragon," Robin began as they walked along the overgrown path.

She continued softly, "Dragon seems to be targeting the Nobles…"

The first time she met Dragon, he had been wounded from raiding a Heavenly Tribute ship. His intentions were clear.

And what about Bartholomew Kuma? Once known as the "Tyrant," had he "repented" and decided to follow Dragon in overthrowing the heavy crowns he once wore himself?

Liam shook his head. "In a world where individuals can single-handedly rival nations, achieving that goal won't be easy."

In the manga, Dragon wasn't brought up for discussion at Levely until six years before Luffy set sail. Fourteen years earlier, Dragon had already begun searching the world for allies. 

It took eight years for the Revolutionary Army to grow in scale and another eight to officially assemble its leaders and launch an attack on Holy Land Mariejois during Levely.

In a world with such extraordinary power imbalances, organizing a true Revolutionary Army was immensely challenging.

A single top-tier fighter with differing views could wreak catastrophic havoc.

To Liam, an elite strategy – allying with top-level forces for a decapitation strike to wipe out all Nobles in one go – might be simpler in the world of One Piece. Conquering and rebuilding islands one by one by eliminating their Nobles could work, but only if his side's top-tier forces were sufficiently dominant.

As he pondered, Liam frowned.

That mysterious "Imu" figure in the manga, before whom the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) knelt, was a complete enigma. Liam had no insight into their power.

Dragon, being a native of this world, might know more about Im, which could explain his patient, low-profile development.

This was also why Liam hadn't "spoiled" anything when he met Red-Haired Shanks. As a major figure in this world and a child of destiny akin to a protagonist, Shanks undoubtedly knew more than Liam. Warning Shanks about losing an arm seemed unnecessary – if he lost it, it was by choice.

"To rival a nation single-handedly…" Robin murmured, amazed. The idea sounded exaggerated, but to someone like her, who had yet to witness the world's top-tier power firsthand, it was hard to grasp.

If such power existed, even the cannonfire of a Buster Call might not be so fearsome anymore.

Robin pressed her lips together.

As they walked and talked, Liam suddenly extended an arm to stop Robin in her tracks.

Robin, puzzled, looked ahead and saw a massive black shadow suddenly lunge out from the overgrown roadside.

"What is that…?" Robin asked in surprise.

The wind howled past her ears.

Standing perfectly balanced on Sandersonia's snake back, Hancock felt the cool wind on her face, her long hair fluttering, and her mood lifted.

From high above, she surveyed Sobert Island.

Apart from the central palace perched on a high hill, the entire island lay in desolation. The scattered towns were in ruins, with barely any signs of human habitation or activity.

Even the pirates who stopped by seemed to use the island only as a temporary refuge, partying for a few days before setting sail again.

Sandersonia, flapping her emerald wings, spiraled down toward the palace buildings below.

When they were still ten meters above the ground, Hancock gracefully leaped off, landing elegantly before the palace gates.

Sandersonia folded her wings and descended as well, the emerald scales on her body retreating like a receding tide until they vanished entirely.

From the palace's high windows, a curtain was drawn slightly aside.

Behind it, a pair of eyes silently observed the two women entering the palace.

(End Of The Chapter)

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