I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

Hancock recognized the Den Den Mushi that Jolyne and the others had used, mainly because it was unique. It resembled a chameleon-like dragon lizard rather than the usual snail-shaped device.

But the one in Robin's hand was undeniably ordinary, lacking the vibrant spirit of Giorno's Den Den Mushi. It looked like any other, unremarkable model, lying inert in Robin's palm with its eyes closed, feigning sleep.

Robin spoke, "Earlier, I received a communication on this Den Den Mushi. Someone was berating that Zoan Ability user. When they realized this wasn't..." Just as she was about to continue, the Den Den Mushi in her hand suddenly opened its eyes and began to chirp, "Puru Puru Puru!"

"Puru?" Liam's small green creature peeked out from his pocket, but Liam quickly nudged it back inside.

Robin and Hancock exchanged glances before picking up the Den Den Mushi's receiver.

Liam watched in surprise as the Den Den Mushi in Robin's hand instantly transformed its face the moment the connection was established. The insect-like visage morphed into the face of a man in his forties or fifties, complete with a thick, bushy beard.

Liam was impressed. Den Den Mushi were truly remarkable creatures. He wondered if, by diligently practicing his Life Return technique, he could eventually manipulate his own facial muscles and bone structure, even cultivate facial hair, and achieve true disguise. 

After all, Life Return allowed him to regrow teeth and control his hair as if it were an extension of his own body, so theoretically, "face-changing" could be within his reach...

The bearded Den Den Mushi immediately barked, "Hey! Do you have the best Sorbet in the world for me?"

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, it muttered quietly, "Captain, you dialed the wrong number! This call was for the Vice-Captain..."

"Oh, so the guy on the other end is the Captain of that Glacier Pirate group, right?" Liam realized.

The hypnotized pirate he had interrogated had mentioned this, and now, the Captain's call had come through directly.

Since the Vice-Captain had led the crew to Magnifique Island, the Captain was likely calling in a panic to assign blame.

Liam wasn't particularly interested in the petty squabbles between pirates, but the man on the other end of the Den Den Mushi continued to ramble on.

The usual threats: 

"So, you're the so-called Kuja Pirate group?", 

"Just a bunch of women," 

"Our Glacier Pirate group is no pushover. If you dare attack our ship, you'll pay the price," and so on… 

If an ordinary person were threatened by a "Big Pirate" with an 89 million Belly bounty, they might be intimidated, but Liam simply tuned him out.

After all, the man couldn't simply follow the Den Den Mushi signal and attack them, nor could they be immediately dispatched by Liam. So, what was the point of wasting words?

Bang!

Suddenly, a massive figure crashed through the ship's ceiling. Liam, Hancock, and Robin stepped aside as the Glacier Pirates' Vice-Captain tumbled to the ground.

The white elephant man, his tough hide now riddled with arrows, lay sprawled on the deck, gasping for breath.

"Ah!"

Sandersonia, Marigold, and several other Kuja warriors armed with snake bows rushed in. They were slightly fatigued and bore minor wounds.

"Not finished yet?" Hancock remarked, her tone laced with disapproval.

Sandersonia explained, "It's rare to encounter such a powerful opponent, especially someone from the outer seas. We all wanted to test our strength..."

The white elephant man shakily rose to his feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His bloodshot eyes darted around, fixated on the Kuja women. When his gaze fell upon the impossibly beautiful woman, who remained as indifferent as ever, and the man beside her, who towered over everyone, despair washed over him.

In this situation, no matter his stamina or resilience, there was no hope left...

"Is it Aifente?" Robin's Den Den Mushi whispered.

"Boss!"

The white elephant man, blood streaming down his face, was about to cry out in alarm when...

Liam swiftly extended his leg and hooked it around the man's body. With a powerful thrust from his toes, he launched the giant white elephant man through the gaping hole in the ceiling. The man soared into the sky, disappearing from view in the blink of an eye, and kicked so far that no one could ascertain his landing point.

"Who has time for your chatter?" Liam muttered. "Pirates fight, that's the way it is. No need for unnecessary conversation. Do I know you?"

"What? You bastard! You..."

As the Den Den Mushi in Robin's hand continued to spew curses, Liam lost interest and simply hung up the call. Silence returned.

"So, the Sorbet Kingdom?"

Liam turned to Hancock, as it was now their pirate ship.

Hancock nodded in agreement.

Robin reached into Liam's pocket and extracted the small green creature, then placed the Den Den Mushi she had been holding into its mouth, allowing it to be absorbed into the creature's body fortress.

"Sorbet Kingdom?" Robin paused for a moment as if recalling something.

Liam pointed towards the hypnotized pirate beside him. "He confessed it. Their boss is currently causing trouble in the Sorbet Kingdom..." 

Bang— the hypnotized pirate collapsed, lifeless.

"89 million, right? That's this Captain's bounty?" Liam remarked, "It's a shame I can't seem to become a bounty hunter anymore…"

Robin smiled faintly, recalling the time when Liam, disguised as Chopper and Giorno, made a name for himself as a "Young Hunter" in the West Blue. That seemed like a lifetime ago, almost a distant memory.

"Eh, maybe not!" Liam looked down at himself and chuckled. His stature had increased significantly over the years. In the blink of an eye, the ordinary boy who had emerged from the West Blue's slums had transformed into a towering figure, surpassing even the Joestar family's height standards. 

He chuckled, "At this point, I could probably just use the name 'Kuyou Jotaro' (B.I.B Pirate Hunter Identity)!"

If he were to use Jotaro's name to collect bounties, he'd probably need to don that iconic star mask to truly embody Jotaro…

After all, even though Liam's physique had changed dramatically, how could the Marines possibly fail to recognize his face, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the one on the "Chopper Giorno" bounty poster?

Robin had always utilized her Hana Hana no Mi (Flower-Flower Fruit) to transform into Jolyne, but Liam had always maintained his own appearance, seeing no need for concealment. 

Most of the time, when Robin employed her transformation, it was to avoid drawing unwanted attention from those who might recognize her true identity. This was also the reason why, despite her closeness to the Kuja warriors, Robin had never revealed her true identity to them…

"Kuyou Jotaro?" Hancock inquired, puzzled. "Is this someone you know?" She glanced at Jolyne, wondering if this name held any significance within her family.

"Just a friend who sells fish, not someone I'm particularly close to," Liam replied casually.

Hancock didn't grasp the humor. B.I.B. placed a hand on Liam's shoulder and gave him a gentle pat.

Meanwhile, Robin retrieved a book from the small green creature's mouth.

The Complete Guide to South Blue Islands, Kingdoms, and Scenic Spots

Her belongings, including the various books she had acquired throughout her travels, were naturally stored within the small green creature's body fortress.

"I believe I've seen an introduction to the Sorbet Kingdom in this book..." Robin flipped through the thick volume, quickly locating the entry on the Sorbet Kingdom. She soon found the relevant page, "As expected... It's this place."

Hancock asked, "Is there anything special about it?"

Robin shook her head and handed the book upside down to Hancock.

Hancock accepted the book, and as she did, Robin's entire body dissolved into a shower of petals, vanishing from sight. Hancock, of course, understood that this was merely a flower clone of Jolyne remaining on the ship.

She looked down at the book in her hands. The first thing that caught her attention was a photograph of someone she had encountered before. But the person in the photo appeared different from the gentle and composed individual she had met three years ago. The figure in the photo now emanated an aura of fierce power.

Bartholomew Kuma.

The accompanying caption read: "A former king who personally destroyed his own country's 'Tyrant.'"

(End of Chapter)

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