I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

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"Rokushiki, Haki, you really have become..." 

Kuzan's words were abruptly cut off as Liam's black kick shattered half of his face. 

Yet, Liam quickly realized that he hadn't actually "hit" Aokiji. 

Instead, Kuzan had accurately predicted his attack and transformed his head into ice to evade Liam's Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)--enhanced kick. In an instant, Kuzan's entire body morphed into a mass of ice, which then exploded and seemed to merge with the spreading ice layer beneath Liam's feet. 

When Liam turned around, a surge of ice rose near the edge of the ice layer close to the Kuja pirate ship, forming into a humanoid shape— Kuzan. 

"Several dozen meters away, and he's back so quickly?" 

Liam was surprised but didn't hesitate. Just as he was about to charge at Kuzan again, he saw Kuzan reach back and point downward toward him. 

Liam's footing vanished. 

He looked down to see the entire ice layer beneath him shatter explosively. 

Kuzan had casually sliced the ice in front of Liam, causing the layer on his side to disintegrate. 

"How did he do that?" Liam thought in astonishment. "Isn't he the Hie Hie no Mi (Ice-Ice Fruit) user? It's more about 'freezing air' than actual 'ice mass'... He's not a Paramecia, so how can he control external ice like this?" Reacting quickly, Liam leaped into the air the moment his feet touched the sea surface. 

Pā! Pā! Liam performed mid-air steps, soaring high in just a few strides. 

Meanwhile, Kuzan crouched at the edge of the ice layer, observing the situation below. 

Jolyne was slowly sinking in the water... 

Weak and powerless, just like a typical Devil Fruit user... 

Moreover, she still looked like Jolyne. 

"So that's it!" 

Kuzan stood up, exhaling a puff of cold air, unsure whether he felt relieved, disappointed, or entirely indifferent. 

Above him, on the ship's railing, Hancock stared at him intently, her Medusa eyes constantly active. Yet, that damn ice man didn't even glance up at her, remaining unfazed. 

Whoosh— Liam flew in from behind Kuzan, kicking him into countless shattered ice pieces. 

The fragments rolled and fell onto the sea surface, releasing an immense wave of freezing air. 

Kā Chā Kā Chā Kā Chā... 

In an instant, the entire sea around the Kuja pirate ship was frozen into a massive ice sheet. 

"Can't you steal others' Devil Fruits? Instead of wasting time here, why not save your captain..." 

Kuzan's lazy voice echoed from within the ice. 

Liam's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) swept across, and he suddenly looked up in shock toward the Kuja pirate ship. On the other side, blocked by the ship's hull, Aokiji's presence suddenly appeared there! 

That was where Aokiji had parked his bicycle... 

"Was that his movement technique again?" Liam thought. "A near-instantaneous move achieved through the ice? I don't recall that being mentioned in the manga..." 

In his perception, Aokiji mounted his bicycle and leisurely rode away. 

"Giorno!" 

Hancock shouted, flipping over and jumping down. 

Now, the entire sea surface had been frozen into a solid ice sheet. Hancock landed on the ice and looked up to see Giorno wearing a strange smile. 

Naturally, Liam's smile wasn't unpleasant or particularly strange. 

But the fact that he could smile at such a moment struck Hancock as incredibly odd. 

Without overthinking, Hancock clenched her fist, instantly enveloping it in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), and aimed it at the ice beneath her feet. 

Bang! 

Hancock punched the ice layer, causing it to crack and shatter. 

She nimbly jumped back, landing on the still-intact ice, and kicked away large chunks of floating ice from the hole. 

"Jolyne's presence is still there!" Hancock leaned over the edge of the ice hole. "Giorno! Quickly take my Medusa Fruit; I'll go down and save her—" 

"No," Liam said. 

"What did you say!?" Hancock looked up. 

"Calm down. Haven't you noticed," Liam pointed to the seawater beneath the ice hole, "the ghost isn't on my side?" 

Gū lū lū... Dozens to hundreds of meters underwater, Robin, weak and powerless, allowed herself to sink, the immense water pressure compressing her body from all sides, as if trying to crush her entirely. 

The suffocating feeling of not being able to breathe quickened her heartbeat, and the last remnants of her strength were slipping away like threads... 

Yes, just the strength that belonged to her. 

She still had power that did not belong to her. 

Above Robin's almost dazed eyes, a shadow nearly overlapping her face glimmered with a pair of white, narrow eyes. 

B.I.B.'s Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) sensed Aokiji's presence moving away, taking control of Robin's body. 

It was no longer an Ability user; the seawater had no restraining effect on it, allowing it to completely disregard the water. 

At the edge of the ice hole, Hancock focused intently on using Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), murmuring, "She's swimming up... Your ghost is on Jolyne? If that's the case, how did she get caught by that Ice Mass man..." 

"That guy is a ruthless Vice Admiral; isn't it normal for him to defeat her?" 

Liam casually remarked, then extended his hand and flicked it toward the ice hole. Hancock was astonished to see another arm emerging from his palm... Then, this additional arm opened its palm, and another arm sprouted from it... 

In the blink of an eye, many arms extended into the water. Liam frowned slightly; these arms created by the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) were not pleasant for him, an Ability user. 

Underwater, Robin felt herself being pulled upward by B.I.B., struggling to open her eyes and catch a glimpse of the dimly lit surface, where a particularly bright circular spot appeared. From that bright spot, an arm reached down, extending toward her. 

It was that familiar hand... Robin weakly reached out to grab it but let her hand fall midway. 

The palm of the extended hand blossomed with petals, growing a single eye of Liam's, which, upon seeing Robin nearly on the verge of unconsciousness, grasped her tightly. 

B.I.B. once again took control of Robin's hand, firmly holding onto the arm created by the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi). 

"Huā lā!" 

With a powerful tug, Liam pulled Robin up from the depths of the water using the long floral arm. 

Robin emerged, drenched, her consciousness somewhat hazy.

Liam took off his shirt and wrapped it around Robin, holding her close. 

Robin's complexion, along with her lips, was pale, and she looked at Liam with a dazed smile. Liam also smiled back down at her. 

Robin weakly clung to Liam, whispering in a breathy tone, "I... didn't... expose anything, right? Sigh... I can fight with my own strength... that would be enough... you can let go and defeat him..." Her voice trailed off, and soon she fell silent, drifting into unconsciousness. 

"Idiot, it's not that easy to defeat a Marine Vice Admiral!" Liam muttered softly to himself. 

Hancock, watching from the side, had a huge question mark written all over her beautiful, charming face. 

Liam said to her, "Let's get on the ship first." 

He held the unconscious Robin in one arm and wrapped his other arm around Hancock's waist. At the same time, flowers bloomed from his chest, sprouting an arm that opened its palm, which then extended another arm. This chain of floral arms reached out to grab the ship's railing, and with a loud crack, the railing broke. 

"I must have pulled too hard and ripped the railing apart..." Hancock whispered as Giorno held her. 

With the floral arms repositioned for a better grip, Liam controlled the chain of arms, pulling them up one segment at a time.

(End Of This Chapter)